Most of us purchase and drink bottled water. The trend has increased dramatically in the last few years especially in developed countries. However, the trend is also increasing in developing countries. Bottled water has become big business.
Yes, there are a number of reasons why we use bottled water:
- Convenience.
- Avoid potential exposure to chemicals, pollutants and germs in other water sources.
- Better taste.
- Healthier alternative to cold drinks and sodas.
- Fashionable.
There is no denying the convenience and other advantages (perceived or real) of bottled water:
- You are travelling and you can purchase bottled water from different outlets along the way or you have stocked up before your journey. This is great for professionals and workers on the move, workers on construction sites or similar environments and families travelling on holidays etc...
- You are out shopping about town or anywhere in the world and you get some water with a fair assurance that you are consuming good clean water.
- You have stocked up on a few bottles at home and your water supply is interrupted for whatever reason. Your bottled water is a good backup alternative which allows you to get through the interruption without too much inconvenience.
- Some of us are weary of chemicals or other hazards in tap water. There are some developing countries where it is not advisable to drink tap water. However, it is quite safe to drink tap water in developed countries and many developing countries. I guess that if you are travelling, it is better to get some advice and recommendations.
- Some of us maintain that bottled water "tastes better". I guess, this is a question of preferences and sometimes perception.
- Bottled water is certainly a healthier alternative to cold drinks and sodas we purchase from different outlets or vending machines.
- Yes, in some circles it is fashionable to consume bottled water. Some of us will swear by that brand or the other. In some restaurants and hotels you even have "Water Sommeliers" who will advise you on the water's origin, mineral content and carbonation and their effect on the taste, but also advise on pairing different waters with food and wine.
- The industries bottling water provide jobs and revenues in many countries. Some countries export huge amounts of bottled water to richer countries and this helps support their economy.
However, while enjoying the convenience and advantages of bottled water, let's not forget the impact this has on our environment and other negative aspects:
- How many millions of plastic bottle every day end up in landfills, are thrown out of cars, litter the countryside and also end up in our seas/oceans, rivers and lakes endangering wildlife. This has a big impact and degrades our environment.
- What about the billions of litres extracted from rivers, springs and aquifers that end up as bottled water? In some cases the water resources of some countries are being depleted to service the demand of the bottled water markets bringing in huge profits. After all, clean water is a basic resource to all of us rich or poor and should be available to all human beings on this earth.
- Litre for litre, bottled water is much more expensive than water supplied through your taps at home. Having to buy bottled water can have a significant impact on family budgets and incomes.
- Manufacturing bottles, extracting water and packaging it in plastic bottles consume large amount of energy (fossil fuels) which has an impact on carbon emission. Is this having an effect on global warming? We must not forget that large amounts of water (which is not bottled) are used to manufacture and package bottled water.
- Let's not forget the amount of energy and fossil fuel used in transporting and exporting many millions of water bottles.
So while there are advantages and benefits in consuming bottled water we should be aware of the negative aspects of this huge industry.
While enjoying the benefits, we can also take measures to minimise the impact and act responsibly. In my opinion, there are positive things we can do.
We should recycle as many plastic bottles as we can. This is largely dependent on individuals, families and businesses.
The greatest amount of drinking water we consume is at home, in businesses and factories. We need to adopt better ways of consuming clean water.
I found that a great alternative is to have a water dispenser/filter at home or in the office. The one I have adopted is a water dispenser with a filter (see photo). This machine provides me with clean hot and cold filtered water at all times for a small monthly cost.
I use tap water to fill up the water dispenser and the filter takes out impurities and chemicals allowing me to enjoy clean drinking water without having to purchase bottled water. I renew the filter once every 4 to 6 months and the cost is very reasonable. I worked out that I was saving a lot of money not buying bottled water together with reducing my carbon footprint and avoiding problems of disposing with plastic bottles in a responsible manner.
There are different kinds of water dispensers. There are those where you are delivered with these huge plastic bottles of processed waters. There is probably no point in using those as there are issues with disposing of these plastic bottles while the cost is high compared to the water dispenser I use together with the negative aspects of packaging this water as mentioned earlier.
There are many articles and blogs on the Web about bottled water and different arguments. However, from what I have read, the industry is having a big impact on many environmental aspects. Some of the writers appear to have done good research and present convincing arguments.
This is my take on the matter and I am convinced that I am doing the right thing. Go and get yourself a good water dispenser with a filter like mine and enjoy the benefits while cutting costs and reducing your impact on the environment. Your comments or feedback are most welcome.
Copyright José Masson all rights reserved.
