The Effects of Using PET Bottles

Since its inception and proliferated use in the mid-20th century, plastic has become a key compound to the progression of developed nations. From food packaging to cars, plastic can be found in almost anything, and many products contain plastic in one or more components. PET, or polyethylene terephthalate, is one form of plastic commonly used for beverage or food packaging.

Environmental

• One of the most important effects of using PET bottles is the environmental impact. For instance, according to Enso Bottles, standard PET bottles take approximately 500 years to decompose, and since the mid-1990s plastic bottle production has increased by 700 percent, while recycling only increased by 5 percent. In fact, according to the same source, in 2008 companies sold approximately 80 billion PET bottles, while people recycled only 10 billion PET bottles. The extensive time it takes for PET bottles to biodegrade, coupled with the low rate of recycling, means PET bottles suffuse landfills and the environment.

Health

• Another effect of using PET bottles is the impact it may pose to human. A 2009 study by researchers from Goethe University in Germany suggests that PET bottles may contain hormone-disrupting chemicals that are detrimental to human health. Some compounds in PET, such as acetaldehyde, may leach out from these bottles and are possibly carcinogenic. For instance, in the mid-1990s the Environmental Protection Agency classified acetaldehyde as a "possible human carcinogen," however, because of its carcinogenicity rates to animals, the EPA considers it a probable human carcinogen.

Pollution

• Another effect of using PET bottles has to do with fossil fuel consumption. Some of the basic compounds for producing PET bottles is crude oil, natural gas and ethylene glycol. In fact, according to Enso Bottles, "the production of 1 kg of PET, requires the equivalent of 2 kg of oil for energy and raw material." And according to Green Upgrader, it takes approximately 24 million gallons of oil to create about one billion plastic bottles, and the average American consumes 167 bottles of water every year.

Shipment

• PET bottles must be shipped by the producer to the retailer and to the customer. If these PET bottles contain a beverage or food item, the amount of energy it takes to ship the is extreme. In fact, according to Green Upgrader, "bottling and shipping water is the least energy efficient method ever used to supply water." According to Back 2 Tap, as of 2011, companies ship approximately one billion water bottles around the U.S. in ships, trucks or trains. These modes of transportation typically burn oil to operate.