Bottled Water and Energy

Found this article pretty interesting!

Did you know it takes about 3 liters of water to produce 1 liter of bottled water!

Or that it currently takes about 17 million barrels of oil to produce the plastic bottles that water comes in!

Bottled Water and Energy

The growing consumption of bottled water raises questions about the product’s economic and environmental costs. Among the most significant concerns are the resources required to produce the plastic bottles and to deliver filled bottles to consumers, including both energy and water.

The Pacific Institute estimates that in 2006:

* Producing the bottles for American consumption required the equivalent of more than 17 million barrels of oil, not including the energy for transportation
* Bottling water produced more than 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide
* It took 3 liters of water to produce 1 liter of bottled water

Transporting and Recycling Bottled Water

More energy is needed to fill the bottles with water at the factory, move it by truck, train, ship, or air freight to the user, cool it in grocery stores or home refrigerators, and recover, recycle, or throw away the empty bottles. The Pacific Institute estimates that the total amount of energy embedded in our use of bottled water can be as high as the equivalent of filling a plastic bottle one quarter full with oil.

Seems kind of ridiculous to be drinking bottled water now, doesn't it?

Not only is bottled water almost unregulated by the FDA, it's also wasting the precious water on our planet, producing millions of tons of carbon dioxide, and, if it takes 1/4 of the bottle filled with oil to make its trip from being produced to being recycled, seems pretty wasteful there too!

Tap water is tested regularly by Utility Dept.'s where bottled water companies MIGHT get tested once a year (sometimes less than that!

Tap water is actually safer than bottled water (in MOST cases) and sure is a lot more environmentally friendly to produce!

[edit on 5/5/2008 by Keyhole]

This is a most important thread, Keyhole!
Yes, I had known this info, which is why I don't buy the stuff. I did buy a re-usable plastic container for water I get from my own tap, for when I want this convenience.

You know, Americans are confusing "convenience" for "needs". Americans are no longer looked at as Citizens but as Consumers. Well, the party is over, the shopping spree has ended.
Advertising convinced Americans to buy this, buy that, because you need it. We have a great quantity of life, but our quality of life is cause for concern.

We have to start balancing the pros and cons of what we do. Is it worth sending our military to fight in a war for control of energy sources, for oil to make the plastic bottles?

People, adding coloring or minerals or vitamins to tap water is a ploy to sell more. You don't need it, unless you're in a hospital or advised by a doctor! Oh, yeah, the companies would then have doctors telling their patients to buy it. Bah, snake oil salesmen!

Live simply so that others may simply live.