There are many impacts of bottled water. One of the biggest disadvantages is that the entire life cycle of bottled water uses fossil fuels, which contribute to global warming and pollution and also most plastic water bottles become either garbage or litter. Even with these large disadvantages of bottled water, most people still continue using it mainly because they are unaware of the harmful effects.
The use of bottled water has risen continuously throughout the world, many people concentrated on the environment, economy and other social implications related to the use of groundwater and energy consumption. Some people have completely used bottled water to replace tap water mainly because of the taste and health risks. The users have also stated that bottled water is for convenience and tastes better than tap water. Manufacturers have also promoted bottled water as the purest form of water accessible and a replacement for other drinks rich in sugar.
No clear evidence till now shows that bottled water is a healthy and pure alternative to tap water. The cost of bottled water is much larger than tap water, affecting the consumer and the environment. The bottled water is manufactured from spring water and other sources. In these processes, aquifer flow is disrupted. At the same time, the consequences are noted in flora and fauna. The depletion of groundwater resources may be unavoidable. The aggregate energy required in the production of bottled water is complicated because of several factors involved, including location, means of transportation, consumer location, type of water resources, etc.
Managing plastic bottles is difficult. Consequently, they may be part of the landfill waste materials while other plastic bottles have found their way into large water bodies and create large litter streams. These plastic bottles are responsible for environmental degradation in the sea and deaths of marine life.
The logical option is to avoid bottled water and use the alternative tap water. Tap water meets the global standards which confirms safety of consumers and it is also more affordable and a sustainable alternative.
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