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The Impact of Single-Use Water Bottles

Lots of people buy bottled water.  They do so out of a sense of “healthy living” or simply out of habit.  But you have to think this through.  Those of us who live in this area and are blessed with clean, purified water from West Bloomfield or Detroit water supplies, buying bottled water is simply throwing money down the drain and adding to our pollution and recycle problems.  

 

From Business Insider:

“Perhaps the most incredible number: at an average cost of $1.22 per gallon, consumers are spending 300 times the cost of tap water to drink bottled water.”

 

From Healthy Human:

“Americans buy 29 billion water bottles a year.  For every six bottles people buy, only one is recycled.  That leads to a big problem given the fact that water bottles do not biodegrade, but rather photodegrade. This means that it takes at least up to 1,000 years for every single bottle to decompose, leaking pollutants into our soil and water along the way.  Yuck!  As a result, U.S. landfills are overflowing with 2 million tons of discarded water bottles.  And because plastics are produced with fossil fuels, not only does that make them an environmental hazard, but also an enormous waste of valuable resources.”

 

Things we can do to help:

  • Ditch the habit: Make sure to stock your home with plenty of reusable stainless steel water bottles that will improve the environment and your health.

  • Purchase a water filter: Purchase a water filter to keep in your refrigerator and use it every morning to refill your reusable water bottles for the day.

  • Raise awareness: Tell your friends and family about the impact bottled water is having on our environment.  Encourage your workplace to ban plastic water bottles and educate your children about the positive impact they have on the environment when they use reusable stainless steel bottles.

  • Find alternatives: It’s not just plastic water bottles that are causing environmental harm. Try to find household items, such as soap and cleaning supplies that are in environmentally friendly packaging.

  • Recycle: When you do use a plastic bottle, make sure that you recycle it. When you see an empty, used water bottle sitting on the street or in a park, pick it up and recycle it.

  • Use water fountains: Ask your local representative if your county can install more water fountains so people in your community can refill reusable bottles more easily.

Written by Marty Rose on behalf of the Beth Ahm Green Team

Thu, March 28 2024 18 Adar II 5784