Yep, it looks that way. Based on our recent poll, most Go Green readers either avoid bottled water when possible, or purposely drink only from the tap. Either way, it says a lot about where we are as a community, and how education can impact trends. A few years ago, I (and possibly you) would never have considered the environmental impact of a bottle of Aquafina. Now, I’ve been exposed to enough evidence of bottled water’s negative impact that I try to avoid it like the plague.

Here are some motivating facts about bottled water:

• It’s expensive – In 2005, Americans spent $9.8 billion on bottled water. That’s 3.8 billion more than the entire NASA budget.
• It’s not more healthy – Studies have shown that the quality of bottled water is about the same as tap, just without out the fluoride. In fact, our local water in Mount Pleasant has been run through a reverse osmosis filter.
• It’s trashy – 80% of plastic water bottles end up in the landfill. Sustainabilty will play a crucial factor in our ability to survive on this planet, and that starts with each of us keeping things out of the garbage.
• It’s corporate – Read the book Thirst, and you’ll realize that the privatization of our water supply could spell doom. Drinking bottled water just helps the case of the corporations, and gives them an opening into our local water system.

We made it from the dawn of time until the mid-1980s without bottled water, and I think we can make it in the future without it as well. If you want to do some more research, check out this fact sheet from the Sierra Club.

Oh, my bottled water-free Fall is going well. I’ll post on December 21st (the first day of Winter) with the results.

 Loading ...