by Jordan Baker

Created on: October 28, 2009

The Effects of the Bottled Water Industry

Consumerism in America is one of the largest issues concerning the sustainability of our country. One of the industries fueling consumerism and hindering sustainability is the bottled water industry. Although the bottled water industry has taken some steps to reduce the amount of material used in their products, it still cannot make up for the many resources wasted in order to have bottled water. The production of bottled water should be stopped in order to protect the environment, save resources, reduce spending, and ensure our safety.

First and foremost, the amount of resources wasted by the bottled water industry is detrimental to our environment. The hazardous PET plastic, which is used in making the bottles, is derived from crude oil, which releases fossil fuels into the air, causing air pollution. An estimated 17 million barrels of oil are used in the manufacturing of bottled water every year, and that's just in the United States. Think about the global impact of using that much oil for bottled water. The oil wasted in the manufacturing of bottled water could fuel 100000cars for one year. In addition, for every ton of PET plastic manufactured, three tons of carbon dioxide is produced. This is the equivalent of 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide released into the environment every year. Bottled water may be convenient to the consumer, but it's another story for the environment. Once bottled water is manufactured and packaged, it must still be transported to the consumer. The shipment of bottled water contributes negatively to air quality, burning fossil fuels and contributing to greenhouse gases. It is estimated that one fourth of bottled water crosses international borders before reaching consumers in the United States. Some bottled water companies such as FIJI, for example, have their water transported up to 10,000 miles in order to reach United States who have decided that water must not only hydrate us and keep us healthy, but it must also look good doing so. Once it reaches consumers it continues to get worse. In the United States about 85 percent of PET plastic bottles are not recycled, which means that two million tons of PET plastic bottles end up in landfills where it takes thousands of years for them to decompose. During the time it takes for the plastic to break down, chlorine gas and carcinogens, such as dioxins, are released into the environment. Even those who recycle are doing less than they think

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