According to the Container Recycling Institute, in the year 2006, Americans consumed more than 200 billion bottles and cans worth of all beverages, including soda. The Earth Policy Institute in Washington estimated that it takes about 1.5 million barrels of oil to make these bottles, which is enough to fuel 100,000 cars. Despite efforts to recycle these bottles, the oil consummation and the cost of making these bottles continues to be a strain on the environment. However, Soda Club, a company that sells home carbonation machines, is helping to fix that problem. The machine, which enables you to make your own soda and seltzer water at home, allows users to eliminate plastic from soda and water. It not only promotes an environmentally responsible behavior, but saves money and is compact. Brittany Roth, the press representative for Soda Club, says that the environmental benefits are plentiful. According to a Soda Club press release, there is less litter, less oil used to manufacture and ship the beverage containers and less pollution occurring when using a Home Soda Maker. Roth wants to spread the word about the Home Soda Maker to college students because it is geared towards people who have a limited amount of space and want to save money. Home Soda Makers brews a liter of soda or seltzer in 30 seconds and comes with a choice of 27 flavors (regular or diet), including an energy drink option. The machine is also easy to use. After placing a carbonating bottle filled with cold tap water in the machine, one can simply push a button and get carbonated water.The carbonating tank inside the machine has enough carbon dioxide to brew up to 110 liters of water, and usually lasts three to four months if used often. Another benefit of the home soda maker is that it is customized. You can choose the strength of the carbonation and the level of sweetness that you want in your drink. You can also choose from over 30 recipes on http://www.sodaclubusa.com/recipes to make a concoction of your own. “You can be the chef of your own soda,” said Kristin Harp, the marketing director of Soda Club. The soda maker, starting at $99.99, comes in three different models. For each model, you can choose between the seltzer kit and the soda kit. You can purchase them at sodaclubusa.com. Soda Club sodamix concentrate costs $3.99-$4.99 for a bottle that sweetens the equivalent of 36 cans. The water flavors sell for $5.99 per 50-serving bottle, according to the Web site. You can even make fun cocktails. Every month, you can submit your favorite recipe and enter to win $50 of Soda Club products that you can use on their Web site. According to the press release, if a family of four used a home Soda Club maker for half of the soda or seltzer that they consume in a year, then they would reduce their use of plastic and aluminum beverage containers by over 1,000 per year.