Why should we avoid bottled water?

Think!

Why is bottled water a concern?

How much safe is bottled water?

Why should we avoid bottled water?

 

      A.  Pollution

a)      The entire life cycle of bottled water uses fossil fuels (fossil fuels are sources of energy that have developed within the earth over millions of years, they are considered non-renewable). The pros and cons of using bottled water, contributes to global warming, and causes pollution.

b)      Huge energy sources are required to produce enough plastic water bottles to meet the annual demand, the World over, for bottled water. This means: “Pouring Resources Down the Drain”

c)      After use, the plastic bottles become garbage or litter and contribute to pollution (Earth-policy.org, “Bottled Water: Pouring Resources Down the Drain”)

B.  Cost

a)      Another most important factor is the cost. According to one estimate in United States the bottled water is about 3,000 percent more expensive per gallon than tap water.

b)      Tap water: $0.02 per gallon

c)      Bottled water: $0.64 per gallon

     C. Bottled water may be hurting your health

Food and beverage containers, some disposable plates, and toiletry bottles are all plastic and all are made from chemicals. A new study suggests plastic bottles release small amounts of chemicals over long periods of time. The longer water is stored in plastic bottles, the higher the concentration of a potentially harmful chemical. All plastics may leach chemicals if they're scratched or heated. Research also strongly suggests that at certain exposure levels, some of the chemicals in these products, such as bisphenol A (BPA), may cause cancer in people.

Research found that the concentration of certain chemicals, such as antimony, increases the longer the water sits in the plastic bottle. It increases over time because the plastic is leaching chemicals into the water. Antimony is a white metallic element that in small doses can cause nausea, dizziness and depression. In large doses, it can be fatal. Antimony is similar chemically to lead. It is also a potentially toxic trace element; in larger doses it can cause nausea, vomiting and death

Whether bottled water purer than tap water?

It is a just a MYTH that “Bottled Water Purer than Tap Water”

In developing countries, their federal governments require far more rigorous and frequent safety testing and monitoring of municipal drinking water. Bottled water generally is no cleaner, or safer, or healthier than tap water. In fact, Harvard Graduate School of Educationl of United States advise students, staff, and faculty to refill their water bottles and reusable mugs for free at the filtered water stations and fountains across campus.

Six Reasons. Why we should use public water system?  

1.      Because several harmful chemicals can leach in your bottled water.

2.      Public water tastes better: the results generally favor tap water.

3.      Convenient and cheap to buy: most municipal water costs less than 1 cent per gallon

4.      Less chemicals and safer: public water systems are required to test for chemical water contaminants four times as often as bottled water companies. In addition, loopholes in the FDA’s testing policy do not require the same standards for water that is bottled and sold in the same state, meaning that a significant number of bottles have undergone almost no regulation or testing. Even under the more lax standards of the FDA, bottled water companies do not always comply with standardized contaminant levels.

5.      Recycling programs reduce waste: Bottled water produces up to 1.5 million tons of plastic waste per year. According to Food and Water Watch, that plastic requires up to 47 million gallons of oil per year to produce. Plastic waste is now at such a volume that vast eddies of current-bound plastic trash now spin endlessly in the world’s major oceans. This represents a great risk to marine life, killing birds and fish which mistake our garbage for food. Thanks to its slow decay rate, the vast majority of all plastics ever produced still exist – somewhere.

6.      Bottled water:  An estimated 25 percent or more of bottled water is really just tap water in a bottle 

Bottled water! Think before you drink.

Seven tips for drinking water

a)      Carry your own metal reusable bottle and use it daily.

b)      Encourage your friends and family members to do the same, to stop using plastic bottles and support the environment.

c)      While travelling and staying at various establishments, ask for safe water (either filtered or boiled) in bulk, refillable containers.  Lodges, hotels, camps and restaurants will respond if enough people keep asking

d)     If you see ways that hotels and camps could reduce water usage and waste, let them know on feed back forms; people listen to customer requests

e)      Reduce your need for plastic: take your own baskets to the shops, say ‘no’ to straws in your drinks, buy washing powders in boxes not bottles, take your own containers when collecting take-away foods, use matches and not disposable lighters, and avoid purchasing prepared or frozen foods as they have excessive packaging

f)       Recycle what you can at all times.  Always ask how, where and for what purpose are the products being recycled;  some processes are not as eco friendly as they make out to be

g)      At home, install a water filter, if the tap water is not to your taste

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Think of easy ways to save water in your home and office, such as using an aerator on taps, washing dishes in a bowl and not under a running tap, fixing leaks quickly, dual-flush systems on toilets, watering the garden at night, using grey water for the garden, planting drought-resistant plants and grass in your garden, plant indigenous trees suited to your soil and climate, only using washing machine and dishwasher with a full load. Don’t wash your car more than strictly necessary, wipe dust off instead. While you are waiting for the hot water to come through on your shower, collect the cold in a bucket and use it to water pot plants, water for pets or general washing etc.