Green Girl 101
Our Addiction to Plastic Water Bottles
Let's turn a green groove mood on and reflect on my recent awareness...
So half my life I've been drinking out of plastic water bottles. My personal addiction with bottled water began with being freaked out about what was coming out of our tap water. Then my addiction continued to grow with constant health reminders. Drink water! It's good for you! So, then, as a matter of convenience, I started to lug around my plastic water bottle. And if I forgot it that day, never fear! A water bottle was always near... gas stations, stores, friend's refrigerators, work vending machines, etc. As I purchased these water bottles, a bit of nagging was going on in my head that I was actually "buying" water. Why did we have to pay for something that our planet created for our survival? Does a baby purchase its mother's breast milk? Would we be purchasing air soon? I know it sounds a bit extreme, but think about it?!?!
And then...as I started to become aware regarding the abuse of our planet, I became more curious about the little plastic bottles I was buying and the water I was pouring down my throat (and again, not to mention the money I was spending in bottled water). Questions popped into my head such as, where DID the water come from? And where DID the bottle go when I was done with it?
Let's talk about where the water comes from first:
Did you know that federal regulations require bottled water to only be as good as tap water? Check out this fact from www.bottledwaterblues.com. In March of 1999, the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) issued a report that noted almost 40% of bottled water comes from the city water system and 60 to 70% of bottled water sold is exempt from federal regulations. Why? Because water bottled and sold within the same state is exempt from federal standards - if the water is shipped across state lines, then regulation is involved. Nice loop hole eh? Below is an excerpt from a study conducted by the NRDC (www.nrdc.org)
"...Our limited "snapshot" testing, and that published in a few other recent surveys of bottled water, indicate that most bottled water is of good quality. However, our testing also found that about one fourth of the tested bottled water brands contained microbiological or chemical contaminants in at least some samples at levels sufficiently high to violate enforceable state standards or warning levels. About one fifth of the brands tested exceeded state bottled water microbial guidelines in at least some samples. Overall, while most bottled water appears to be of good quality, it is not necessarily any better than tap water, and vulnerable people or their care providers should not assume that all bottled water is sterile. They must be sure it has been sufficiently protected and treated to ensure safety for those populations."
So that's a bit perplexing...and just as a side note...what if you learn that your bottled water is extracted from natural springs and/or artesian wells rather than the tap? Well that's good news, however, just realize that these natural acquifers once emptied or polluted, are virtually impossible to restore.
Okay...Now...What Happens to the Plastic Bottle it Came In?
Did you recycle it? Good for you! But if you didn't, did you know...
- Plastic bottles take up landfill space and landfills take more land - the plastic isn't always biodegradable, so then it is incinerated;
- Increased air pollution and further holes in the ozone is what happens when the plastic bottles are incinerated once disposed of (plastic doesn't decompose very well) - toxic fumes are omitted creating a greenhouse gases that are harmful to the air we breathe;
- According to the Container Recycling Institute, www.container-recycling.org, 200 billion beverage containers that are sold, 2/3 are in landfills;
- Plastic is made from petroleum - So that's even more dependence on oil;
- The annual amount of oil expended to make and transport bottled water is enough fuel for 100,000 cars!!
So after reading all the facts lately, I haven't been exactly excited to purchase bottled water. What I have worked on is installing a filter on my kitchen sink at home. Really easy to install and really inexpensive. Check out www.waterfiltercomparisons.net. I purchased a water bottle at www.reusablebags.com and fill that up. I feel better knowing what the water is in the bottle. I am also conserving natural resources, reducing gas house emissions that fuel global warming, saving energy, and creating less dependence on oil by having my own container. AND I am saving money!!! That's a lot of positive footwork! If convenience is needed, I look to purchase bottled water that is in a biodegradeable container and I am aware of the water source. Take a look at the water I purchase at www.biotaspringwater.com. The container looks and feels like plastic but it is made of corn!!
And if you do purchase bottled water, don't sweat it - life happens and sometimes you're not at your sink or the gas station doesn't sell biodegradeable containers/packaging. Just take your empty bottle home with you and at least recycle it.
