It is time to write again a Green tip!
Alternatives to Bottled Water
Today’s challenge is to cut bottled water out of your routine.
The bottled water explosion in recent decades has brought with it an enormous increase in consumer waste. In the first three years of this decade, the planet’s thirsty consumers drank over 500 million litres of bottled water, according to the International Council of Bottled Water Associations. That’s a whole lot of plastic bottles. In fact, the World Wildlife Fund says the industry generates 1.5 million tons of plastic a year.
Even the best
recycling programs won’t be able to make that disappear and those of us who are currently watching a winter’s worth of snow melt are surrounded by appalling reminders that most of those bottles don’t even make it to a garbage can.
If you’re concerned about the quality of the water in your taps and, granted, it’s a fair concern consider instead the many alternatives. You can have clean water without the disposable plastic. A filter system for your tap, or a filter jug in your fridge, is cheaper than buying bottled water and much, much greener.
And maybe even safer. Some quick facts about bottled water:
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization released a study in 1997 concluding that bottled water is not better for you than tap water.
Many bottled water companies are simply selling you reprocessed municipal water: Aquafina (Pepsi) and Dasani (Coca-Cola), for example.
Roughly 22 percent of bottled water brands have been found to contain, in at least one sample, chemical contaminants at levels above governmental health regulations.
Correlations have even been drawn between increased cavity decay and consumption of bottled water, due, some say, to the natural absence of fluoride in bottled spring water.
If you do find yourself buying a bottle of water, buy a local brand this means less transport, and also that the water is being consumed closer to its source.
Bottled or Tap Water: Which is Better?
Bottled water is a growing trend in today’s fast-paced society, but it is a trend which is harmful to the world around us. Drinking water from the tap is measurably better for the environment, and contrary to popular belief it is just as healthy to drink. There are many reasons that contribute to the growing popularity of bottled water over tap water, but what many people don’t realize is that it all comes down to hype. Large bottled water brands spend millions of dollars on marketing every year to promote their brands, while tap water does not have a marketing team and budget to promote drinking it. The advertising for bottle water leaves many people with the impression that it is a healthier and more refreshing alternative to tap water, but this is just a myth that the companies like to support.
Drinking water from the tap is better for our environment for the following reasons:
There is no carbon footprint. Bottled water is sometimes shipped from different continents, which adds huge amounts of carbon emissions into the atmosphere. With tap water you get instant, and basically free delivery which does not have to be transported across the country or the world.
Not all water bottles make it to the recycling plant. About 80% of plastic water bottles end up in a landfill where they are left to decompose naturally or burned which releases harmful pollutants into the air.
Plastic bottles are hard to break down. It takes an estimated 1000 years for one plastic water bottle to decompose. With North Americans consuming on average 166 bottles of water a year that can leave quite a mark on the environment.
There are many benefits of drinking tap water instead of bottled water. Bottled water is much more expensive, harmful to the environment, and not any better for a person’s health than tap water is. In fact many popular brands of bottled water like Dasani simply sell tap water that has been filtered and put into bottles. With your own filtrations system, you can easily do the same for significantly less money and harmful environmental impact. A good place to compare and shop for water filtration systems is, http://www.waterfiltercomparisons.net/WaterFilter_Comparison.cfm , where you can find a variety of models and price ranges, along with descriptions, retailers, and upkeep pricing. Tap water also contains fluoride which most bottled water does not. Fluoride is a key component to healthy, strong teeth.
Bottled water is often more convenient than tap water because tap water is not always available when you want it. If you are going on a hike or working out, bottled water is much easier to drink. However you do not have to use the bottled water sold in disposable bottles with brand names. It is just as easy and more economically and environmentally friendly to buy a reusable water bottle and refill it. There is often concern about the safety of reusing water bottles because of the bacteria that can gather around the opening. Make sure that your water bottle is washed carefully after each use and you won’t have to worry about this. It is just like any other reusable dish that has to be kept clean. You should also check the content of the plastic to make sure it is not harmful. Some types of plastic can leach out into the water causing it to taste bad and possibly be harmful to your health.
All in all drinking water from the tap just makes more sense. It is better for the environment which is ultimately better for us. It follows the same health standards as bottled water. It is cheaper than bottled water, and can often be just as convenient. Tap water has been proven to taste just as good as bottled water with many taste tests and can easily be filtered if it does not. If you are traveling to another country where the public health standards are not monitored, it is wise to stick to bottled water, which has not been opened, for personal health reasons. In this country where fresh water is abundant and readily supplied there is no reason not to drink the water from our taps
