Not only do Americans spend over $4 billion per year on bottled water, but the vast majority of those bottles go straight to the landfill. In fact, even when we dutifully toss our empty plastic bottles into the recycle bin, that's just a pitstop. Recycled plastic is "downcycled" into lower grade plastic each time we toss it, so after a few cycles it's headed to join its brothers and sisters at the dump. One company is looking to help folks break that cycle and make a difference while they're at it!

The new Metro line of glass water bottles from Be Truly You are designed to help folks “fall in love with their tap… all over again." The glass bottles are 100% recyclable and fit right into a regular sized cup holder. Unlike plastic, glass doesn't lose quality in the recycling process, so even if you do eventually have to toss your glass bottle in the bin it won't be downcycled.

Company founders Heather McDowell and Ann Caiola wanted to do more than just provide an alternative to plastic water bottles. For the rest of 2010, they're donating $1 from each Metro bottle sold to the UNICEF Tap Project. One dollar is enough to supply a child with safe water for 40 days. If you want to donate more than just the $1, you can do that through the Be Truly You website, as well.

We're fortunate here in the U.S. to have ready access to safe, clean drinking water. Around the world, 6000 children die every day because they're not so lucky. It's great to see a company raising awareness about this issue and helping folks give back!