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Bottled Water & Environmental Issues

Bottled water has become increasingly popular over the past few decades but it also poses some potentially threatening environmental issues. As the production of bottled water increases, so does consumer waste and the depletion of natural resources used to make plastic bottles. Additionally, the rise of bottled water use may actually be a contributing factor to contaminated water supplies and water waste.

  1. Garbage

    • Bottled water is one of the biggest waste-producing goods being sold. Additionally, the low number of consumers who regularly recycle water bottles is causing the overflow of landfills, which contribute to toxic emissions and can contaminate water supplies. Industry consultants estimate that millions of empty water bottles are thrown into the trash in just one day.

    Safety of Tap Water

    • Bottled water also may be a threat to the safety of local tap water. Consumers who continue to purchase bottled water may not be interested in the safety standards of municipal water supplies. Consumers who cannot afford bottled water might then be exposed to more harmful substances in tap water. Without proper attention to safety measures, laws surrounding water safety could become compromised.

    Depletion of Natural Resources

    • Producing bottled water requires the drilling of oil, which is a nonrenewable resource. Also, the burning of fossil fuels releases gases that many scientists say cause global warming. The consumption of bottled water indirectly helps waste natural resources and contributes to dangerous environmental changes in temperature. Global warming temperature changes are adversely affecting animal and plant ecosystems.

    Water Waste

    • To make bottled water, gallons of water must be wasted in order to purify and clean the water that goes into 1 gallon of bottled water. Combined with increasingly contaminated water supplies and consumer water waste, the amount of water wasted to make bottled water poses a direct threat to water supplies and sustainability of drinking water.

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