Bottled water has quickly become a part of daily life. You can buy bottled water just about anywhere you go. Even though we know it’s more expensive than tap water, we still buy it. Bottled water is convenient but the environmental effects should make us rethink how we are using bottled water.
Made with Fossil Fuels
All plastics are made from fossil fuels. It is estimated that 1500 water bottles are consumed per second in the United States alone. Over 50 billion bottles are bought every year. That requires over 17 million barrels of oil that many bottles.
Not only are fossil fuels required to create the plastic, they are also used to transport billions of bottles each year. Often, water bottles are traveling for thousands of miles; increasing their carbon footprint.
Creates Trash
Out of the 50 billion bottles that are bought each year, roughly 80% end up in landfills. In the United States alone, 24 billion plastic bottles are thrown away each year.
According to National Geographic, Americans recycle 1 in 6 plastic bottles. When a water bottle is thrown away, it goes into a landfill. It could sit there for hundreds of years.
Once a plastic bottle makes it to the landfill it sits there. It takes hundreds of years for plastic to decompose, that means the plastic is piling up in our landfills. The growing piles of plastic garbage and litter are threatening wildlife and natural habitats.
Potential Leaching.
Some plastic bottles contain bisphenol-A or BPA. BPA is a chemical used to harden plastic and 90% of people have it in their bodies. Most of it entered our bodies from food stored in BPA plastic containers.
BPA was common in baby bottles, sippy cups, and other baby products. Six major manufacturers no longer use BPA in their baby bottles.
The FDA used to promote that BPA was safe. But in 2010 the agency altered its position.The FDA maintains that studies using standardized toxicity tests have shown BPA to be safe at the current low levels of human exposure.
It is still not fully understood what BPA does to our bodies. The FDA raised concerns about the potential brain, behavior, and prostate glands in fetuses, infants, and young children. These concerns were raised from analyzing animal studies.
The FDA has recommended taking steps towards reducing exposure to BPA.
Bottled water can often seem convenient but it is very harmful to the environment. A metal water bottle is a great alternative to water on the go.