Green gauntlet: A better bottle?

Sylvie Verdant, my uber-green friend, is a big believer in tap water. She figures her money pays for it in the first place, so why would she go and spend more for bottled?

The question, for her, becomes this: How best to transport tap water on days when she's not going to be near a tap?

The plastic bottles that have bisphenol A, she long ago nixed.

The Bamboo Bottle Company has an idea for her. It's got a glass inner container and an insulating bamboo sleeve.

According to a press release from the company, the bottle (and the company) were "born after a slew of Las Vegas brainstorms, a few drawings on cocktail napkins, meticulous research and lots of late nights. One reoccurring theme became obvious to the crew during every meeting: go bamboo. Bamboo is sleek, durable, stylish and best of all, renewable."

"We wanted to make a clean, great looking bottle you could drink hot or cold beverages from," says senior vice president Patrick Carland. "Clean to us meant the liquid had to taste great when drinking from the bottle and the product had to respect the environment as much as possible. Bamboo and glass allow us to accomplish that goal."

The company's description of the bamboo outer: "Because of the species' stability, hardness and strength, our bottles are made from Phyllostachys Pubescens bamboo (also known as Moso and Mau Tzu). The bamboo is grown and harvested in temperate conditions that allow it to grow to its maximum potential – 90 feet in 9 months! The best part of the harvesting method is the hand selection and hand cutting of the bamboo. This allows maturing and flowering strands to remain flourishing and minimizes the impact on ground soil since no heavy machinery is used. Once cut, the bamboo will continue to grow just like mowing your lawn. This selective cutting process leaves the soil and land in its best possible state. The bamboo outer acts as a natural insulator for hot or cold beverages while protecting the glass interior during activities and accidental drops."

Now for the glass inner:  A removable, dishwasher-safe, 60 percent recycled, durable glass interior, able to withstand active lifestyles.  "The stylish, patent pending design allows for easy cleanup. Simply unscrew the top and bottom and slide the dishwasher-safe glass lining out," the company says.

I thought Sylvie would be so excited. To tell you the truth, her eco ethic sometimes has her looking a tad, well, shabby. At $25 for the Bamboo Bottle, would she be interested?

The next time she came over, I was prepared to give her the schpiel. Then, as she sat down at my kitchen table and plonked down her backpack -- she'd just been on a hike to her favorite birdwatching meadow -- I saw the bottle she was carrying: An old canning jar!

But what do you think? Should Sylvie upgrade? Does the Bamboo Bottle make it through the Green Gauntlet? Or is her canning jar the most eco option?

Let us know in this regular Friday feature by commenting below.