The Story of Bottled Water

It’s been a bit since I talked about the problems with single use plastic water bottles, and with the release of the great little video below, I thought I’d bring the subject back to the top of the order. Sadly, since I first started writing for Care2, the plastic water bottle problem has not gone away and in fact has continued to grow. The bottom line is that until most of us stop listening to the advertising being thrown at us, nothing is going to change.

I should point out that if you live in an area that actually has contaminated tap water, or don’t have access to running water, this post isn’t for you. But for the rest of us buying single use plastic water bottles just doesn’t make any sense. Consider the following.

This year in the US alone over 25 billion plastic water bottles will be bought, used once, and discarded.

Estimates suggest that only 20 percent of those bottles will be recycled (actually downcycled) while the rest will lay in landfills for the next few thousand years.

Paying for single use water bottles costs you up to five times as much as drinking from the tap.

Bottled water sold across state lines (most brands) is not federally regulated so you really have no idea what you are drinking or if it’s clean.

Saying that the average adult needs 8 cups of water a day is the same as saying the average adult needs two pounds of food a day. People need to stay hydrated but everyone is different.

If water is vital to our existence, is the marketing of it at extreme prices thousands of times more than what it costs at the tap even ethical, especially when there are those without access who may not be able to afford it?

The list goes on and on and these are only a few of the problems associated with single use plastic water bottles. So why continue. Break your addiction, save money, live better, and don’t believe the hype.

Enjoy.

Dave

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Natasha S.

6:47AM PST on Feb 9, 2013

A water purifier is the way to!!!! Thanks for the interesting info.

February 9
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Monteque P.

10:03AM PDT on Apr 16, 2012

Thank You for the information. I don't believe in nor do I buy bottle water. It is everyone's right to have fresh water and not have to pay for it.

April 16
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Sheri P.

6:05PM PDT on Jul 17, 2011

The facts are there...what is it going to take to see greater change?

July 17
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Geraldine D.

7:49PM PST on Mar 9, 2011

The increased market in bottled water is very disturbing. I am very fussy when it comes to water taste and ideally rain water, 2nd best is reverse osmosis filtered water, but this is wasteful so we have a carbon filter under the sink now. Commercial bottled water does not taste good with Evian being my all time most disgusting & least favoured brand. With safe endless use stainless steel drink bottles now available we should not have to buy bottled water except when travelling. I just returned from a Thailand holiday and it is dangerous not to have bottled water there. It was distressing to see the amount of rubbish lying around in the three locations I visited (Phuket, Koh Samui & Phi Phi Is). The resorts make an effort to clean the beach, but there is rubbish washed up every day and the tiny pieces of plastic which break down from the endless bottle lids are a hazard to the environment and the poor animals which can unwittingly ingest them. I lament for our children and future generations. PLEASE think about the consequences of YOUR actions and do not feed this growing convenience industry. Think beyond today for a better tomorrow.

March 9
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Heather D.

6:47PM PST on Jan 17, 2011

In my apartment, we have a water filtration machine. It is relatively small, sits on the kitchen counter, and is hooked up to the tap, so it filters the water from the tap, giving us clean, safe drinking water. In Korea (which is where my husband and I currently live), these machines are very common. We rarely purchase bottled water.

January 17
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Angie c.

2:24PM PST on Jan 13, 2011

in developing countries like Mexico there's a trend to use this bottles, bottles everywhere, it's like fashion, like a need.....people just don't get it.
we were raised without bottled water, so why people can't get this-???

January 13
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dzoara S.

5:58PM PDT on Aug 23, 2010

i'm sorry, where i live, i don't trust tap water (it's a little dirty,bugs come and go) so i have to buy bottled water, but i buy the 10-liter presentation or get it from water purification companies and avoid small bottles.