If you are wondering whether it’s a bad idea to keep buying bottled water, you might want to stop by Brown University on Tuesday night for the screening of a new documentary called “Tapped.” It may dampen your enthusiasm for the popular product.

If you find recyclable wastes piling up at your house, circle Nov. 21 on your calendar. From 8 a.m. to noon at the Central Landfill in Johnston, the state will celebrate Rhode Island Recycles Day by accepting a wide range of recyclables, including large plastic items such as lawn furniture and toys, at no charge.

“Tapped” is being offered at no charge at 8 p.m. in Brown’s Salomon Center on the Main Green. It is being sponsored by the Environment Council of Rhode Island and several student groups at Brown.

Producers also filmed “Who Killed the Electric Car?”, an award-winning documentary. “Tapped” focuses on the effect of bottled water on the economy, the environment and public health. It reports that Americans spent $15 billion on bottled water in 2007, 30 times the consumption per capita in 1976. It says producing those bottles used the equivalent of 17 million barrels of oil. It costs far more than tap water, even though 24 percent of bottled water sold in the U.S. is tap water.

And the film asserts tap water is far more rigorously regulated and tested.

A writer for Grist, the online environmental magazine, wrote of the film, “I knew bottled water sucks, but I didn’t know it sucks this much. I will never look at bottled water with anything less than loathing from now on.”

No appointments are needed for most items at the special recycling day at the Central Landfill. The state will accept standard e-waste items, household hazardous wastes and even personal papers that need shredding.

“Rhode Island Recycles Day is a unique, once-a-year opportunity to conveniently recycle many of your hard-to-recycle items at no cost,” Michael O’Connell, executive director of the recovery corporation, said in a statement. “It’s a great, free, one-stop shopping event for a host of recycling needs.”

The state’s Eco-Depot will accept batteries, rechargeable batteries, computers, TVs, digital cameras and computer accessories.

It also will accept large plastic items such as Big Wheels, plastic lawn furniture, laundry baskets, kiddie pools and plastic trash containers.

Appointments are needed for household hazardous wastes such as oil-based paints, antifreeze, gasoline, fertilizers, pesticides and weed killers. To make appointments, call 942-1430, ext. 241.

For more information on items that will be accepted, go to www.rirrc.org. For the Web site of the film “Tapped” go to: www.tappedthemovie.com.

plord@projo.com