The Negative Effects of Bottled Water
Just Tap It: The Negative Effects of Bottled Water
“In Canada, bottled water consumption was estimated at 24.4 litres per person in 1999. By 2005, that had increased to about 60 litres per person, with sales worth $652.7 million” (CBC News, 2008). This dramatic increase in bottled water consumption does not come without severe repercussions and has caused a chain reaction of unfortunate events. Although easily available and terribly convenient, bottled water negatively effects the environment, is extremely costly, and is composed of contaminants that are unhealthy to consume. The importance of discussing this issue is advantageous because the public is unaware that tap water is more favourable than bottled water. Choosing tap water over bottled water is beneficial because it preserves the environment, is cheaper to consume, and, in most cases, is a healthier choice.
There are several problems surrounding bottled water; the most important issue involves how it effects the environment. Manufacturing and shipping products, pumping water, and recycling bottles are reasons that contribute to the fact that bottled water is disastrous for the environment. Bottled water industries pollute the environment through manufacturing and shipping products. One form of pollution caused by bottled water is gas emissions: “The energy required to manufacture and transport the bottles to market severely depletes our supplies of fossil fuels and adds to greenhouse gas emissions” (Natural Life, 2007, p. 10). The plastic that makes up bottles, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), is made from oil and generates more than 100 times the toxic emissions than other plastics. It takes 15 million barrels of oil per year to make all the plastic water bottles in the United States, which diminishes available fossil fuels even more (Knopper, 2008). Also, the amount of water PET requires to create one plastic bottle is significantly higher than the amount of water that the bottle will contain. This, in
“In Canada, bottled water consumption was estimated at 24.4 litres per person in 1999. By 2005, that had increased to about 60 litres per person, with sales worth $652.7 million” (CBC News, 2008). This dramatic increase in bottled water consumption does not come without severe repercussions and has caused a chain reaction of unfortunate events. Although easily available and terribly convenient, bottled water negatively effects the environment, is extremely costly, and is composed of contaminants that are unhealthy to consume. The importance of discussing this issue is advantageous because the public is unaware that tap water is more favourable than bottled water. Choosing tap water over bottled water is beneficial because it preserves the environment, is cheaper to consume, and, in most cases, is a healthier choice.
There are several problems surrounding bottled water; the most important issue involves how it effects the environment. Manufacturing and shipping products, pumping water, and recycling bottles are reasons that contribute to the fact that bottled water is disastrous for the environment. Bottled water industries pollute the environment through manufacturing and shipping products. One form of pollution caused by bottled water is gas emissions: “The energy required to manufacture and transport the bottles to market severely depletes our supplies of fossil fuels and adds to greenhouse gas emissions” (Natural Life, 2007, p. 10). The plastic that makes up bottles, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), is made from oil and generates more than 100 times the toxic emissions than other plastics. It takes 15 million barrels of oil per year to make all the plastic water bottles in the United States, which diminishes available fossil fuels even more (Knopper, 2008). Also, the amount of water PET requires to create one plastic bottle is significantly higher than the amount of water that the bottle will contain. This, in
References: Adeland, E. (2011). The tides are turning: The backlash against the bottled water industry in Canada. Our Schools/Our Selves, 20(3), 221-233. Carlson, S. (2010, September 10). Thinking outside the bottle. Chronicle Of Higher Education, 57(6), 1-12. CBC News. (2008, August 20). Bottled water: Quenching a planet’s thirst. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/consumers/bottled-water.html Crane, C. (2011, November). Bottled vs. tap. Scholastic Choices, 27(3), 10-12. Kingston, A. (2007, May 14). It’s so not cool. Maclean’s, 120(8), 38-41. Knopper, M. (2008, May). Bottled water backlash. The Environmental Magazine, 19(3), 36-39. Natural Life (2007, March 1). Bottled water or tap water? Natural Life Magazine, 114, 8- 11. Sullivan, M. J., & Leavey, S. (2011). Heavy metals in bottled natural spring water. Journal of Environmental Health, 73(10), 8-13. The Story of Stuff Project. (2010, March 22). The story of bottled water [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.storyofstuff.org/movies-all/story-of-bottled-water/