by 11 people |
Should Bottled Water Be Banned? Here's What I Think
Bottled Water: Should It Be Banned?
I have mixed views on this subject.
As a bleeding heart liberal I don't believe in the banning of anything. I believe that through education you can persuade most people to do the right thing.
However, I also believe that most people don't give a damn about the earth or what type of a legacy we will be leaving for future generations.
So I've got mixed feelings and I want to know how you feel about this major issue.
You should know that our family no longer purchases bottled water (except when there are no other choices or when it makes sense) and have taken other steps to reduce, reuse and recycle when ever possible.
Contents at a Glance
- So How Do You Feel About This Issue?
- Artist Chris Jordan's Visual Depiction of Why the 3 R's Are Important
- A Few Facts About Plastic Water Bottles
So How Do You Feel About This Issue?
You don't need to be a Squidoo member to take part in this discussion. So fire away!
Should Single Use Plastic Water Bottles Be Banned?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byYes
Lisa says:
I think bottled water should be banned in countries were you can drink the tapwater without problems. It´s so unnecessary to go to buy water when you got a great quality of fresh water at home in your tap. Your wallet will be happy at one fell swoop you have chose to make the earth to a more green place.
Posted August 03, 2009
ilyXXXX says:
wat do u think
Posted August 03, 2009
Harry says:
Yes. why not just take water from the tap and put it in a bottle or from a gallon of water and into a bottle. Think about it though. One gallon of water is less plastic to (possibly) polute than "how ever many" bottles of plastic water bottles.
Posted June 15, 2009
poddys says:
I think so, it's not very eco-friendly, and half the time you don't know what you are drinking anyhow. I re-use my drinking water bottles many many times. I refill from the tap and keep them in the fridge, so I always have cold water. I drink a lot, so I keep at least 2 1 litre bottles plus several smaller ones to put in a cooler in there.
Posted May 23, 2009
jeremiah says:
YES, they should be banned. Take this example.
"Nestle Pure Life water has 79 parts per million of sulfites in each bottle. USDA and CFIA allow 10 parts per million, they do not state this in their ingredients column but in the analysis of water you will see S04.
Normal people dont know what S04 is, and its sulphites!!!!
Also they claim their water comes from springs! Ha ha, they have permits for 2 wells they have dug for the purpose of water bottling.
thanks,"
Posted May 21, 2009
poonam says:
yes, it should be banned. it has sulfites galore and they sometimes dont even mention it.
Nestle Pure Life has 79 parts per million when only 10ppm is allowable by usda and cfia.
And they dont mention this in their ingredients list.
As Joshi said, and he meant to click "yes" bottled water should be banned.
it creates such waste in our already congested lands and is cruel to do this to Mother Earth.
Posted April 27, 2009
amanda says:
banning bottled water is a good idea. shipping and producing these bottles casues pollution and is ruining ur ozone layer. some people choose not to recycle the bottles and is producing more garbage when they can be recycled. Also there is a chemical called BPA in the plastic.If the bottle is heated by the sun the chemicals can seep into the water.
Posted January 18, 2009
Lucas says:
That bottled water should be band and for those town that dont have clean tap water should get hocked up to it.It will save us so much room in are land fills.
Posted January 17, 2009
aj2008 says:
YES, YES, YES. But I would go a lot further and ban all plastic containers. Turtles and many other sea creatures and wildlife that are harmed by all this rubbish being dumped in the sea and on land will thank us for it.
Posted August 26, 2008
TeaLady says:
I'm leaning toward the "banning plastic bottles of all kinds" side. I cover this subject in my "Drinking Water" Lens. More and more evidence points to the health hazards of using plastics for food and drinks. And then there's the environment!
Here's one quote from my lens:
"Bottled water is a great convenience, especially since water is a healthier option than soda or lattes. But the bottling process uses enormous amounts of water and oil to produce the actual bottles and there is a tremendous carbon impact caused by shipping water around the world. Plus, we pay far more for bottled water." ~~Sundance Channel
Posted June 02, 2008
RinchenChodron says:
Thank you for this lens. Once we become conscious perhaps we can change things. Remember when MacDs used to use styrofoam take out containers for their burgers? Now you never see one.
Posted May 29, 2008
Jason G says:
They pollute way to much, and we get water out of our tap...
Posted May 28, 2008
mulberry says:
Don't believe that it should be banned, but certainly people have better options and should be educated regarding this.
Posted May 26, 2008
No
paperfacets says:
I would say No on a ban, but maybe it should be put in cans that can be recognized as recyclable..
Posted December 05, 2009
Mell says:
Water bottles should NOT be banned
Posted November 17, 2009
North says:
Water should not be banned
Posted November 17, 2009
Shelby says:
Bottle water should not be banned. if we keep using the same bottles or recyling we shouldnt have to care about the water. bottle water shouldnt be banned you and everyone should just cut back on water. save the water and dont waste the water.
Posted November 17, 2009
=] says:
i dont think it should be banned, it is handy to have around eg: in the car , rainforests,beach...
Posted July 28, 2009
Twilight is dumb! says:
i dont think the plastic bottles should be banned because people might get dieses from it and they can DIE if they use tap water, because lots of people use them!!!
hehehe
Posted July 28, 2009
CarlyQ says:
I can't figure out why bottled WATER is being banned everywhere and not POP.
First, pop is simply WATER with flavouring and carbonation added. There is NO difference. So, if both products have exactly the same water, why is there no pressure to ban pop, too? And do any of these water bottle opponents know just what pop companies like Pepsi and Coca-Cola DO to regional water resources and land (usually third world where they have no rights) when they extract it for pop? Now THAT warrants banning!! (for more information read: http://environment.about.com/od/waterpollution/a/groundwater_ind.htm)
Secondly, most people who buy water in bottles recycle their bottles over and over again before recycling whereas people who buy pop don't. This practice obviously already reduces resources.
Third, I haven't found any solid data that people who buy water in bottles just throw out the bottles as opposed to recycling them. In fact, most of the water drinkers I know (myself included) are MORE environmentally conscious than our pop counterparts. So why is "landfill reduction" one of the excuses being used to ban water when the opposite - that pop drinkers create far more landfill waste - may actually be true?
Lastly, as for the "purity" of the water being on par to tap water - well that really depends where you live. In my community, we have to boil our water 365 days a year because of inadequate treatment!
I strongly suspect some sort of hidden agenda to this whole thing but I haven't quite figured out to what end. Either that or this is the latest "green fad" that people are jumping on.
Posted July 23, 2009
CokePlaysSax says:
Interesting topic. Bottled water should not be banned, because in area of low quality water the bottled water is cleaner and can save lives
Posted June 14, 2009
Warf says:
Plastic bottles should not be banned because there is no alternative material to get the purified water out there in large quantities. The amount of oil/energy used to produce plastic bottles of purified water is negligible compared to the total energy used in the economy, so using that as an excuse is ridiculous. Ditto for the amount of CO2 released and besides CO2 is not poisonous - it is what all plants on the earth need to breathe in order to grow. There is absolutely no scientific proof that CO2 is causing global warming either, the measurments and charts showing CO2 in the atmosphere do not have enough resolution over the previous thousands of years to be able to determine whether the current amounts are excessive. Global warming, for many reasons, is just hype being used to justify the taxing of everything in life as a "carbon tax". Bottled water is the only easy way to avoid contaminated public water. Public water is typically loaded with contaminates and poisonous substances that can cause slow deteriation of health over ones life time.
Posted June 02, 2009
squidbyte says:
I heard that Ban the Bottle groups are funded by pop makers!!!! You ever notice that these groups only talk about WATER bottles? ROFLMAO.
Posted May 26, 2009
joshi says:
Nestle Pure Life water has 79 parts per million of sulfites in each bottle. USDA and CFIA allow 10 parts per million, they do not state this in their ingredients column but in the analysis of water you will see S04.
Normal people dont know what S04 is, and its sulphites!!!!
Also they claim their water comes from springs! Ha ha, they have permits for 2 wells they have dug for the purpose of water bottling.
thanks,
Posted April 27, 2009
ste says:
well baning bottle water is really stupid in some cutries tap water is bad for the organism.
also it is a baaad idea cause people dont only buy bottle water indoors but also because it is accesible all times everywhere. bottled wter sellls triple when the weather is hot people buy them when they are out. baning them means people wont drink water. wtf dude?do you thing people wont stil cary water around? they will. or they will just buy something else the production of bottles will never be banned cause its a retarted idea.
plus the energy wasted due to water bottled water is nothing in comparison to every singe other plastic use. maybe we should just keep plastic away from really stupid places like wraping everything. dude cigarets already have a paper wrap they dont need a plastic one too,
Posted April 22, 2009
Michael_Toth says:
It definitely should not be banned. Okay, it's harmful for the environment. So are millions of other things and none of them is banned. Banning a consumer good would be a ridiculous use of power and totally inappropriate. Maybe measures should be taken to convince the public that bottled water is bad, but banning it outright is uncalled for an totally ridiculous.
Posted March 11, 2009
randomodnar says:
banning it is too far still because so many people rely on water bottles for a quick grab-and-go drink.
Posted November 01, 2008
nai098 says:
if people learned more about recycling and use water bottles less (not totally), it would make a difference itself.
Posted November 01, 2008
DaveJales says:
There is no way it should be banned - what about those of us that have fluoridated tap water? The propaganda we have been fed about fluoride being "good for our teeth" is unbelievable.. The Nazi's used it in the concentration camps to dull the minds of the prisoners to make them more compliant.
Posted July 09, 2008
spirituality says:
Banning would go too far for me. But it should become normal for people to refill the bottles with filtered or tap water (depending on the local water quality).
Posted June 17, 2008
danielle says:
Each bottle of water that is thrown away with the cap in place (you know who you are!) - traps the water left, removing that precious resource from circulation. It is personal responsibility.
I purchased a bottle of Voss water 3 months ago and have been reusing the empty since. I fill it up, put it in the fridge - and carry it with me.
Posted May 31, 2008
Artist Chris Jordan's Visual Depiction of Why the 3 R's Are Important
We all hear that we should Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. We then are given a bunch of facts that we can't quite wrap our minds around.Artist Chris Jordan has beautifully translated the numbing numbers into works of art.
I also like the fact that he is not creating this art to fill his bank account. The art pieces are not for sale but as a reminder to us to do our part.
"This project visually examines these vast and bizarre measures of our society, in large intricately detailed prints assembled from thousands of smaller photographs. Employing themes such as the near versus the far, and the one versus the many, I hope to raise some questions about the role of the individual in a society that is increasingly enormous, incomprehensible, and overwhelming."
~chris jordan, Seattle, 2007
Chris Jordan's Artwork
A Few Facts About Plastic Water Bottles
~ The Pacific Institute estimates that producing the bottles for American consumption in 2006 required the equivalent of more than 17 million barrels of oil.~ The manufacture of every ton of PET produces around 3 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2). Bottling water thus created more than 2.5 million tons of CO2 in 2006.
~ 250g of CO2 are released for each bottle of FIJI Water imported to the United States. This includes 93g for manufacturing a bottle in China, 4g for transporting an empty bottle to Fiji, and 153g for shipping a full bottle to the United States.
~ It also takes water to make a bottle. If a container holds 1 litre it requires 3 to 5 litres of water in its manufacturing process (the higher estimate includes power plant cooling water). By one estimate the total amount of water used to produce and deliver one bottle of imported water is even 6.74 l.
~ Though the materials used for water bottles are generally recyclable, around 80% of bottled water bottles sold in the U.S. end up in landfills; only 20% are recycled. Worldwide, recycling rates are even lower: up to 90% of bottles are not recycled.
~ Many bottled water companies also add sulfites to their water in order to enhance the flavor, claiming that the water tastes fresher. This can be a problem for anybody who has a Sulfite Allergy. Whether or not you know if you have a sulfite allergy, allergic reactions you have might be caused by the bottled water you drink.
Read More at Wikipedia
My Favorite Sites For Information About Water Quality and Single Use Bottled Water
Environmental Protection Agency - Local Drinking Water Information
Get information from the EPA on the facts about yo more...0 points
EPA Ground Water & Drinking Water
Drinking water standards and explanations and also more...0 points
Bottled Water - Corporate Water Privatization - Sierra Club
See startling facts and figures of what bottled wa more...0 points
Sierra Club Free PDF Report
Quick and short report with facts about water qual more...0 points
I Don't Believe That Plastic Water Bottles Should Be Banned
Here is a link to prove why
Ok, it's time for you to add some links to show why single use plastic water bottles should not be banned.
http://www.bottledwater.org/
Information from the International Bottled Water A more...0 points
Videos To Help Prove The Point That Single Use Water Bottles Should be Banned
The Truth About Bottled Water
Notebook: Bottled Water
Water: $16 Billion Waste of Money
Bottled water is bad for the environment.
Bottled Water: Killing The Planet
Can't Live Without Toting Around Water?
Instead of single use plastic bottled water, why not save the earth and money by using eco-friendly, family-friendly, kid-friendly, reusable water bottles?Sigg Water Bottles It's our family's choice!
If you don't like your tap water, purchase a water filter or dispenser, such as Brita or Pur. The cost is much lower than bottled water.
Tap water costs approximately .0015 per gallon
Home filtered water .13 per gallon
Bottled water $1.27 per gallon
This cost comparison was made before the price of gas had spiked. Your savings of filtered water over bottled water increases with each gas price hike as the cost to ship the bottled water to the store increases.
News Articles Discussing Single Use Plastic Water Bottles
- Cherry proposes fee on water bottles to fund Michigan Promise scholarship
- John Cherry is calling for Michigan water bottling companies to pay a 10-cent per-bottle charge that would provide funding to restore the Michigan Promise ...
- Naturally Iowa, Inc. Puts Wheels Under Its Green Bottle Spring Water
- By starting the deliveries of the Green Bottle Spring Water to the United States Capitol complex in Washington DC over one year ago to a number of other ...
- My View: A Christmas gift for Earth and ourselves: An expanded Bottle Bill
- Plastic water bottles also rarely meet the Bottle Bill's criteria. So the most popular new brands on the market, which also take up more than half the space ...
- Gifts under $25: Accessories
- Keep hydrated and help the environment by using the OM SIGG Reusable Water Bottle in Stainless Steel ($25) from Lululemon Athletica. ...
Harmful Chemicals?
Do single use plastic water bottles actually leach harmful chemicals into our water?The better questions is: Are you willing to take the chance?
by The_Health_Lady
