| The average American uses 170 plastic water | | | | provide a significantly lower quality of water than |
| bottles in one year totaling 50 billion plastic bottles | | | | the water from a tap. Bottled water is one of the |
| a year. In fact, Americans spend more than $15 | | | | least regulated industries and is usually held to |
| billion on bottles water every year and most of | | | | less-stringent standards than ordinary tap water. |
| these bottles never get recycled. Our | | | | Since tap water is a public resource the quality |
| responsibility to make a positive difference in our | | | | and content must be made public to the |
| environment is evident as our population and | | | | consumer. Bottled water has no such regulations |
| demand on natural resources grow. | | | | and is regulated more like a soft drink than a |
| Waste management has become a large problem | | | | public resource. The truth is that often bottled |
| in the world with landfills growing to immense | | | | water is little more than tap water in a bottle. The |
| sizes while recycling rates remain low. Add to that | | | | Federal regulations that govern the quality of |
| the energy that is required to manufacture and | | | | bottled water only apply if it is transported across |
| transport the sheer number of plastic bottles | | | | state lines, and then they only require it to be as |
| produced each year to market severely drains | | | | good as tap water. Most bottled water is bottled |
| limited fossil fuels and presents a significant strain | | | | and sold within the same state to avoid Federal |
| on the environment. The production of plastic | | | | purity standards therefore there are no |
| bottles produces many byproducts that are | | | | assurances or requirements that bottled water is |
| extremely harmful to the environment. The most | | | | any safer or better than tap water. |
| common plastic used in water bottle | | | | Not only is there a high price to pay on the |
| manufacturing is PET (polyethylene terephthalate), | | | | environment those cost impact the public as well. |
| a substance that is environmentally unfriendly. | | | | In the year 2007, Americans alone spent more |
| Producing bottled water also requires 17.5 | | | | than $8 billion on bottled water at an average |
| kilograms of water to produce only 1 kilogram of | | | | cost of more than $1 a bottle-representing $11 |
| PET thus more water is used making a PET | | | | billion in sales. For some people who do not like |
| bottle than is actually put into it. The bottled | | | | the taste of tap water the most recent and |
| water trade group reported that 11.7 billion water | | | | innovative solution to the problem of bottled |
| bottles were sold in the U.S. in 2007 and only 10 | | | | water is the purchase of water filters. Water |
| percent were recycled making 90 percent of | | | | filters currently provide the best and healthiest |
| bottles ending up in the trash. That is an extra | | | | solution to the problems of both bottles water |
| 12.6 billion plastic bottles ending up in the landfills | | | | and tap water. Water filters remove chlorine and |
| with water that is not healthier than the average | | | | bacterial contaminants providing better tasting and |
| tap water. | | | | smelling drinking water. Purchasing a counter top |
| Bottled water is much less regulated than tapped | | | | filter results is a resource of clean, healthy drinking |
| water. In fact, bottled water companies, because | | | | water that costs less than bottled water, |
| they are not under the same accountability | | | | protects the body from disease and is good for |
| standards as municipal water systems, may | | | | both the consumer and the environment. |