Byron Flynn
While many claim that bottled water is safer, recent studies show that bottled water is no different than
tap water. More often than not, bottled water comes from the same source as tap water. Reusable
water bottles offer an alternative that not only benefits the environment, but also is less expensive and
healthier. The most common plastic used in water bottles is PET, which is derived from oil. “In the
United States alone, 1.5 million barrels of oil are used annually in the production of plastic bottles.
That's enough to fuel 100,000 cars for one year!” Bottled water also requires an enormous amount of
fossil fuels to transfer, with the Earth Policy Institute estimating that over 50 million barrels of oil are
used annually to pump, process, and transport and refrigerate bottled water. Although the bottles are
recyclable, only 29% of 44 billion bottles are actually recycled. Plastic water can be upwards of 10,000
times more expensive as tap water. When compared ounce for ounce, bottled water sold individually is
more expensive than gasoline. Bottled water exists simply as easy profit for bottling companies who
collect over $100 billion a year. Tap water as strict standards set by local, state, and federal
environmental agencies while bottled water is regulated only by the FDA. The World Health
Organization warns that because bottled water can sit on shelves for so long, there is a possibility of
micro-organisms to develop in significant numbers. A study by the National Resource Defense Council
concluded in about 1 in 3 bottles of water having contamination that exceeded allowable limits. “The
occurrence of microorganisms in bottled water can become a concern for sensitive groups such as
pregnant women, the elderly and infants” The WHO even goes on to suggest boiling bottled water
before using it in infant formula.
This article can inform my project by providing statistics and figures which support the adoption
refillable water bottles. The figure involving the barrels of oil used is very compelling as it is relatable to
a large number of people, both students and faculty alike. The cost comparison is likely to catch the
attention of students. When they realize that they are paying more for water then they are for gas,
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again being the common comparison, the small investment in a water bottle appears negligible. The
health concerns are a compelling argument to use against a possibly unwilling faculty. Many students,
including myself, have found expired beverages in the vending machines, leading to questions of how
long the water has been in there.
"Buy a Reusable Water Bottle." Greeniacs.com. Greeniacs, 27 Aug. 2013. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.
Reusable water bottles have 4 main benefits: they cut down on waste, are more cost efficient, last
longer and are generally safer for the environment. Drinking bottled water creates an enormous amount
of waste. It is estimated that Americans throw away 2.5 million water bottles per hour, of which only
27% are recycled. These bottles can be reused but over time present the danger of harmful chemicals
and bacteria seeping into the water. With safety being such a large concern in today’s society, bottled
water doesn’t offer a safer alternative to tap water. Around 48.7% of bottled water comes from tap
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sources, and the various governmental agencies place stricter regulations on tap water than the FDA
does on bottled water. Price is also a major benefit of adopting reusable water bottles. Even as the
most cost effective option of buying water, a 35 water bottle flat still amounts to $.95 per gallon,
compared to the $.002 per gallon of tap water. “There’s no question that tap water is a better deal than
even the cheapest bottled water.” While some plastic water bottles contain harmful chemicals such as
BPA, these are largely being phased out and the majority of plastic water bottles today are completely
safe. Plastic water bottles offer the advantage of being affordable, lightweight, strong, and flexible. They
do not dent when dropped and come in a variety of colors. Biodegradable plastics are also being used to
provide an even more environmentally safe alternative, with the cost of a higher price. Stainless steel is
also widely considered a safe alternative to plastic. It is among the most cost effective option with no
harmful chemicals due to the nature of steel. “A custom stainless steel water bottle will last you for life
and presents no health risks or risks to the environment.”
This article can inform my project by providing additional and in some ways more realistic figures as well
as providing a comparison between different water bottle options. The statistic involving buying the flat
of water is especially useful because that it common for most families. It provides a more realistic
comparison of price than the price paid for a single bottle over the counter. It also addresses the
possible concerns associated with some reusable water bottles. In the past, BPA was very common to
find in water bottles and after it was found to be harmful it caused a lot of concern over their safety.
Since then, the majority of bottles sold on the US market are BPA free and this needs to be
communicated to the public. Additionally, part of our project is distributing reusable water bottles to
the student population. One method would be to hand out water bottles during NRB instead of mugs.
This article provides a brief comparison of the different kinds of water bottles, comparing their cost and
durability.
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Brown, Hillary. "What You Need to Know About Water Bottles." Green Benefits. Green Benefits, June
2011. Web. 28 Oct. 2014.
Plastic bottles are one of the most pressing environmental issues, especially for aquatic ecosystems.
There are at least 5 large areas of waste accumulation currently polluting the oceans. Roughly only 1 in 6
bottles are recycled, meaning that the remaining 5 end up either in a landfill or in the ocean. These
plastics take hundreds of years to decompose, releasing harmful toxins along the way. These plastic bits
also attract many marine animals who mistake the plastic bits for fish and then try to eat them, typically
resulting in death. Even the 1 in 6 bottles that are recycled only have a limited life cycle. Eventually they
degrade in quality and are no longer useful so they must be sent to the landfill. The mere production of
these bottles require a quarter of their volume in crude oil meaning that their pollution starts before the
bottles are even formed. “Put simply – plastic bottles are an environmental nightmare at every point of
their existence” Companies have found that plastic is cheaper than alternatives such as glass, and thus
we have seen a dramatic increase within the past few decades, a trend that does not appear to be
ending anytime soon. These environmental impacts are not too late to fix however. “Make the change
today, because until we all do, this problem won’t go away.” Simple, small changes such as using
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refillable water bottles can make a significant impact on the amount of waste that ends up in landfills
and the oceans. Certain areas such as the Grand Canyon have already banned the sale of bottled water.
They instead provide free water stations throughout the park for visitors to fill reusable water bottles.
This article provides compelling evidence of the environmental dangers of disposable plastic bottles. The
oceans are one of the most valuable resources we have and we cannot afford to compromise them with
something as simple as plastic water bottles. The inclusion of animals in the environmental impacts is
likely to bring the point across to most people. While some may not care about landfills, compassion for
animals is nearly universal.
Ellsbury, Hannah. "The Problem with Plastic." Ban the Bottle RSS. N.p., 10 July 2013. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.