10.10.2007

Bottled Water- So last year!

I talk a lot about giving up meat because of it's effect on the environment, but have you ever considered giving up bottled water? I was under the assumption that most people understand the global effects of consuming bottled water, yet still, I see so many self-proclaimed, environmentalists, consuming bottled water on a regular basis. I'm going to be straight forward, I don't care what kind of bottled water you drink, it's bad for the planet, plain and simple. Let's go through a quick rundown:

Plastic- According the the WWF, in 2001, we were using about 1.5 million tons of plastic to create 89 billion liters of bottled water each year. Imagine what it must be now! About 90% of these bottles ARE NOT RECYCLED!

Fossil Fuels- The bottled water industry uses an extremely substancial amount of precious fossil fuels and other natural resources to manufacture these water bottles.

Energy- I once heard a statement that it takes 1,500 times more energy to create one bottle of water as it does to get one glass of tap water. Think about that one! Don't forget how far that glacial water traveled to get to you.

Taste- In a study conducted by Showtime television, a staggering 75% of bottled water drinkers preferred the taste of NYC tap water in a blind taste taste.

Regulations- Bottled water is regulated by FDA, who put very little manpower into creating and enforcing bottled water standards. On the other hand, the EPA, who regulate tap water, have hundreds of individuals constantly updating, testing, and adhering to tap water regulations.

Source- Let's face it, unless you live under a rock, you must know that many bottled water manufacturers get their water from municipal sources. That mean's tap water! There are very few if any regulations and even worse, in-state bottled water has no regulations at all. You think your helping by reducing transpotation, but who knows where that water came from.

Nutritional Benefits- When it comes down to it, water is water is water! You can claim it's gone through reverse osmosis, been filtered 75 times, or comes from an ancient glacier, but the bottom line is your body can't tell the difference.

Expense- Each year Americans spend more that 11 billion dollars a year on bottled water, ranging everywhere from $1 to $100 per bottle! Save the extra cash, I'm sure you could come up with a better use for it. Just think of how much money you would save a year, if you gave up bottled water.

This doesn't mean you have to go drink from the faucet. Invest in a small water filtration system you can place in the fridge and a stainless-steel bottle to go along with. With the state of the environment, we need to start taking every precaution possible to help save the planet. I'm sure you won't miss your bottled water one bit, it's all in your head. Maybe next we can work on brown-bagging our lunches. Actually, skip the bag and go for something reuseable! Here is an entertaining video for you to check out:

1 comment:

  1. I just recently heard a segment on our local public radio station about bottled vs. tap water. Personally, I just keep Nalgene bottles around, fill them when I leave the house, and be done with it! I have a Pur filter so I can get rid of some of the "mineral" taste from our tap water here, but seriously? Why bottled?

    The only time I drink bottled water is if I am out somewhere & am in need of a drink. I know it's probably not the greatest thing, but it certainly is healthier than buying a can of soda. We keep & recycle all water bottles when we do buy any - sometimes we just reuse the bottles when hiking and need smaller vessels for our water!

    Glad I stumbled on your blog! I found you through Colleen's blog.

    ReplyDelete

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