Why are Disposable Water Bottles Harmful to the Environment?
“The bottled water industry says correctly, but misleadingly, that the plastic the water comes in is recyclable,” says Peter Gleick of the Pacific Institute. “It’s misleading because recyclable is not the same thing as recycled.”
There’s no question about it: we live in a thirsty world. Though the United States has access to an amazing water source, both residents and visitors still turn to water bottles in plastic disposable bottles. Yes, it is recommended to have some in storage in case of an emergency such as a natural disaster; however, a vast majority of the time disposable water bottles are purchased to drink throughout normal daily life. Although disposable water bottles can be very convenient, that convenience comes at a high cost. Not only can disposable water bottles contain harmful chemicals such as BPA that damage your health, they also have a highly negative impact on the environment.
Why is Bottled Water Harmful to the Environment?
Let us count the ways…
- The entire life cycle of disposable water bottles uses fossil fuels, contributes to global warming, and causes pollution.
- More than 17 million barrels of oil are required to produce enough disposable plastic water bottles to meet America’s annual demand for bottled water.
- According to the Container Recycling Institute, 86% of disposable water bottles used in the United States become garbage or litter, adding 38 billion disposable water bottles in U.S. landfills.
- The water bottling process releases 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually.
- Disposable water bottle waste washes into the ocean and kills 1.1 million marine creatures each year.
- Bottled water is tested for microbes and other pollutants 4 times less than tap water.
As you can see, producing disposable water bottles has already done a great amount of damage because 90% of bottled water’s cost comes from making the bottle.
Reduce, Re-Use, Recycle
“The bottled water industry says correctly, but misleadingly, that the plastic the water comes in is recyclable,” says Peter Gleick of the Pacific Institute. “It’s misleading because recyclable is not the same thing as recycled.”
Mixed messages have been sent over the years in terms of recycling. The popular phrase “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” is in that order for a reason. If we treat the “reduce” as our first options and limit our use of recyclables as a whole, that in itself will have a huge impact. We have gotten so used to the fact that there are multiple recycling options now that we don’t stop to think about how much impact even the materials that can be recycled make on the environment when they are being made themselves.
Interested in a Bottleless Water System?
Office H20 is committed to reducing the carbon footprint of plastic and 5-gallon bottles with an environmentally friendly and cost-effective alternative. By offering bottleless water systems, we are part of the plan to eliminate plastic disposable water bottles, along with all of their problems, by using the latest water filtration and purification technologies.
By going bottleless, we can reduce the number of carbon emissions entering our atmosphere, and while making our planet greener, you’ll save some other valuable green as well. Are you interested in the best-tasting drinking water available without the negative impact of disposable water bottles and 5-gallon jugs? Call us at (866) 621-6910.
