Here is an expert from my term paper on bottled water:
Nothing is Free:
The Cost of Bottled Water
Oil, energy, greenhouse gases, and waste are all associated with the water bottle evolution. Bottled water has skyrocketed in distribution since the 1990s, increasing the mass of polyethylene terephthalate plastic bottles that end up in landfills by 2,725 pounds (Gashler). The polyethylene used to produce water bottles comes from petroleum; therefore, every bottle produced omits carbon into the atmosphere (Thompson). In addition, the effort it takes to transport bottled water propels carbon emissions. Bottled water has a life cycle. First, the manufacturing and bottling requires petroleum. Second, the transportation of the bottled water from the producers to the consumers requires petroleum as well. Finally, the most important part, the plastic bottles are recycled or supposed to be. Unfortunately, about 75% of plastic water bottles are not recycled and the bottled water “life-cycle” ends in a landfill. Bottled water as an expanding economy is severely damaging our environment.
In the 1800s society used to capture rainfall traditionally in order to obtain water; water was not seen as “property” but rather a source for life. However, this concept drastically changed in the 20th century. In the 1990s control to water systems was handed over to European companies and the privatization of public and government held water utilities began. For instance, water privatization was forced on Bolivia. The cost of water rose and unsafe drinking water was given to poor countries (Salina). Water as a commodity quickly became the third largest industry right behind oil, producing enough plastic to power 100,000 cars for a year.
Today, research shows that 1 in 5 people will only drink bottled water (Baskind). Consumers have been manipulated into thinking bottled water is “safer, purer, and better”(Salina). In other words, water is perceived as a potential hazard. Americans see mountains on a bottle of water and assume that water is straight from an isolated mountaintop, the “purest” of them all when in fact, 25% of bottled water comes from municipal tap sources. The rise in bottled water has resulted in water and oil developing similar qualities; they are both about power. Power has driven this industry to build dams in order to capture water. However, they are also capturing organic matter behind the dams, creating methane gas due to the rotting of the organic matter. Methane gas is a greenhouse gas that when omitted is trapped in the atmosphere, contributing greatly to the greenhouse effect. Ultimately, when companies build dams or decide to fool around with a rivers original structure, ecosystems are being altered in a very short period of time compared to the thousands of years it took for them to evolve. Similarly, in Michigan, Nestle went in and started pumping 150 gallons of water per minute. This resulted in streams lowering, mudflats, and sinkholes (Salina).
Clean, fill, seal, and label: the production of bottled water is a costly process. In a country with safe and available tap water, it is hard to understand why Americans are consumers of bottled water. The production of bottled water uses 2,000 times more energy than it takes to produce tap water. That energy is utilized in multiple ways, inevitably affecting our environment for the worse. In 2007, the amount of water consumed by the United States resulted in over 30 million barrels of oil used. Even more frightening, “…the energy used to produce that global amount of PET and the bottles it was turned into was equivalent to about 50 billion barrels of oil”(Thompson). Water bottles are made out of plastic (polyethylene) which comes from petroleum. Even though the PET is already considered plastic, it takes that much more energy to manufacture that PET into a water bottle.
Ultimately, American consumers have been manipulated into thinking that Dasani, Figi, Smart Water, and the like are high-class compared to tap water. In fact, the opposite is true. Drinking bottled water puts Americans at a higher risk of consuming certain types of bacteria. The Environmental Protection Agency inspects U.S. tap water daily, excluding city tap water from the contamination of fecal coliform bacteria. On the other hand the Food and Drug Administration rarely regulates bottled water. In addition to scarce regulation, there is one person in FDA regulating all the bottled water in the United States. Bottled water companies are excluded from punishment if high levels of bacteria are detected in their water even though, “…water suppliers are responsible for ensuring that drinking water meets EPA standards and for complying with established monitoring…”(Cory). However, cities receive punishment, creating an incentive for the city to regulate their water on a daily basis. Furthermore, “Cities are required to issue annual reports informing consumers what is in their water, while bottled water has no such requirement. More curious, nearly 70 percent of bottled water is exempt from FDA regulation because the rules only apply to bottles that cross state lines”(Eddins). For example, in California bottled water was tested through independent research with findings of arsenic and evidence of chemical toluene, which can be severely toxic (Eddins). Nevertheless, bottled water is still chosen over tap water by Americans.
I've had this Klean Kanteen for three years now and it's still managed to keep me hydrated while doing good for our environment. According to their website, "It's the healthiest, safest bottle you can buy."Also, Klean Kanteen recently came out with a new version of the bottle: the Klean Kanteen Reflect! It's made with zero plastic, zero paint and is currently SOLD OUT do to the high demand. Looks like plastic water bottles have a new enemy.
Check out documentaries like Flow and Tapped for a horrifying look into the bottled water industry and its impacts on our environment.
Go Green!
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