Are you like me and the rest of humanity who depend on water to survive? Of course, drinking water is an important issue. But it might not be something we give much thought to. For instance, why do so many people choose bottled water over tap water? Is it really better? And why do we spend so much money on bottled water anyway? Is it really worth it? I wasn’t sure, so I decided to do some research. And the results may cause you to consider switching back to tap water.
1. It’s the peak of capitalism.
Charles Fishman said in his book, “The Big Thirst,” that bottled water is proof that capitalism has reached its peak. When you think about it, it makes sense. Water is basically free, but companies put it in plastic bottles and then sell it back to us for huge profits. So why not turn on the tap and drink water that costs next to nothing instead?
2. At first, people didn’t understand why anyone would buy bottled water.
Kim Jeffrey introduced Perrier in the US and says in the book “Drinking Water: A History” that people didn’t understand the point of bottled water in the beginning. “People didn’t know whether to put it in their lawn mower or drink it.”
But when Perrier started marketing their water as a symbol of status, sales went through the roof. Understandably, this has been called the public relations coup of the century—putting a free product in a new package and selling it for a premium price.
3. The freshest water comes from the tap.
A few years ago, a review that a bottle of water contained more bacteria than tap water. And the fact that bottled water is shipped to stores also means it’s old.
4. Bottled water comes with a warning.
The UK’s Nation Health Service recommends against using bottled water in baby formula because it isn’t considered sterile and contains too much sodium. And the bottles themselves can be problematic. The National Resources Defense Council says that #3 and #6 plastic bottles should be avoided. Thus, something we all need in order to live suddenly becomes useless when it comes in a bottle.
5. Its environmental impact is much worse than tap water.
Bottled water emits more than 1,000 times more CO2 emissions than tap water when you factor in the production of bottles, transport, and recycling.
6. It’s 300 to 1,000 times more expensive than tap water.
America has access to high-quality water that only costs $0.004 cents per gallon. But we pay 300 times more for bottled water. In other countries, such as Sweden, bottled water costs 1,000 times more than tap water.
Personally, I didn’t realize there was such a huge difference between tap water and bottled water. But after studying up on it, I’ll definitely ask myself if I really need water the next time I’m about to buy it.
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