Why Bottled Water Is Bad

When you consume bottled water you are consuming somewhere between 1100 and 2000 times as much energy as when you drink tap water, according to a study by the Pacific Institute. Bottled water is becoming more popular, and this could lead to serious environmental complications as a result. In addition to that, it is either no more healthy than tap water, or more dangerous.

The Facts About Why Bottled Water Is Bad

A total of 60 million plastic bottles find their way to American landfills. This is not every year, month, or week. It is every single day. The economic considerations are nothing to laugh of either, with a total of $15 billion being spent each year on bottled water. Four hundred and fifty gallons of tap water can be bought for the same price as a single bottle of water. At the same time, 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide are produced each year in the process of bottling water. This contributes to global warming which has serious consequences for the environment, the ecosystem, the economy, and the future of the human race. Even more staggering, it takes an average of three full liters of water just to produce 1 liter of bottled water. Across the globe, a total of 1.5 million tons of plastic waste are produced in the form of water bottles. A paltry five percent of them are recycled. Thirty-eight billion bottles are discarded each year. Even when the energy that is used to transport bottles of water is ignored, 17 million barrels of oil are used in the production of water bottles each year.

Why Bottled Water Is Bad: It Isn’t Actually Healthier

You might think that all of this is worth it because the drinking water is already bad, and bottled water is better for your health. This is not true. When you drink water from the bottle, you may actually be putting yourself at risk. Theoretically speaking, bottled water is regulated by the FDA. However, since 70% of it never crosses a state border, it is exempt from inspection. In contrast, tap water is provided by a heavily regulated industry. The EPA regularly inspects the water systems. Tap water is regularly inspected for toxic chemicals and bacteria. The bottled water industry has also been caught in the act, in several cases, of simply selling tap water anyway. Some plastics are known to start leaching chemicals when they are heated, meaning that you could be drinking remnants of a product produced from oil. Whether or not these chemicals are likely to lead to health problems can’t yet be demonstrated, but why take the risk?

You Know Why Bottled Water Is Bad, So What You Can Do?

Now that you know why bottled water is bad, get bottled water out of your life. Any time that you would reach for a bottle of water, you can find a faucet or drinking fountain somewhere nearby. Use a refillable bottle of water instead, and/or use a water filter. This is equivalent to 200 bottles of water that won’t go into a landfill.