Bottled water has been marketed very well and has fooled us into thinking that we can’t do without it and that it is safer and healthier to drink than normal water. Bottled water is just an indulgence; but it is a harmful indulgence. It seems to just be costlier, wasteful and damaging indulgence to the environment and even our health.
What exactly is bottled water? Check the label of a bottle, and without doubt there will be some marketing ploy indicating the use of natural spring water or fancy words attempting to justify why they are trying to sell water at prices higher than gas. A lot of bottled water is just plain tap water that has been processed somewhat. You are better off boiling your own water to drink – a cheaper, reliable source of water.
Disposable water bottles are bad for the environment. Waste management is a terrible problem in the world. The number of plastic bottles produced by the bottled water industry and discarded by consumers has greatly added to the problem. Plastic waste ends up in the worlds major oceans, posing a great risk to marine life. Also, the energy required to manufacture and transport these bottles to market is draining our limited fossil fuels (millions of gallons of oil is used per year to produce plastic bottles). All of this places further strain on our environment. Some types of plastic bottles contain bisphenol A (BPA), a potentially harmful chemical. BPA leaks from the plastic bottles when the bottle is warm or if there is a crack in the bottle. If you reuse the bottles, the more likely it is that the toxic chemicals will leach into the water.
Buying a non-toxic reusable bottle and filling it up with water from the tap or a home filter is a smart choice for the environment and is cheaper in the long-run than buying bottled water. Not to mention, it is better for your health. If you are still apprehensive of drinking boiled tap water, then install a water filter at home.
