Think Outside the Bottle

AUGUST 2011 ARTICLE

Is bottled water safer? In a nutshell, NO. The quality of tap water is regularly inspected by the EPA. Bottled water is infrequently inspected by the FDA and then only if it comes from out of state. 25% of bottled water is just tap water anyway.

PROBLEM

  • 1.5 million tons of plastic water bottles are disposed of every year.
  • 80% of plastic bottles never make it to a recycler.
  • Energy used in bottling could fuel a million cars per year.
  • Around 72 billion gallons of water are used annually in the manufacture of the bottles and caps.
  • Bottled water costs 1000 to 2000 times the cost of tapwater.

SOLUTION

  • Drink tap water. Quality is regularly inspected by the EPA.
  • Buy a reusable bottle…and use it.
  • If taste is an issue, inexpensive carbon filters will turn most tap water sparkling fresh at a fraction of bottled water’s cost.

Panorama Green Team, reprinted from the Panorama News, August 2011.

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Lacey, Washington