The Bottled Water Scam

bottled water

Bottled water may be convenient but it is definitely not worth the cost. Compared to tap water, bottled water is typically 1,900 times more expensive, uses 2,000 times more energy to create and transport and according to Environmental Working Group, about half of all bottled water is just tap water anyways! Reasons to stop drinking bottled water:

1. It is not a good value. Let's look at price. An average 20 oz bottle of water cost about $1.50. (If you're lucky). That equals 7.5 cents per oz. An average gallon of gas cost about $3.50. There are 128 oz in a gallon. So, average cost of gasoline is 2.7 cents per oz.  Bottled water cost almost three times more per ounce than GAS!!!!! Many people complain about the cost of gas but they don't have many other options for fueling their vehicles. Bottled water on the other hand, is more expensive but there is a very easy, very cheap, healthy alternative - drink your own filtered tap water.

2.Bottled water is not better than tap water. Purity standards for bottled water are no higher than regular household tap water. Bottled water is actually less regulated than tap water. Municipal tap water is regularly checked for bacteria and other contaminants. So, buying a good water filter and drinking your own tap water is just as healthy as buying overpriced bottled water.

3. It is VERY wasteful. Over 1.5 million tons of plastic waste is created from bottled water every year. It requires 47 million gallons of oil per year to produce that plastic, according to Food and Water Watch. 80% of those bottles are not recycled and get piled into a landfill or pollute our marine systems and other environments. Buying a reusable, stainless steel container and filling it with your filtered tap water eliminates the need for all of that plastic bottle waste.

4. Protect your right to access safe and affordable water. Corporations are buying ground water and distribution rights. Purchasing bottled water is fueling the desire of major corporations to control water supplies. Water is our most precious resource, necessary to our survival, and now it is seen as a way to make money. Keeping water out of the hands of privately owned businesses is the only way to keep the cost of water down. For more information on the water crisis check out these documentaries: Blue Gold: The World Water Wars and Flow

For more information on bottled water and specific brands:  http://www.ewg.org/bottled-water-2011-home

http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/stories/5-reasons-not-to-drink-bottled-water