Is the bottled water you drink unhealthy? Do your water bottles contribute to America's fuel crisis? Or to pollution? Is there a better alternative to bottled water? Read on for the facts.
Water bottles are not recyclable.
False.
According to the Container Recycling Institute, in the United States, one in six bottles end up in landfills or incinerators.
However, most plastic bottles can be recycled.
The problem is that many recycling centers don't accept them.
Since consumers don't have easy access to the right recycling centers, only 4% of plastic bottles are recycled and made into new bottles.
We save energy by recycling water bottles into new bottles.
False.
According to Science Daily, it takes too much energy and money to recycle old bottles into new ones.
Instead, plastic bottles, when they are recycled, are made into non-food items, like toys.
Therefore, the 70 million bottles Americans use every day must be made from virgin materials.
Everything - even plastic - eventually degrades.
True, but..
.
Plastic bottles left in the sun may biodegrade in 50 years time.
But most bottles are in landfills, which means they aren't exposed to much - if any - light.
Some experts say it takes between 450 to 1,000 or more years for these bottles to completely disappear.
Plastic is cheap to make.
False.
The Pacific Research Institute (PRI) says it takes 17 million barrels of oil to make the water bottles for Americans - and that doesn't include the oil used to transport the bottles.
This oil could fuel over a million cars for one year.
At a time when Americans need to rely less on foreign oil, plastic is costly, indeed.
Plastic may cause cancer.
Perhaps.
When heated, chemicals (mostly notably bisphenol A, or BPA) do leach from plastic bottles.
Studies show large doses of these chemicals may lead to cancer.
Recently, the National Toxicology Program, part of the National Institutes of Health, said "there is some concern" about BPA's affect on brain function in babies and children, and in breast and prostate issues for adults.
Drinking from plastic bottles is unhealthy in other ways.
True.
According to Keith Christman, director of packaging at the American Chemistry Council, already-opened plastic water bottles left at room temperature can grow bacteria, just like food left in an open container on the counter.
Tap water is the only alternative to bottled water.
False.
Clean water is now available in a box; it's called IceBox.
What is IceBox water? It's glacier fed water packaged in 100% recyclable cardboard from sustainable forests.
Drinking water in a box is better for the environment.
True.
For every 5,000 five liter boxes of IceBox water consumed, 25,000 plastic bottles are replaced, 1,396 pounds of plastic are removed from the manufacturing process, and 474 gallons of oil are not used.
Too, the box doesn't need any special processing to decompose.
It naturally biodegrades, turning into compost for that enriches the soil.
IceBox water isn't any safer than bottled water.
False.
The spout on IceBox water is made from made from Polyethylene - the same material found in IV bags.
The spouts have a special one-way valve that doesn't allow contamination to enter the box, even after it's been opened.
Know the facts.
Use the facts.
Drink accordingly.