Nia Price Walden University April 18, 2009

Purpose The purpose of this presentation is to make consumers of bottle water more aware of the consequences of continued consumption of plastic bottled water. And it aims to change their perspective and encourage them to move towards drinking more tap water and push their local governments to improve local water supply and/or encourage more environmentally safe or biodegradable plastics.

Key Learning Goals To Understand: Current state of bottle water consumption Environmental effects of bottle water consumption Misconceptions fueling the high demand for bottled water Possible alternative ways to facilitate consumers desire for safe drinking water and simultaneously protect the health of the environment

Introduction Bottle water is the world’s fastest-growing beverage (USA Today, Aug. 2007). Most consumers buy it for taste, convenience, emergency or necessity. But most importantly, many consumers buy it for safety and potential or perceived health benefits (Hession, 2006). Many consumers fail to properly dispose of or recycle plastic bottles, which creates waste that causes unhealthy effects on the environment (Hession, 2006).

Plastic Bottles in Landfills

Plastic bottles in Landfills Approx. 1.5 million tons of plastic are used in the bottled water industry every year ( Hession, 2006). 8 out of 10 water bottles end up in over-burdened landfills (Knopper, 2008). It is estimated that it takes 1,000 years for some plastic bottles to break down (Knopper, 2008).

Environmental Cost of Producing and Recycling Plastic bottles Millions of tons of oil-derived plastics are used to produce water bottles (USA Today, Aug. 2007). The transportation cost to produce, distribute, and reconvert recycled bottles back to being shelf ready, puts and enormous cost on the environment (CSI, 2009). These factors cause questions as to whether our recycling process is as environmentally efficient as intended.

Individual Health Effects  Clear bottles made of poly-carbonate plastic and can leach bis- phenol-A (BPA). This is an endocrine-disrupting chemical that acts like estrogen. Research studies have shown links between BPA and…  Infertility  Low sperm count  Breast and Prostate Cancer (Knopper, 2008)

Bottled vs. Tap Tap water has been proven to be just as safe as bottled water. U.S. regulations for bottled water are practically the same as tap water, but has weaker restrictions for microbial contaminants. (Knopper, 2008)

Alternative solutions…  Home water filter systems: Brita water filters and pitchers Faucet filters Under the sink filters  Reusable bottles or canteens

Your Local Water Supply Become educated about your local water supply. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires frequent water quality reports, which are easy to find. Become active in pushing for improvement by contacting your elected officials. (Knopper, 2008)

Conclusion Thus far, bottled water has made most consumers feel safer and has been a convenience. However, as noted earlier it is not safer than tap water and poses a large threat to our environment and can also have an impact on health on an individual level. So instead of giving into convenience, and the false beliefs about bottled waters superior purity, I hope that consumers will have more compassion for our environment and our future generations, by making a conscious effort to minimize unnecessary waste and choose tap instead of bottled water.

References Manajan, R., Walia, T.P., Lark, B., et. al. (April 2006). Analysis of physical and chemical parameters of bottled drinking water. International Journal of Environmental Health Research, 16(12): Knopper, M. (May/June 2008). Bottled water backlash. The Environmental Magazine., 19(3): p Hession, A. (Nov. 27, 2006).The bottled water industry and its effects on the environment. Retrieved on April 17, 2009 from, environment.html. environment.html USA Today (August 2007). Bottled water pricey in more ways than one., p.6. Colorado Springs Independent(April 16-22, 2009). One love: Single string recycling has motivated a new wave of recyclers, but one question: where does it all go? P.15.