Are There Any Health Benefits To Drinking Bottled Water?
Over the last ten years, bottled water sales have been steadily growing at an average rate of 7 – 8% each year. The amount of bottled water consumed globally has doubled in the period from 1997 to 2005.
Around 200 billion bottles of water are consumed every year. The biggest market by far is the USA, which makes up about 25% of worldwide sales.
Recently, there has been quite a backlash against bottled water. The main are of concern is the environmental impact of the bottles themselves. These are manufactured from Polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Although this is a material which can be recycled, the actual number of bottles which are recycled is estimated to be less than a quarter of the total.
The energy required for production, transportation and disposal of the bottles is also a source for concern among environmentalists. When compared with tap water, bottled water generates carbon emissions which are 5,000 times greater per litre.
There is no evidence, despite some very clever marketing by bottled water suppliers, that bottled water is any better for your health than common or garden tap water. Some bottled waters have been found to contain estrogenic chemicals and uranium! The majority of bottled mineral waters also contain salt, which can be bad for your blood pressure.
Likewise, when it comes to the taste of the water, there is little evidence to support the notion that bottled water is better than tap water. In the USA, a 2007 episode of Penn and Teller clearly demonstrated that restaurant diners couldn’t differentiate between water drawn from a hose at the back of the restaurant and bottled water. Over in the UK, London tap water (hardly famed for its flavor) came third in a blind taste test of 24 different varieties of water – some of which were expensive bottled brands.
In terms of cost to the consumer the exact ratio will vary according to the brand of water under consideration, but generally speaking bottled water costs several hundred times more per litre than tap water.
So, in terms of environmental impact, health, taste and cost, bottled water really doesn’t have a lot going for it. If you really dislike the taste of your tap water then you could always try some type of home filtration system. The cost will be greater than for tap water, but very much less than bottled water. If you go for a solution such as the Brita water filter jug then you will know that it’s better for the environment as all parts of the filters are recyclable.
A home filtration system is a good solution for when you’re at home of course – but if you want to carry water to drink with you when you’re out and about, then you could use, and reuse, a bottle which you fill at home, or the office, before you set off. You could use something like the Wottle, which claims to be the world’s first designer reusable bottle and is manufactured from recycled material. Or just do some recycling of your own and use an old soda bottle.
Save money by using Brita filter jug – and check out Orla Kiely’s Wottle – it looks great and is better for the environment.