It’s not uncommon to see people toting clear plastic bottles of water. Bottled water was designed for city dwellers without access to the freshest-tasting water, and it's become chic to drink water, especially imported types, from bottles. For some, and maybe even for you, it’s a status thing to be seen with a portable plastic water bottle when driving to work, at lunch or while at the gym. However, there are many reasons why you shouldn’t be carting around plastic water bottles and should instead transition back to your tap water.
Environmental Risks
Environmental dilemmas result from constantly purchasing bottled water. It’s unkind to the environment, especially since only 15 percent of water bottles are recycled. That means 26 billion bottles that never biodegrade are pitched in the landfill annually.
Health Risks
You are probably drawn to bottled water for the reputed positive health benefits, which is paradoxical since the phthalates and BPA in the plastic cancel those benefits. The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) found that 22 percent of tested bottled water contained contaminants greater than legal state limits. Some cancer sites warn about the health effects attributed to bottled water.
It’s Not Actually Better Than Tap Water
Water manufacturers target you with their aggressive marketing campaigns, but their dirty little secret is that nearly 40 percent of bottled water hails from municipal sources — places just like your town. To get the best-tasting water, don't buy bottled -- get a water filtration system for your home. Home water filtration systems can remove impurities, and water filter systems are more affordable than you might think. While city water chlorinates the lines and can help kill some bacteria, water filtration systems are more needed with well water which may still contain bacteria.
It’s Not Sustainable
Though recycling centers and water companies tout the benefits of recycling bottles, meaning they remanufacture bottles into something else, it’s not a green initiative. To manufacture water bottles alone requires 47 million gallons of oil, plus the costs to extract the water from its source. It’s also pricey to transport water to the bottling plant and then to retailers where you purchase it, not to mention the fuel you burn driving to the store for that purchase. WAVE Home Solutions can help to purify your home water, removing chlorine and other impurities. Call or email us today for information on our many options.
Use left/right arrows to navigate the slideshow or swipe left/right if using a mobile device
