Know the Facts

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WHAT CAN WE DO

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How can we reduce the overuse of plastic water bottles and help our environment

• Use a reusable water bottle that can be filled with tap water and refilled when needed
• Drink tap water when you can instead of using a plastic water bottle
• Begin advertising the effects of the overuse of plastic water bottles so people can make informed decisions when they want to buy one
• Encourage water bottle companies to change their plastic and find a product that is better for the environment
• Stop buying plastic water bottles
• Use water fountains and refillable water bottle stations to fill washable drink containers
• Understand the product you are buying before thinking that bottled water is better than tap water
• Keep a filtered water in your fridge and never drink bottled water at home
• Take a refillable bottle with you when you are out and keep hydrated the healthy way
• Ban the use of single use plastic water bottles at sporting events or in schools
• Write letters to water bottle companies encouraging them to change the way they package, produce and transport their water bottles
• Develop better recycling programs so fewer plastic water bottles end up in landfills, oceans, lakes and rivers

Bottled Water and the Economy

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The Bottled water industry has a huge impact on the economic systems of Canada. It is a profitable business, but also puts a large strain on our ecosystem and waste management systems. Many people depend on the bottled water industry for employment and this has a direct impact on the economy of Canada. If you consider the money generated from the sale, manufacturing and transporting of bottled water it adds greatly to the economy. Bottled water uses fossil fuels in the making and delivery of the plastic bottles across the country. Not only does the bottled water industry create jobs from selling, but also in recycling programs across Canada. Finding recycling facilities that can manage the volume of plastic bottles also creates more jobs in waste management. It continues to be a big business and accounts for 10.6% of all non-alcoholic drinks sold in Canada (Statistics Canada – The Bottled Water Industry 2).

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How Bottled Water Affects Canada's Human Systems

   

   In most cases bottled water is not any safer than tap water. People believe that they are making a healthier choice when in most cases bottled water can be linked to many negative affects to both the environment and health concerns. The plastic used for bottled water "is 
primarily made from PET plastics which are made from hydrocarbon extract made from crude oil" (Bottled Water and Conservation 1). With little regulation in the bottled water industry toxins can go undetected. The bottled water industry makes billions of dollars and is not heavily regulated. It is estimated that 50% of bottled water is actually tap water. (Bottled Water and Conservation 1). It is expensive costing people hundreds to thousands of dollars each year. Over one billion people in the world have no access to clean drinking water and are surrounded by dirty and diseased water. "If one sixth of the 100 billion spent on bottled water world wide was used to help these nations the number of people with no access to clean water could be cut in half" (Goldschein 2). While companies are making huge profits communities are at risk and facing depleted water resources. People need to understand what they are drinking and decide if the cons outnumber the pros when it comes to opening a bottle of water in Canada. Canada's tap water is often a safer and more environmentally friendly choice. 

Bottled Water and Canada’s Physical Systems

   

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Everyone drinks bottled water from time to time. Before drinking your next bottle it is important to consider how each bottle impacts the environment. "Consumers need to understand that although it takes only 1.3 litres of the fresh water supply to fill a one litre of bottled water, it is the additional three litres of water that are used to manufacture and package the water that is of concern to the world’s water supply" (Chellaney 2). Most people do not stop to think that it actually takes more water to make one plastic water bottle than the water inside the bottle. Canada’s energy resources are also impacted by the bottled water industry with 24 million gallons of oil needed to produce billion plastic bottles. When you also factor in the energy and costs of producing, processing and transporting this water, it is causing great environmental damage and "uses over 47 million gallons of oil per year" (Baskind, 2). Water sources are being depleted at a very fast rate. The bottled water industry uses "oil based transportation to transport raw materials and finished products, which contribute to global warming and the production of green house gases" (From Cradle to Grave: The Environmental Footprint of Bottled Water 1). The amount of plastic waste and packaging produced from bottled water remains a crisis as landfills continue to pile up. "Toronto consumes over 100 million plastic bottles each year and 35% are not recycled and another estimated 10% that ends up in one of the oceans" (Trillana 1).  Canadians have better recycling programs than other countries, however consumers have to understand how this garbage impacts the environment for it to become more efficient.

History of the Problem

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   "Drinking bottled water has been around since the early 1700’s, however did not gain popularity until the 1960’s when high-density polyethylene was introduced and plastic become the preferred choice for bottling water" (Tyson 1). This began the bottled water battle between large soft drink companies, as drinking water became a cheap and healthy alternative to soft drinks. The bottled water industry boom began in the early 1980s and has had large growth ever since. Companies advertised bottled water as cleaner, safer and more purified than tap water and water was transported from glaciers and natural springs. "In Canada 8% of bottled water comes from municipal water supplies, while Coca-Cola and Pepsi, two of the biggest manufacturers of bottled water and are essentially supplying treated tap water" (Stastna 3).  Advertising was successful and consumers continue to believe that drinking water is a healthier choice. 

A Local, National, and International Problem

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   The bottled water industry is a global issue affecting local, national and international communities. Bottled water is available in all countries, however successful recycling is limited and landfills are filling worldwide. There is little evidence that bottled water is any cleaner or better for you than tap water. In fact many companies that advertise clean, fresh water are nothing more than local water and are not free of contaminants at all. "Bottled water companies are draining glacier water and natural water reserves and this impacts ecosystems worldwide" (Chellaney 2). Bottled water is winning over tap water and pollution worldwide is a global problem. "Water is being called the "Blue Gold" of the 21st century and fresh water is becoming the most precious natural resource" (Baskind 3). We are lucky that Canada is a country so rich in clean, natural water sources.  "China drank eight billion litres of water in 2000, and just under 21 billion litres in 2009" (Goldschein 13). Countries that lack clean drinking water also use bottled water as a safe alternative and bottled water companies have been making huge profits in these areas. In Canada we have access to drinking water where many places in the world do not. It is estimated that "globally, we consume about 190 billion litres a year, and this number continues to grow" (Suzuki 1). These facts alone show that if we do not make changes, we are heading for a global disaster.

Basic Facts of this Environmental Issue

       

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“The bottled water industry is worth more than 170 billion with Canadians purchasing over 3.4 billion litres of bottled water each year” (Stastna). As consumers have become more health conscious, water has replaced pop and other sugary drinks and become the drink of choice. Although bottled water companies have tried to cut down on the amount of plastic they use, the industry “is still responsible for one fifth of one percent of landfill waste.” (Stastna). Each year the bottled water industry "produces up to 1.5 million tons of plastic waste" (Baskind). People do not stop to think about their waste and unfortunately do not consider the impact of each bottle of water.  "Over 80% of plastic water bottles are thrown away and never end up in recycling facilities” (Baskind). Many bottles that end up in landfills take hundreds of years to decompose, while other bottles and other compound waste never decompose as once buried in a landfill they do not have the proper amount of oxygen, heat and light to break down.