The bottling water process is a major contributor to global warming and climate change, releasing an alarming 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year. This has a devastating effect on the environment, with waste from disposable water bottles reaching the ocean and killing 1.1 million marine creatures annually. In addition, U. S.
landfills are full of 2 million tons of discarded water bottles, and since plastics are produced with fossil fuels, this is an enormous waste of valuable resources. The global consumption of bottled water is increasing every year, a growth higher than that of any other beverage group. Of the more than 100 brands of bottled water available in Canada, 80 percent come from local suppliers. This poses a big problem since water bottles do not biodegrade, but rather photodegrade. The addiction to bottled water pumps around 20 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere every year - equivalent to the monthly production of CO2 that supplies energy to 20 million homes. Many bottled water containers are made of a form of plastic called polyethylene terephthalate, or PET.
When plastic water bottles end up in landfills, they continue to absorb and filter toxic chemicals as they break into small contaminated pieces. Open 1000 bottles of water per second and throw 60 million plastic bottles in the trash every year - it's no wonder that the environment is suffering. To help reduce this impact, it's important to forget the habit of bottled water and switch to 100% BPA-free stainless steel water bottles instead. Not only will this help improve the health of the environment, but it will also be safer and better for your own health. In some cases, drinking bottled water may be necessary when traveling to countries that have dubious tap water - assuming you are confident in the safety of bottled water. With the growth of the Canadian bottled water industry, the country has become a net exporter of water products - exporting hundreds of millions of liters each year. Oil management can cause oil spills, which pollute water and soil and sometimes even cause devastating fires and explosions.
Highly publicized cases of contaminated water have caused the public to question the safety of local water supplies. Essentially, what companies selling bottled water are selling is the perception that it is pure and healthy, and drinking it will make you feel good. The next time you buy a liter of your favorite plastic water bottle, imagine that you first pour another six bottles into the nearest sink before taking a sip.
