We take water for granted. We waste it. And when we consume bottled water, we pay far too much for it. Skipping the bottle is one step toward solving the water crisis.
There's no question about it. We live in a thirsty world. Water scarcity
is quickly becoming the issue of our time. Climate change is real and
it's effecting farmers from California to Kenya. And already today, as
many as 1 in 8 people don't have access to safe water to drink. The environmental cost of the massive consumption of bottled water has led some U.S. and Canadian local governments to consider a ban its sale. While this seems an extreme response, the scientific concerns are well-founded, and the facts may surprise you.
Fact #1. Bottles used to package water take over 1,000 years to bio-degrade and if incinerated, they produce toxic fumes. It is estimated that over 80% of all single-use water bottles used in the U.S. simply become "litter."
Fact #2. Recycling is only feasible in limited circumstances because only PET bottles can be recycled. All other bottles are discarded. Only 1 out of 5 bottles are sent to the recycle bin.
Fact #3. U.S. landfills are overflowing with 2 million tons of discarded water bottles alone.
Fact #4. It takes over 1.5 million barrels of oil to meet the demand of U.S. water bottle manufacturing. This amount of oil far exceeds the amount needed to power 100,000 for a year, which does not include fossil fuel and emissions costs of green house gases needed to transport the final product to market.
Fact #5. It is estimated that actually 3 liters of water is used to package 1 liter of bottled water
Source: https://thewaterproject.org
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