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| The Environmental Impact Of Bottled Water |
| Written by Brian Walsh | |||
| Monday, 02 November 2009 11:10 | |||
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The level of bottled water sales has been growing by something like 7 to 8% each year for the past decade or so. Worldwide consumption is estimated to have doubled between 1997 and 2005.
The level of bottled water sales has been growing by something like 7 to 8% each year for the past decade or so. Worldwide consumption is estimated to have doubled between 1997 and 2005. Worldwide, around about 200 billion bottles are sold every year. The US market makes up the lion's share of this accounting for about 25% of global sales. Recently however, there has been a bit of a backlash against bottled water - the impact on the environment being the main concern. The bottles are usually made from Polyethyleneterphthalate (PET). Certainly this is a material which can be recycled - the problem is that the actual recycling level achieved is thought to be less than 25%. Environmentalist are also concerned about the energy used for production, transportation and disposal of the bottles. In comparison with normal tap water, the carbon emissions required to produce bottled water are greater by a factor of 5,000 times per litre. Despite the very effective marketing of the bottled water suppliers, there seems to be no evidence that bottled water is, in developed countries at least, any better for your health than plain old tap water. Certain bottled waters have been found to contain estrogenic chemicals and even uranium. Most bottled waters contain salt to some degree- not good for your blood pressure. As far as taste goes there is, again, scant evidence to suggest that bottled water beats tap water. In a blind taste test held in the UK, London tap water secured third place out of a selection of 24 different waters. Over in the USA, a 2007 episode of Penn and Teller (more entertainment than science - but still noteworthy) showed that diners could not differentiate between bottled water and water drawn from a garden hose. As far as cost goes, any comparison will vary somewhat according to what particular brand of bottled water is under consideration. In general however, bottled water costs several hundred times more per litre than water from the tap. So, in terms of environmental impact, health, taste and cost, bottled water really doesn't have a lot going for it. If you really dislike the taste of your tap water then you could always try some type of home filtration system. The cost will be greater than for tap water, but very much less than bottled water. If you go for a solution such as the Brita water filter jug then you will know that it's better for the environment as all parts of the filters are recyclable. And if you want to carry water with you when you're out and about then what about using a reusable bottle instead of throwing away loads of empty ones? For example, the Wottle bottle - by Irish designer Orla Kiely - is claimed to be the first reusable designer bottle in the world and is made using 100% recycled materials. Or do a bit of your own recycling and use an old Coke bottle. About the Author: Learn more about water filter jugs. Stop by Brian Walsh's site where you can find out all about the Wottle Bottle and how it can save you money.
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