sodaclub 300x300 Saving the Planet One Bottle at a TimeI unintentionally made my own contribution to World Water Day this week with the purchase of my new Soda Club machine.

Andrew and I stopped drinking soda (pop for my Canadian readers) quite a few years ago. We were concerned about the sugar and chemicals we were consuming so we gave it up. We also don’t drink much bottled still water. We have a Brita jug in the fridge and take our own re-usable bottles to the gym with us. Our one vice however is sparkling water which we both drink litres of.

Each week, as I hauled out our recycling bag, I was confronted with a pile of red, plastic, Spa bottles. My goal for 2010 is to try and lead a more sustainable lifestyle and I knew this was one major step I could take.

So last weekend, we stopped in to Krefel and bought a Soda Stream machine. Basically this is a small unit that contains a carbon-dioxide canister to carbonate still water. It uses no electricity or batteries and the canisters are re-fillable, so there is very little environmental impact. The added bonus is it is also less expensive than buying bottled water AND we no longer have to carry water up 80 stairs to our flat!

If you do drink flavoured sodas and colas, Soda Club also sells syrups to make your own drinks. I have no idea how well they compare to bottled pop, but there are loads of recipes on-line to create your own flavours.

My experience with the machine so far has been positive. You can add as little or as much carbonation to the water as you like and since I don’t have to plug in the machine, I can store it out of the way of my limited counter space. (Did I mention not having to carry water up my 80 stairs?)

The impact of bottled water on our world is taking its toll. Below is a short video on what really happens to all of those bottles we throw away or try to recycle.

Do you have experience with Soda Club or something similar? Would you be willing to try making your own soda? Leave your thoughts below.