Bottled water - who needs it?
By Ruth Belena
@paid2write (5201)
February 22, 2008 8:13am CST
A recent TV documentary states that production of bottled water generates 600 times more CO2 than is generated by production of fresh tap water.
In our top restaurants customers order expensive bottled water and then ask for ice to go with it. Restaurant ice is made from tap water.
The bottled water industry is big business and very profitable, but it is also costing the earth.
1 person likes this
5 responses
@Norfolk_Jim (214)
•
7 Mar 08
In my opinion bottled water is just crazy where perfectly potable water is available, such as Europe. People spend a fortune on the stuff and look at all the waste bottling and transporting it. I have a job containing myself when I see environmental activists with bottled water.
I've bought bottled water in rural China and parts of Africa when I've been unable to boil the water. In some parts of Africa they just refill the bottle again, so you have to watch out and look for sealed bottles. But apart from that I cant see any justification for the stuff. If you dont like the taste of tap water then buy a filter.
The quantity of minerals supplied by such water is pretty negligible compared to an average diet, it's largely about being taken in by efficient marketing.
1 person likes this
@pergammano (7682)
• Canada
7 Mar 08
Norfold_Jim....you are on a pedestal, too! You make so much sense! What is the world doing to itself? Clever marketing...you look so "in"..carrying a plastic bottle of water, meantime you are totally polluting the earth with it's manufacturing, and it's residual affects, and you are polluting yourself with the leaching of plastics. Thank you, you are one clever citizen!
1 person likes this
@Norfolk_Jim (214)
•
8 Mar 08
Bottled water is just one product from many that people have been taught to need by marketers. The rise of consumerism is a vast subject but it certainly hasn't been good for the environment. I get my water out of the tap and I've very pleased to have it. I've worked with and still work for those who dont have access to clean water at all. But I rather think that its harder to persuade others to give up the habit once the marketing machine has conditioned them to be obedient consumers of the product.
@sedel1027 (17846)
• Cupertino, California
22 Feb 08
Not only that, it wastes water! It takes more water (I believe 3 times) to coll the bottles once they are sanitized than to fill them. Not to mention all of the people who don't recycle the bottles and throw them in the trash. I wish that companies would go back to either using only metal cans or glass bottles.
1 person likes this
@paid2write (5201)
•
22 Feb 08
You are right, that is an awful waste of water used just to cool the bottles.
@pergammano (7682)
• Canada
7 Mar 08
Not only that...the production plants of bottle water are only tested for sanitation once a year!
Secondly there is leaching from the plastic into the water you are consuming.
Once again, great marketing on the petroleum multi-nationals...gotta use petroleum to manufacture plastic.
@CherylsPearls (1269)
• United States
23 Mar 08
I try never to buy bottled water. I actually have a water bottle that I take everywhere! I have a well at home and I much prefer the taste of it to chlorinated water from the city. My entire family uses their own water bottle to take wherever they go.
The amount of plastic generated from bottled water is just sickening. And really, do you trust that the water in those bottles came from some pure, clean source? I don't. For all I know it came from someone's tap in New Jersey.
@paid2write (5201)
•
23 Mar 08
You are lucky to have your own water supply. I too take a plastic bottle of water out with me but it is from the tap.
@sophialin (2677)
• China
8 Mar 08
bottled water costs earth at the same time it gives human beings convenience. i used to buy it when i was in travel or outside.
but i haven't usi it long ago. now i take a watter bottle wih me everywhere. i fill it with water and supplement it in time.apparently,it's more economical and favourable for world.
@harrish (126)
• India
21 Mar 08
a good environmental thought of d day .... but nothing is in ones hand .. so its going 2 b a discussion not a solution
