How Is Bottled Water Destroying The Environment

Bottled water has become a controversial topic as of late. There are always two sides to every argument, some think that bottled water is beneficial to society, whereas some people think that it is detrimental to society as a whole. Bottled water is detrimental to society because it costs the country an abundance of money. It is also harmful to society because it is damaging to the environment. A lack of sanitation in bottled water has also been connected to illnesses among people who drink it. Bottled water is in no way shape or form worth the price that one will spend financially, nor is it worth the gamble of becoming sick from all the harsh chemicals that come from the bottle itself.

Plastic water bottles are considered one of the healthiest beverages you can find in any shop. But are they really all that healthy for the environment, or is there a fine line between a plastic bottled water drink and what’s best for everyone? Let’s take a look at bottled water from the very start to find out. To manufacture plastic bottles, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is used, and to produce PET, crude oil and natural gas is required. If one fills a plastic water bottle 1/4th full with oil, they will be looking at how much oil was used to make that one bottle, so how much oil does it take to make all of America’s water bottles? According to the Pacific Institute, in 2006, making plastic water bottles

One of the biggest harms to the world is pollution caused by people. Most of the plastic materials used by people are left to pollute. Bottled water is one of the biggest plastic materials produced. Some people say that bottled water is safer, convenient, and provide jobs to workers in many ways. The reasons for buying bottled water differ. Some people buy bottled water because they don’t like the taste or smell of tap water, while others on the other hand buy it because of health concerns with water contamination. Pollution is one of the biggest problems hurting the environment today, and water bottles that are thrown out after each one-time use, contribute greatly to its increasing buildup. Bottled water is not only expensive to us, but also to the environment. Bottled water is hurting the economy, harming human lives, and damaging the environment.

Water is essential to life, scientific fact, not debatable (Tracy). More than half of all Americans drink bottled water; about a third of the public consumes it regularly (Olsen). Many drink or buy bottled water simply because they believe it is of better quality, cleaner, and better tasting. On the contrary, several individuals do not know the cons of drinking bottled water. Today, there are many misconceptions and myths about bottled water. Many people are uneducated about what goes into our bottles and how it not only affects us but also our environment. In the article “The New Oil” by Jeneen Interlandi and Ryan Tracy they discuss the issues that have to do with water and the privatization of it. They believe there is a crisis and something has to be done. Due to the cost, pollution, shortage, and health issues, bottled water should be outlawed. Water should not be controlled by water bottle companies and should not be allowed to be sold in plastic bottles.

Every year worldwide, 72 billion gallons of water are used just to make empty plastic water bottles. In the article, “Are the Bottles Safe,” details are given about how clean and safe bottled tap water really is. Bottled water has more health risks and is more environmentally harmful than drinking tap water in a reusable bottle.

The truth is that 25% of bottled water actually comes from public sources and is only sometimes decontaminated. According to an article titled Bottled Water vs. Tap Water, “For the consumer, bottled water is significantly more expensive than tap water.” This highlights the inconvenience of bottled water. First, you have to drive in your car and pollute the air with carbon monoxide from your car to get to the store. Furthermore, you have to buy a heavy package of water bottles that you would otherwise get for free from your kitchen sink.

Priscilla Torres goes on to describe the many downsides bottles of water bring to people as well as the environment in “Bottled Water Vs. Tap Water: Rethink What You Drink”. Torres first claims that the water bottles companies can be “misleading” (Torres) with where they tell the public of the waters source. In some cases, companies turn to flat out lying in their “labels” (Torres) and could be serving you potentially “hazardous” (Torres) products.

“Eighty-six percent of water bottles end up in landfills or in the ocean” (Sexton & Morley). The National Resource Defense Council (NRDC) tested over 1,000 bottles of water to find out what kind of water was really in the bottle (Jemmott). They found out that an estimated 25% or more of bottled water is really just tap water in a bottle (Olson). It is sometimes treated more, sometimes not. Also the NRDC tested water for contaminants. Most didn’t have any but 22% of the brands contained chemical contaminants (Olson). Most of these chemicals were strict above the state health limits. If the water inside the bottle becomes contaminated the producers don’t have to let the consumers know. Although many people believe plastic bottles are convenient, nevertheless they can extremely harm you because of the chemicals in the plastic and is also causing harm to the earth.

Have you ever had any concerns about bottled water? Do you think that bottled water is better than tap water? Bottled water is water packed in plastic containers and sold for human consumption (Health Canada, 2013). Currently, the amount of bottled water consumed has increased considerably since many people feel it is safer drinking bottled water than tap water (Parent and Wrong, 2014). According to The Statistics Portal the global sale of bottled water took a leap from 161, 589 to 181, 608 liters from 2009 to 2011. In the United States, each American citizen consumed around 32 gallons of bottled water in 2013, thus meaning an equivalent growth of 15% over 2009 (Statistics & facts, 2014). In fact, due to good portability, bottled water has been helpful in both simple and complex situations such as daily exercises and natural disasters. Even though having those few considerable advantages, bottled water still have been less benefits; especially due to the negative impact in the socio-economic, health and environmental fields.

Is Bottled Water also harming the environment? Yes, in many places such as California.“More than 1 billion plastic water bottles end up in California’s landfills each year, taking 1,000

“One of the biggest challenges facing the bottled water industry is how to respond to the environmental claims levelled against it” (Grocer). Every time someone throws a bottle away, they have taken up more space in a landfill for the next four hundred fifty to one thousand years. Besides the long decomposition rate, water bottles are the cause of several more environmental issues. Overfilling landfills, health hazards caused by refilling, and the economic stresses due to the constant and inconvenient repurchasing are just a few of the negatives water bottles have on us. These plastic pollutants are doing more harm to both the environment and their users than good.

Did you know? Bottled water is bought almost as much as cigarettes in local stores. The New York Times, Ted C. Fishman, committed editor for Worth and Harper's magazines, discusses how the production of bottled water is rising and is a $35 billion business. Fishman also mentions how "bottled water does taste better or is more convenient or safer than tap water." I don't always drink bottled water. However, I do buy it. I use bottled for: packed lunches, rushed mornings, planned outings. I see no harm in using bottled water, as long as you recycle your bottles. So, go ahead and embrace the convience of bottled water.

According to The Water Project, “Bottles used to package water take over 1,000 years to bio-degrade and if incinerated, they produce toxic fumes. It is estimated that over 80% of all single-use water bottles used in the U.S. simply become ‘litter’” (“Bottled Water is Wasteful”). This fact is not the only reason I believe that bottled water does not outweigh its costs. Although statistics show that bottled water is efficient, there are many reasons to believe otherwise.

Have you ever had any concerns about bottled water? Do you think that bottled water consumption should be banned? Bottled water is water packed in plastic containers and sold for human consumption (Health Canada, 2013). Currently, the amount of bottled water consumed has increased considerably since many people feel it is safer drinking bottled water than tap water (Parent and Wrong, 2014). According to The Statistics Portal, the global sale of bottled water took a leap from 161, 589 to 181, 608 liters from 2009 to 2011. Only in the United States, each American citizen consumed around 32 gallons of bottled water in 2013, thus meaning an equivalent growth of 15, 94% over 2009 (The Statistics Portal, 2014). In fact, due to good portability, bottled water has been helpful in both simple and complex situations such as daily exercises and natural disasters. Even though having those few considerable advantages, bottled water still have been less beneficial; especially due to the negative impacts in the socio-economic, health and environmental fields.

Plastic water bottles are seen and consumed everywhere. Without knowing the deadly effects that water bottles have on the environment, consumers will keep buying them and contribute to the problem. About 17 million barrels of oil are used each year solely to make water bottles