Sometimes going green doesn't seem so green. Case in point: I've got a seltzer drinking habit I don't want to part with, but I'm not comfortable with the plastic bottles my bubbly comes in .So I did some research and the alternative I came up with, not a perfect answer mind you, but the best I'm able to do right now, is this handy seltzer soda water maker by ISI, a brand that chefs and restaurants often choose.
There are fancier and more expensive soda water makers out there, but the simplicity of this classic design will outlast those more complicated -- a wise concept I learned and have benefited from repeatedly over the past 25 years since a pony-tailed rock climber I took a trip with shared it with me. I'd asked him why he didn't have some of the newer, fancier gadgets I'd seen other climbers with and he replied, "The fewer the parts, the less chance of something breaking, something going wrong." OK, perhaps not as critical a concept when one's considering seltzer makers instead of hanging from rocks one shouldn't be hanging from, but useful and pertinent, nonetheless. And, if my point with this change is lessening my impact, the storage bottles and counter display stands that accompany the fancier makers are extravagant, especially knowing I can make the beverage by the glass or re-use bottles I already have for storage.
And make sure to stock up on CO2 chargers. If you buy them in this larger quantity you'll end up paying about 45-cents per cartridge, so over time you will recoup your initial investment on the maker and your seltzer will be cheaper than the prepared store-bought fizzy drink. Also comforting is the fact that cartridges are steel and fully recyclable.
