From Guest Blogger Lillian Connors: Bottled Water–Enemy of Both Your Wallet and Environment
We live in the world where plastic can be found pretty much anywhere. More than often, people neglect the negative side-effects of plastic bottles. To make things even more troubling, we drink water from plastic bottles every day. This is a serious issue for not only was that water bottled long time ago, but it was stored and transported in a plastic container and potentially exposed to contamination due to the change of temperature. Listed below are several reasons why we shouldn’t drink bottled water.
Plastic can be health-threatening
Most of the time, water is stored inside of plastic bottles and containers. After being stored, it is then kept inside of them for a period of time, before being distributed, transported and eventually sold to someone. It could take literally months before a person opens the bottle to drink the water from it. However, plastic can release toxins and potentially contaminate the water, jeopardizing our health. This is why bottled water shouldn’t carry an “EKO” label, and should be stored in something else. Most companies use plastic for it is both durable and cheap to purchase. They don’t care about general wellbeing of the population; they care about the profit.
Plastic is oil derivative
For those of you who didn’t know, plastic is oil derivative. Its production is expensive and while being produced, it releases toxins into the atmosphere. This is why plastic is considered the number one source of pollution; and if thrown away to degrade over time, it will remain the same forever as none of standard PET packaging is biodegradable. Imagine the world where millions of plastics bottles are just laying around.
Recycling is challenging and expensive
Every year, thousands of dollars are being used by environmental organizations for recycling and reduction of plastic usage. Recent studies have shown that there is a potential of using certain families of bacteria to dissolve plastic; however, these studies might see daylight in future years, ranging anywhere from 5 to 50 years. Until then, bottles will continue to be manufactured and used for water bottling, storing and transport.
Is public water a solution?
Those who cannot afford to continually purchase bottled water (which can be quite expensive on an annual level), often turn towards public water. Now, I know that public water is considered safe since many different chemicals are being used for its purification (does one enjoy drinking water after realizing this?), but is it really safe? The solution is simple: use water filters. There are several types of filters, ranging in both price and the number of usage. The ones that fit your every need are reverse osmosis water filters with cartridges, available to both common people and those with deeper pockets. These filters are 100% reliable, and should be used in every household which doesn’t want to buy bottled water. And indeed, it is way cheaper to purchase filters every month than to purchase bottled water every day. Not only will you save some money, but you will also protect the environment by not having to throw away plastic bottles.
Bottled water should be avoided at all costs. Instead, purchase filters and use public water from your home. You will both save money on a daily basis, and drink water that is safe for your health. At the same time, you will preserve the environment and not throw another plastic container. If everyone stopped buying bottled water, the problem with plastic would seize to exist and our planet would be a much healthier place.
You forgot one important thing, i.e., the negative effects of shipping bottled water. Shipping bottled water requires the use of fossil fuels and, for environmental and other reasons, we should be reducing the use of fossil fuels. It is especially nutty to drink imported water.
There are situations where drinking bottled water is justified, but usually it doesn’t make much sense.
I hate this subject. Everytime I see it some smug but thoughtless writer is showing off their ignorance by regurgating the same information that may be relevant to their upper middle class community and assuming that it is valid for the entire world.
The most muddy dirty water is better than no water at all. Without water you can die within 3 days.
Clean water, even if it arrives in plastic bottles, is better than infected or toxic water.
Local water when possible is probably better than water shipped in even if it requires filters or treatment.
When local water is contaminated by political misfeasance (Flint, Michigan)or commandeered by corporate greed http://www.cwfnc.org/documents/Stealthy-Takeover-of-NC-Water-Systems.pdf and https://www.globalpolicy.org/social-and-economic-policy/global-public-goods-1-101/46052-the-struggle-for-latin-americas-water.html
The bottled water industry remains as a backup and a hedge against ill-health and economic loss. Articles like this one that seem to demand an end to bottled water play in tune with corporate greed monopolies.
Reverse Osmosis filtration uses many times the water it purifies. They are water wasters. Additionally, all residential models are made of plastic. Water sitting in those filters are just as exposed to plastic as the water in bottles.
Next time do a little independent research or have an independent thought in your head instead of being a mouthpiece to the same propaganda.