Bottled water is a fad which has taken over the entire world. First we were inundated by the advertising and "health concerns" telling us bottled water was "better" for us and "cleaner" than tap water. In the article which inspired me for this blog entry, it discusses how Britain has become off the charts for bottled water consumption and it's mostly all thanks to the media and marketing, almost identical to here in the United States! I think a majority of us did believe this for awhile, not just because of advertising, but because of the different tastes in our tap water versus bottled water and the idea that different taste means "better".
Embarrassingly, I admit that I used to be a HUGE bottled water consumer when I was in high school up until I was 20. (I am 23 now). The imitated convenience of bottled water being around every corner was exactly what I played into. I wasn't home very often because I was constantly going between work and school and both of those things were on opposite sides of the city. I had tried several different re-usable water bottles but never took the time to consider what I liked about drinking water and what made drinking water desirable to me, I just went with my base human instinct -- I'm thirsty! I think this is a major mistake that we all commit to a variety of things when presented with an issue. We don't always stop and thinking about the why or what of the things we do. Why did I drink bottled water? What did I like about the taste? What kind of bottle is best suited for my lifestyle and preferences? Are the reasons behind these questions something I can change? It's very important to question behavior and see if you're making the best choice.
Eventually my pockets became empty and I did the math on how much I was spending on bottled water. Then I discovered that I love drinking out of straws. This led me to eventually purchase the recently popular cups which have a screw-able lid and a straw. It's similar to the style we drink out of from fast food restaurants but is made of plastic so it can be reused with any drink of choice, easily washable and easy to drink out of. Suddenly I found myself drinking a whole lot more water and feeling better because of it!
It wasn't until later when I graduated from community college and came to university, that I realized the full impact bottled water has on the environment. It has been proven, and is clear now, that the industry of bottled water is not only a scam but also extremely harmful to the environment by producing bottles that do not decompose and the energy required to make those bottles emptying pollutants into our atmosphere. Not only is the industry of bottled water harmful for the environment, but cities and states are already spending large amounts of money and energy to clean our tap water for drinking. It's also been proven that in many places the tap water is better for you than the bottled water found in every gas station and vending machine nationwide.
It's much simpler, easier and cheaper to use a re-usable container for not only water, but any other drinks. My personal favorite is unsweetened iced tea :) You're not only helping yourself, but you're helping the environment which you live in, rely on and should desire to sustain for the future.
Blog entry inspired and discussed based on this article:
http://www.enn.com/sustainability/spotlight/45844
I appreciate your opinion on this and also agree that bottled water is such a scam by companies trying to make money and convinced people that the water they were drinking wasn't safe and you had to drink bottled water or it was healthier or you were cooler if you drink bottled water. The media had a huge role on this shift also. Hopefully bottled water will go out of business because I have seen a lot more people using re-useables recently, it has to be one of the easiest life style changes to make to start using re-useable cups and bottles. Also for people concerned about drinking their tap water at home there are water filters like Brita which can be purchased to purify the water and avoid buying bottled water.
ReplyDeleteYou (sort of) touch on the reason people love bottled water. Yes, there is the superiority belief, but most people will drink just about anything- see the popularity of most commercially successful energy drinks. The real issue is convenience. Bottled water is simply more convenient. Yes, bottled water is an ecological disaster, and yes, it is a massive scam, but the fact remains that the market existed in the first place, and you will be fighting an uphill (or should I say upstream) battle to enact change. Sorry for the lame joke.
ReplyDeleteIt sure is amazing what Americans will buy if you make it look convenient and cheap. This is a prime example of the ignorance of America when it comes to the true cost of a commodity. I too used to use quite a lot of bottled water for sports, but now I avoid almost all disposable plastic drink bottles. If I do buy one for some reason I always save it to use when backpacking or biking.
ReplyDeleteTo be fully honest I'm still one of those terrible people that drinks bottled water but its not due to convenience its due to the fact that in my opinion it tastes better. I've seen the videos and even done the blind taste test myself but no matter what when I open my eyes my brain says that in the bottle equals better taste even though I know the truth.
ReplyDeleteI still purshace soda but i try really hard to make sure i put it in a recycle bin. I do not buy water except from my water department. If i choose to drink water on the go i reuse a pop container.I try to make others aware of this terrible situation.Tap is just the same
ReplyDelete