Tap Water or Bottled Water - Which Will You Choose
For the past decade or so, sales of bottled water have been steadily rising by 7 – 8% per annum. The level of consumption globally is estimated to have more than doubled between 1997 and 2005.
Approximately 200 billion bottles of water are consumed worldwide per annum. The US market is the biggest by far, making up 25% of global sales.
However, there has been a backlash against the use of bottled water. One of the main causes for concern is the environmental impact of bottled water. The actual bottles are usually made from Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is a recyclable material – but the actual level of recycling is thought to be lower than 25%.
The energy required for production, transportation and disposal of the bottles is also a cause for concern among environmentalists. When compared with tap water, bottled water produces carbon emissions which are 5,000 times larger per litre.
Notwithstanding the very effective marketing of the bottled water suppliers, there seems to be little evidence that bottled water is, in developed countries at least, any better for your health than standard tap water. Some bottled waters have been found to contain estrogenic chemicals and even uranium. Most bottled waters have some level of salt present – which is bad for your blood pressure.
In terms of taste there is little firm evidence that bottled water is any better than tap water. In a blind tasting in the UK, London tap water finished in third place from a field of 24 different water varieties. In the USA, a 2007 screening of Penn and Teller (which might have been more entertaining than scientific – but still merits a mention) demonstrated that diners could not distinguish between bottled water and water drawn from a garden hose.
In terms of cost to the end user the precise ratio will vary according to the brand of water under consideration, but generally speaking bottled water is priced at several hundred times more per litre than tap water.
So, considering environmental impact, health, taste and cost, bottled water really doesn’t have a lot in its favour. If you really don’t like the taste of the water supplied from your tap then you might be well advised to try some type of home filtration system. The cost will be higher than tap water, but much lower than bottled water. If you opt for a solution such as the Brita water filter jug then you can be certain that it’s better for the environment as all parts of the filters are recyclable.
Of course, home filtration systems are a good solution for when you’re at home – but if you like to carry water with you when you’re out and about then you could use and reuse a bottle which you fill at home, or the office, before you leave. Again, Brita water are a good example having partnered with international designer Orla Kelly to produce the Wottle – which claims to be the world’s first designer reusable bottle and is manufactured from 100% recycled material. Or you could just try a bit of recycling of your own and use an old soda bottle.
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