Over
the last 15 years, the bottled-water industry has experienced explosive growth,
which shows no sign of slowing. In fact, bottled water – including everything
from “purified spring water” to flavored water and water enriched with
vitamins, minerals, or electrolytes – is the largest growth area in the
beverage industry, even in cities where tap water is safe and highly regulated.
This has been a disaster for the environment and the world’s poor.
The environmental problems begin early on, with the way the water is sourced. The bulk of bottled water sold worldwide is drawn from the subterranean water reserves of aquifers and springs, many of which feed rivers and lakes. Tapping such reserves can aggravate drought conditions.
The environmental problems begin early on, with the way the water is sourced. The bulk of bottled water sold worldwide is drawn from the subterranean water reserves of aquifers and springs, many of which feed rivers and lakes. Tapping such reserves can aggravate drought conditions.
But
bottling the runoff from glaciers in the Alps, the Andes, the Arctic, the
Cascades, the Himalayas, Patagonia, the Rockies, and elsewhere is not much better,
as it diverts that water from ecosystem services like recharging wetlands and
sustaining biodiversity. This has not stopped big bottlers and other investors
from aggressively seeking to buy glacier-water rights. China’s booming
mineral-water industry, for example, taps into Himalayan glaciers, damaging
Tibet’s ecosystems in the process.
Much
of today’s bottled water, however, is not glacier or natural spring water but
processed water, which is municipal water or, more often, directly extracted
groundwater that has been subjected to reverse osmosis or other purification
treatments. Not surprisingly, bottlers have been embroiled in disputes with
local authorities and citizens’ groups in many places over their role in water
depletion, and even pollution. In drought-seared California, some bottlers have
faced protests and probes; one company was even banned from tapping spring
water.
Worse,
processing, bottling, and shipping the water is highly resource-intensive. It
takes 1.6 liters of water, on average, to package one liter of bottled water,
making the industry a major water consumer and wastewater generator. And
processing and transport add a significant carbon footprint.
The
problems do not stop when the water reaches the consumer. The industry depends
mainly on single-serve bottles made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the
raw materials for which are derived from crude oil and natural gas. In the
1990s, it was PET that turned water into a portable, lightweight convenience
product.
But
PET does not decompose; and, while it can be recycled, it usually is not. As a
result, bottled water is now the single biggest source of plastic waste, with
tens of billions of bottles ending up as garbage every year. In the United
States, where the volume of bottled water sold last year increased by 7% from
2013, 80% of all plastic water bottles become litter, choking landfills.
One just does not understand why bottled water has become such a fashionable thing. What emerged as a necessity (in say railway stations etc) has become a luxury. Most restaurants push the bottled water by saying “do you want tap water or bottled water?” Hearing tap water most choose to opt for bottled water which is sold at much higher rates than MRP. And then some fancier ones may give you choices in bottled water like Evian and so on.
Then you have shopping malls kind of places where simple water stations are not kept/maintained but bottled water machines are present. The whole idea is to push the bottle and let environmental damages be damned.
The government in India which has banned plastic bags should do something on plastic bottles as well. Now, one knows that there are too many bans in this country and we don’t want one more. But then there seems to be no other way. The market way could be to increase price of bottled water sharply. But there are certain places like railways etc where bottled water cannot be avoided. Having multiple prices for a product like water s not going to be easy to manage.
Places like Malls/ Cinemas etc where bottled water can be avoided should be encouraged to do so.
They should be asked to keep and maintain water dispensers. Like people have started carrying their own bags as shops started charging for bags, we need people to start carrying their water bottles wherever they can. The overall circulation of plastic bottles has to come down.
These are the sorts of issues which no one really cares about as they do not
impact you immediately. They impact with a long grind but finally when the
moment comes there are no solutions really..
From: Mostly Economics Blog
From: Mostly Economics Blog
3 comments:
The drinking water tap which was the free, source of H2O to satisfy our thirst after a long afternoon It seems quaint now. Instead, bottled water is everywhere, in offices, airplanes, stores, homes and restaurants across the country. We consumed over eight billion gallons of this so called pure Himalayan packaged drinking water in 2006, a 10 percent increase from 2005. It’s refreshing convenient to carry around and tastier than some tap water.but is it really safer than tap water—and is this convenience worth the environmental impact that the bottled water industry is conflicting.
What ever may be on the cover a bisleri kinley or an aquafina it led to believe that the liquid it the bottle is the purest drink around. “But no one should think that bottled water is better regulated, better protected or safer than tap,” says Eric Goldstein, co-director of the urban program at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), a nonprofit organization devoted to protecting health and the environment.
Most people are surprised to learn that they’re drinking glorified tap water, have you ever seen bottlers ptinting the list of the sources they draw water on the label.
Now as per new regulations that i read somewhere the bottling companies will be required to prunt there sources of water Aquafina will begin stating on labels that its H2O comes from public water sources.
Labels can be misleading at best, deceptive at worst.
My advice "think twice before you buy the next packege drinking water" after all those 20rs can be spent on other things as well
'BOOND BOOND MAI PAISA' the soaring market for Bottled water across the globe depicts the same. Today water is much more than quenching your thirst. The packaged bottled water industry in India is currently valued at INR 60 bn in 2013 and has been growing at ~15% for the last three years.My Grandfather used to tell me how a kg of Butter would cost just rs 10 at their time which now stands 20 times more and water at their time was free of cost and today it costs rs 20 , the same 20 times more in comparison to butter but it has created a lot of problems than it has served.
May it be Usain Bolt's press conference or Modi's meeting you will see bottled water everywhere. It has become a common trend today , a luxury. But we are ignoring the fact that it is harmful. People usually think it is the purest form of water available , ADs show that water pours directly from the heaven's brink and people believe so.Cost of Bottled water has increased manifolds, in Norway 1.5 ltrs costs rs 210 more than the cost of butter in our country.
According to a report, Tap water is better than bottled water.Drinking tap water boosts immunity and it costs 10000 times less than bottled water (U.S.).3 ltrs of water is required to make a ltr of bottled water. One of the leading brands have admitted that their Bottled water was drawn from tap water and public sources, thus making a mockery of the public by making them pay for water that they had access for free.
we should give it a thought that we are going on purifying water to make it Bottled but there will surely come a time when water will reach a level from where it can't be further purified.Every water bottle has 'CRUSH THE BOTTLE AFTER USE' written over it but how many of us do so.Another important question is - How do we dispose them? You can easily spot scores of bottles on roadside, in rivers, at public places and where not.The manufacturers think solely about their profits, they thus avoid greater good.They should go for sustainable development , find technologies to treat waste water and to dispose the plastic.
Sir
If we talk about side effect of plastic bottles in which water is sold then great side effect is caused to environment because plastic bottles are non biodegradable any people are not aware of the fact that they are use and throw bottles they used it for a long time so it is harmful to the buyers also. If a bottle cost 20 say for ex then price of the bottle is also included in it and it is used for deceiving buyers so again loss to consumers.
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