Bottled Water - What Are The Facts?

For the past decade or so, sales figures for bottled water have been steadily rising by 7 - 8% each year. The level of global consumption is estimated to have more than doubled between 1997 and 2005.

Approximately 200 billion bottles of water are consumed worldwide each year. The US market is the biggest by far, accounting for a quarter of global sales.

However, there has been a recent backlash against the use of bottled water. One area of concern is bottled water's environmental impact. The bottles themselves are generally made from Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is a recyclable material - but the actual level of recycling is believed to be lower than 25%.

The energy required for production, transportation and disposal of the bottles is also a source for concern among environmentalists. When compared with tap water, bottled water generates carbon emissions which are 5,000 times greater per litre.

Despite the very effective marketing of the bottled water suppliers, there seems to be no evidence that bottled water is, in developed countries at least, any better for your health than plain old tap water. Certain 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 came in third place from a selection of 24 different water varieties. In the USA, a Penn and Teller epsiode screened in 2007 (which may have been more entertaining than scientific - but is still worthy of a mention) demonstrated that diners could not tell the difference between bottled water and water from a garden hose.

In terms of cost to the consumer the exact ratio will vary according to the brand of water under consideration, but generally speaking bottled water costs several hundred times more per litre than tap water.

So, in terms of environmental impact, health, taste and cost, bottled water really doesn't have a lot going for it. If you really don't like the taste of the water that comes out of your tap then you might be better advised to try some type of home filtration system. The cost will be greater than for tap water, but very much less than bottled water. If you go for a solution such as the Brita water filter jug then you will know that it's better for the environment as all parts of the filters are recyclable.

Of course, home filtration systems are great 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 combined with international designer Orla Kiely 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 do a bit of recycling of your own and use an old Coke bottle.

By: Krizyy Quinthwarbler

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Learn what a a Brita Maxtra filter could do for you. It'll save you time and money. And if you enjoyed this article then have a look at some others like it at Hub Pages.