Wednesday, 11 August 2010

Why on earth and for the sake of the earth, do we need to use bottled water?

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  1. While part of me agrees that we shouldn't need bottled water, I prefer the taste as tap water often tastes of chlorine.

    Like all choices we make when considering the planet, some are better than others. I buy mineral water in glass bottles and I only buy British mineral water, so the carbon footprint isn't too bad. As for drinking filtered water, that is not healthy as it removes all the trace minerals from the tap water. Besides, as far as I know carbon filters usually go with a plastic jug to store the water in and the ones I've seen seem to have a lot of plastic packaging. Then there is the energy used in their manufacture and subsequent CO2 emissions plus everything involved in their transportation to consider . . . so I'm not sure of the overall benefit.

    Besides, we buy beer, wine and cider in bottles, so why not a healthy drink like water, if it means we will drink more of it and do ourselves good?

  2. Water sold in glass bottles are obviously a better deal Karin. But then, how can we justify the energy costs of producing such water? Even if the water is source from this country with less carbon footprint involved, you still need to input all of the energy and transport costs, as well as the emission caused in its production!

    I've always happily drank tap water. And hardly ever drink alcohol either. :)

  3. Well John, unlike you I dislike the taste of tap water; I even dislike the taste of some bottled water, there was one in France I used to find too sweet, and in those days the French only drank bottled water themselves.

    I don't drink a litre a day, more like a couple of litres a week, as I'm happy to use tap water to dilute juice and only use tap water to fill the kettle, but if I'm thirsty and want a glass of water, then I go for bottled water.

    The water in my tap has also been processed of course, and it needs pumping to get it into my tap I suppose, living near the top of a hill as I do. I expect the energy involved in getting the bottled water to me is greater, but the chemical content is less. I have thought about it a lot, but like fresh citrus fruit from Africa in Winter, I think I can justify it because of the benefit to my health.