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Bottled water is either the largest hoax every pulled off on mankind, or a marvelous example of exactly how lazy we, as a species, really are. The world spends $100 billion on bottled water every year. Strangely enough, this water does not get to the millions of sick and dying people who do not have access to clean drinking water.
To bring potable water to the entire world would cost around $30 billion...less than half of the amount that people who have access to clean drinking water spend on bottles of the stuff every year.
I am honestly very angry about this, and I haven't even gotten into the environmental problems. In fact, I'm not going to...I'm just going to leave it there... and have this be my monthly rant at EcoGeek.
Data via Earth Policy
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written by Hank, April 02, 2008
I don't have anything against investment bankers...you're right...that's not really fair. I'm taking that bit out.
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written by J, April 02, 2008
People waste money on so many things, honestly. While bottled water (which is nothing more than tap water, literally, in some cases) is a good example, it's not really any different than designer clothes, SUVs, etc.
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written by Jordan, April 02, 2008
I would love to see a Ban the Bottle law passed in America just as the Ban the Bulb law has been...But I doubt our lobbyist controlled congress would ever pass it.
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written by proto, April 02, 2008
I keep seeing this repeated over and over, that bottled water is a bad idea, and the people who use it are lazy. BS! I've lived all over the US, east coast, midwest, west coast, Alaska, Florida, New England, Nevada. Tap water is, by and large, crap. Most places it ranges from yellow to brown in color and smells funny. Go ahead and drink it if you want. Me, I'm sticking with the clear, clean, expensive stuff in the bottle.
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written by Jeff, April 02, 2008
agree with J... the purchases of people in wealthy western nations does directly relate to anything getting to the needy in the third world. We waste money on much bigger things than bottled water, though I agree it's rediculous. I also think that calling it "wasting it" is an over simplification. The money does not disappear. Like it or not bottled water is a piece of the world economy and the people that work for bottled water companies would not like to see their industry disappear. Still we defintely could use some spending priorities rearrangement in the United States, and I would like to see bottled water go the way of the you know what.
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written by Jeff, April 02, 2008
it certainly has no purpose in Seattle, Portland or any other northwest city that can acually maintain their water. Plus its not like TAP is the ONLY option. Why not get a brita or some sort of filter for you home water and fill up a sigg or glass at home?
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written by Cedrick, April 02, 2008
Tap water is, by and large, crap. Most places it ranges from yellow to brown in color and smells funny
Well, sir it is called a Brita water filtration system. At least you can filter some large quantities of water before you dispose of anything. Wish the filters were recyclable though
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written by ryecob, April 03, 2008
@ Cedrick
here's how to refill those brita/pur water filters:
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-refill-a-disposable-Brita-brand-water-pit/
here's how to refill those brita/pur water filters:
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-refill-a-disposable-Brita-brand-water-pit/
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written by josh, April 03, 2008
We pay a quarter a gallon to refill those big 5 gal. reusable jugs in west Texas, which has terrible water. The big thing is that, for the most part, tap water in the U.S. is safe to drink. I've been to several countries where it isn't. I don't know if the locals just get used to it or they drink bottled water too. I know in places like Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, just to name a few, you have to drink bottled water or you get sick. It is very cheap, compared to what we pay, but I don't know if it gets to the needy in those countries. I do reuse my bottles, even though you're not supposed to, but I hate the idea of paying so much for something that will be thrown away after one use. $0.25/gal for drinkable water, which is just tap that's been through an RO, isn't really that bad. It is wasteful, but I doubt it would be economical or feasible to just send it to developing nations.
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written by Phil, April 03, 2008
I wonder if it would be feasable for a company to make their own bottled water at the usual 2000% markup, but take, say, half of the profit to bring drinking water or water filtration technologies to 3rd world countries. Same cost to the bottled water buyer, the company doesn't go broke and other countries get drinking water.
On a related note, Dean Kamen introduced a new http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/...r purifier that he claims uses no moving parts, is incredibly low-power and takes 100% of non-water particles out of the water stream through the filter.
On a related note, Dean Kamen introduced a new http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/...r purifier that he claims uses no moving parts, is incredibly low-power and takes 100% of non-water particles out of the water stream through the filter.
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written by Laedelas, April 03, 2008
...I couldn't find your e-mail address, Hank. Have you read this article? What do you think? I'm in the process of debating whether to freak out or not...
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1725975,00.html
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1725975,00.html
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written by Karsten, April 03, 2008
Watch the video. Link below.
Please note that I put the word "truth" in quotation marks. It is not really objective or balanced data. But certainly amusing, especially the second half of the video. Some strong language included.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfPAjUvvnIc
Enjoy! It has a really fresh taste to it. Real crisp.
Karsten
Please note that I put the word "truth" in quotation marks. It is not really objective or balanced data. But certainly amusing, especially the second half of the video. Some strong language included.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfPAjUvvnIc
Enjoy! It has a really fresh taste to it. Real crisp.
Karsten
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written by jake3988, April 03, 2008
written by Jordan , April 02, 2008
I would love to see a Ban the Bottle law passed in America just as the Ban the Bulb law has been...But I doubt our lobbyist controlled congress would ever pass it.
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No, it's that most people don't want it unfortunately. People already are going off the deep end because incandescants are going away.
Taking away bottled water would infuriate people, sadly.
We simply need to press hard to convince people not to waste their money (as bad as it sounds most people only go 'green' to save money)
I would love to see a Ban the Bottle law passed in America just as the Ban the Bulb law has been...But I doubt our lobbyist controlled congress would ever pass it.
==================
No, it's that most people don't want it unfortunately. People already are going off the deep end because incandescants are going away.
Taking away bottled water would infuriate people, sadly.
We simply need to press hard to convince people not to waste their money (as bad as it sounds most people only go 'green' to save money)
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written by Hanna Em, April 03, 2008
I don't really have anything intelligent to add, but bottled is amazingly handy.
I recycle when ever I do drink bottled water :-/
I recycle when ever I do drink bottled water :-/
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written by Lauren Guite, April 03, 2008
If you add in transportation, the energy used comes to over 50 million barrels of oil equivalent.
Federal regulations for municipal water are far more stringent than bottled water regulations. Bottled water rules allow higher levels of many contaminants, with more lenient requirements for filtration, testing and reporting.
Besides, more than a quarter of bottled water is just processed tap water.
Recycling would help, but we don’t usually do it. Less than 20 percent of the 28 billion single-serving water bottles that Americans buy each year are recycled. Some estimates are as low as 12 percent.
So what do you do? Buy a filter and a reusable container! And read this Climate411 post (http://environmentaldefenseblo...led_water/) with lots more facts and figures about bottled water as well as suggestions for how you can improve your tap water.
Lauren Guite
Environmental Defense
Federal regulations for municipal water are far more stringent than bottled water regulations. Bottled water rules allow higher levels of many contaminants, with more lenient requirements for filtration, testing and reporting.
Besides, more than a quarter of bottled water is just processed tap water.
Recycling would help, but we don’t usually do it. Less than 20 percent of the 28 billion single-serving water bottles that Americans buy each year are recycled. Some estimates are as low as 12 percent.
So what do you do? Buy a filter and a reusable container! And read this Climate411 post (http://environmentaldefenseblo...led_water/) with lots more facts and figures about bottled water as well as suggestions for how you can improve your tap water.
Lauren Guite
Environmental Defense
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written by Roy, April 03, 2008
This is exactly why my company pushes Klean Kanteens, and has vowed to support the Water Cone if it goes into production, and is available in the US.
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written by Buberfan, April 08, 2008
Yes, tap water does taste like crap in many places. If you are trying to get yourself and your kids off sugar-laden drinks then good tasting water is a must. We have found that a good (and I mean really good) water filter is the way to go. When we go out we fill up good quality drinking bottles (not PVC because that leaches nasty chemicals) and take them with us.
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written by A, December 20, 2008
like recyclable water filters and use stainless steel, KOR ONE Hydration vessel or water purifying bottles and devices like the SteriPEN.
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Honestly Hank, if you're going to claim someone you don't like is doing something you don't like, you should at least provide proof. After all, those investment bankers are the same ones you want funding solar panel companies such as NanoSolar. Or you should at least explain what you have against them.
**Note from author...EV's right...I've got nothing against investment bankers. I'm taking that bit out.