7 Scary Reasons Everyone Should Consider Giving Up Drinking Bottled Water
1. Plastic bottles (even BPA-free ones) can leach chemicals into your water.
Bottled water companies increasingly use BPA-free plastic, but other potentially harmful chemicals are still present in plastic bottles, and they can leach into water if exposed to heat or left to sit for long periods of time. Some of these chemicals are possible endocrine disrupters that could mess with hormone levels in the body.
2. A lot of bottled water comes from the tap anyway.
Commercials for bottled water lead us to believe that our H2O is being sourced from heavenly springs with all sorts of healthy properties.
The reality, however, looks a lot more like the inside of a factory. Today estimates that up to 25% of bottled water being sold is actually just filled with tap water before being sealed.
Words like “purified” or “drinking water” lead us to believe that bottled water was filled at an oasis, but it’s actually code for tap. Many of the most popular and least-expensive brands are guilty of this.
3. Bottled water may actually be less safe than tap water.
Tap water has to meet all kinds of standards, but bottled water does not have to adhere to the same regulations.
The lack of oversight on bottled water can actually make it less safe and more likely to contain harmful materials than water from the tap.
In reality, bottled water has the reputation for being “pure,” but it’s just an illusion. In reality, you have no idea how well the water was treated.
4. Bottled water has no proven benefits.
Many people seem concerned about the quality of tap water, and opt for bottled water to be safe.
However, this opinion about bottled water being more healthy is completely wrong.
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) reports that a four-year review of the safety of the water industry found no evidence supporting that bottled water is by any means superior.
In other words, there is absolutely no benefit to buying a $3 designer bottle of water. Just drink the stuff from the tap instead!
5. Bottle production k.i.l.l.s the environment.
Plastic bottles pollute our planet (even when they’re recycled).
Plastic bottles are resource-intensive to manufacture, fill, and ship around the globe, so each one comes with a hefty carbon footprint.
Not to mention, considering the troubled state of the recycling industry in the U.S., it’s exceedingly difficult to tell whether your plastics and are actually being properly recycled.
Like almost everything in the world, plastic needs a lot of water to be produced.
It sounds a little counterproductive, but it takes a lot of water to make water bottles. In fact, it takes a lot more than the bottle itself can even hold.
NPR estimates that it could take six to seven bottles’ worth of water to even make the container. Instead, you could just pour yourself a glass from the tap.
The ones that aren’t recycled are extremely slow to biodegrade:
What you drink in a few minutes can stick around for 1,000 years. The easiest way to ensure that plastic water bottles don’t end up sitting in a landfill, adding toxins into the watersheds and soil, is to avoid them in the first place.
6. Bottled water is expensive.
Bottled water is costly and expensive, especially if you try to keep up with the recommended daily amounts.
7. Tap water is extremely safe.
Municipal water goes through a lot of tests before it can pour out of our taps.
The EPA is responsible for ensuring our tap water is safe and contaminant-free thanks to the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Some cities even require that water be tested up to 100 times a month.
Make sure to SHARE this important information with your friends and family!
Source:littlethings.com, mindbodygreen.com
