The Popularity of Bottled Water

  Environmental Impact of Bottled Water: The Popularity of Bottled Water 

A book called 'Bottlemania' by Elizabeth Royte states: 

"Twenty years ago bottled water was a niche market, and the United States had no large-scale water-bottling industry"

"Between 1990 and 1997 U.S. sales of bottled water shot from $115million to $4 billion, boosted by public health messages against obesity, by multi-million dollar ad campaigns that emphasized the perceived health benefits of bottled water"

Healthy? Pure? Natural?

The bottled water industry uses words like this to target the health enthusiasts, the athletes the new parents and more.

The industry gained celebrity endorsers and large organizations such as the Red Cross.

The amount of water excavated by bottled water companies is not only risking the safety of our natural water resources but also impacting the wild life and environment in which the water is being extracted

As we can see from the data this is not only a problem happening in the United States, this is a global problem

Though the U.S. is the leading benefactor of bottled water other countries follow closely behind and the world total is presents staggering numbers

The Mystery of Tap Water

FACT: Most bottled water is purified tap water!! The Mystery Behind Tap Water:

 Only 3% of our water is actually drinkable even though our planet is made up of 70% of water! The luxury of tap water is taken for granted in developed countries and people need to realize that many people around the world do not have access to clean, clear and quick-flowing water. 

Most bottled water is not as closely regulated as tap water and in the figure below we can see the pros and cons of bottled water verses tap water 

Here is the Story of Bottled Water: 

Produced by: The Story of Stuff Project

Bottled Water and our Environment

The Environmental Impacts:
"Bottled Water wastes fossil fuels in transport and in production" - Food and Water Watch

Waste is created everyday by the tons and tons of plastic used everyday to produce bottle water for the entire country. 

"Tap water in the United States is subject to more stringent federal safety regulations than bottled water. Federal, state and local environmental agencies require rigorous testing of tap water safety and make test results available to the public"- Food and Water Watch

Do you know whats in your bottled water? Probably not, but you can easily find out whats in your tap water...

"Over 80 percent of empty water bottles end up in the nation's landfills"- Green Living

Regulations on Bottled Water vs. Tap Water

HHS. gov - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services published a testimony issuing the governmental regulations and differences between bottled water and tap water stating that Bottled Water is regulated by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) while tap water is regulated by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). These two different organizations come complete with different standards and regulation requirements which can create inconsistencies when comparing the two types of water.

In an article by the New York Times: Author Sarah Goodman Speaks to the fewer regulations for Bottled Water than Tap Water.
"The Safe Drinking Water Act empowers EPA to require water testing by certified laboratories and that violations be reported within a specific time frame. Pubic water systems must also provide reports to customers about their water, noting its source, evidence of contaminants and compliance with regulations."

"By comparison, GAO said, FDA regulated bottled water as a food and cannot require certified lab testing or violation reporting" -Sarah Goodman, New York Times

From this research alone we can see that not only is bottled water more expensive than tap water (in production) but it is also regulated less due to the requirements of the FDA!

Bottled water companies are not required to disclose information such as where the water comes from, how it is treated, what materials are used in the production process or what contaminants could possibly be found in the water. This leaves the consumer in the dark about what they are actually drinking. The scary part is the advertising companies spin the image of bottled water to make it look as though it is the healthiest and safest  product on the market. For example: Nestle Waters North America --

People living in small towns near a vast amount of ground water do not wish for the FDA to have any control over what happens to their water. 

The Low Down on Plastic Water Bottles

•       On average, bottled water costs 900 times the amount of tap water.
• ·      This year, Americans will spend $40 billion on bottled water
• ·      25% of all bottled water is re-packaged tap water
• ·      Tap water regulation has more stringent governmental standards than that of bottled water regulation
• ·      The amount of oil required to put one bottle of water in your hand would fill ¼ of that same bottle
• ·      90% of used water bottles are not recycled
• ·      Right now millions of pounds of trash are floating in the pacific ocean to form an island at least twice the size of Texas – 90% of that trash is discarded plastic

('Flow') 

The Cost and Challenge of Clean Water

While researching, I stumbled upon a Boston Mass. based organization called Corporate Accountability International. This organization sheds light on major international issues facing our world today. Such as, environmental, health and drug concerns. This organization creates movements, they advocate for change and take action while trying to make a difference one step at a time.

While on their website I read about their movement to "Challenge the World Bank"I was immediately interested in how they would challenge the worlds largest corporation.

They started by stating the facts:

"The lack of access to clean drinking water has staggering consequences. Today, more people die from unsafe water than from all forms of violence combined" 

"We know investment in public water system infrastructure is one of the most powerful means of improving and protecting peoples lives globally."

"Our key strategy? To move the World Bank to end its pivotal role in promoting and funding water privatization and redirect its support toward equitable participatory and nonprofit water projects."


Since this organization is calling for the world bank to cut ties with the privatization of water around the world they are calling for water to be seen as a right and not a privilege.

The Human Right To Water!

One in nine people lack the access to clean water. That is a staggering amount considering the amount of water the earth possesses.

On July 29, 2010 the United Nations affirms that Water is a Human Right and not a privilege for those who can afford it!

It seems that something as basic as the right to water would be seen as a right regardless of money or positionally but that is far from the case. Though it is great that the UN recognized this right and make it known that everyone is entitled to it, that doesn't mean that it made the problem go away. During the conference where this right was seen as mandatory, the Bolivia Ambassador Pablo Solon stated:

"The right to drinking water and sanitation are independent rights that should be recognized as such. It is not sufficient to urge States to comply with their human rights obligations relative to access to drinking water and sanitation. Instead, it is necessary to call on states to promote and protect the human right to drinking water and sanitation."

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The Ongoing Project

Throughout this experience I have learned that citizens globally need to be educated on the dangers of products that are jeopardizing our planet. Through my research I have had the opportunity to learn about the dangers of bottled water along with many other environmental hazards that we use in our everyday lives. I have concluded that knowledge about these serious issues is not only important but vital to protecting our planet for generations to come. This is no small task but by educating others around you, a difference can be made. Knowing that tap water is potentially safer than the bottled water you drink can help save money and send a message to organizations like Nestle who's products create more waste than good. Thinking critically about the environment makes a more aware and engaged citizen for the world that we live in. What is the harm in that? Education in schools and in our everyday life can help create change on a larger scale and from that change we can create a safer and healthier planet to live and love.