Bottled Water – Unkind To The Environment

For the past decade or so, sales of bottled water have been steadily increasing by 7 – 8% per annum. The level of consumption globally is estimated to have more than doubled between 1997 and 2005.

Approximately 200 billion bottles of water are consumed worldwide each year. The US market is the largest by far, making up 25% of total sales.

However, there has been a backlash against the use of bottled water. One of the main points of contention is the environmental impact of bottled water. The actual bottles are typically made from Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is a recyclable material – but the actual level of recycling is thought to be less than 25%.

The energy used for production, transportation and disposal of the bottles is also a source for concern among environmentalists. When compared with tap water, bottled water produces carbon emissions which are 5,000 times higher per litre.

Despite the very effective marketing of the bottled water suppliers, there seems to be no evidence that bottled water is, in developed countries at least, more beneficial for your health than plain old tap water. Some bottled waters have been found to contain estrogenic chemicals and even uranium. Most bottled waters have some level of salt present – which is bad for your blood pressure.

In terms of taste there is little firm evidence that bottled water is superior to tap water. In a blind tasting in the UK, London tap water came in third place from a selection of 24 different water varieties. In the USA, a 2007 episode of Penn and Teller (which might have been more entertaining than scientific – but is still worth mentioning) showed that diners could not distinguish between bottled water and water sourced from a garden hose.

In terms of cost to the end user the precise ratio will vary according to the brand of water under consideration, but generally speaking bottled water is priced at several hundred times more per litre than tap water.

So, in terms of environmental impact, health, taste and cost, bottled water really doesn’t have a lot in its favour. If you really dislike the taste of the water that comes out of your tap then you might be better advised to look at some type of home filtration system. The cost will be higher than tap water, but much lower than bottled water. If you opt for a solution such as the Brita water filter jug then you will know that it’s better for the environment as all parts of the filters are recyclable.

Of course, home filtration systems are ideal for when you’re at home – but if you like to carry water with you when you’re out and about then you could use and reuse a bottle which you fill at home, or the office, before you leave. Again, Brita water are a fine example having combined with international designer Orla Kelly to produce the Wottle – which claims to be the world’s first designer reusable bottle and is made from 100% recycled material. Or you could just do a bit of recycling of your own and use an old Coke bottle.