Lukas Schnieders Herman Minor English 11 4/8/14 Bottled water The entity of water purity has come a long way in recent years, but it may not hold strong to what you expect. Let me start with a statistic, in 1981, bottled water consumption was 1.8% of America’s liquid consumption. By the year 1997, that number grew to equal 6.9% that means about 3.9 billion dollars in water bottle sales in the U.S. (Opel). This is a 5.1% increase, meaning the interest in bottled water has rose, and according to modern statistics, that number has grown even more in the last few years as well. In 1997, the sales for bottled water were at 3.9 billion dollars. In 2012, the sales for bottled water were at 11.8 billion dollars (IBWA). There is no doubt that sales and interest of bottled water is on the rise over the years, but what makes it so interesting and captive? The answer is several things; the misconception of 100% purity, marketing, and lack of pure water available. To begin, an estimated 40 percent of the world’s citizens did not have dependable access to potable water supplies in 2008 (Barlow 2007; Shiva). One reason people go to the store to buy cases of bottled water is because of their lack of pure water where they live. Many people in the U.S. live in the country and don’t have pure drinking water. Some people living in the city don’t want to drink the chemicals in city water; therefore they buy bottled water from the store. That brings me to the next reason people consume bottled water, the misconception of total purity. Most bottled waters do not come from surface water sources where types of diseases, such as Cryptosporidium, are found. Some bottled water comes from treated municipal supplies. All IBWA member companies that use munici... ... middle of paper ... ...spect is the fact of the plastic water bottles not being clean. The quality of the water bottles is unheard and just by what certain studies and the fact that the companies themselves wont tell you, According to the FDA, there are no guidelines as to what can be true and what is a lie on water bottle labels. The only regulation is by the EPA, and it is that the recycling label has to be true. As far as the words “natural, pure, filtered, osmosis, and other descriptive words, there is no such regulations. "Packaging really sells the product experience," says Joe Kornick (partner at Chicago design firm Kornick Lindsey). "Nothing is more true in relation to water because of the difficulty in discerning taste. Instead of a ho-hum experience, the package can make it a great experience. It satisfies the rational and emotional needs of consumers." (Packaged Deal).
Together, the passages “Business in a Bottle”, by Cynthia Barnett and “Selling Bottled Water: The Modern Medicine Show”, by Peter Gleick, portray how bottled water has taken a superficial and deceptive image due to false advertising and pseudoscientific claims by greedy bottling companies, whose purpose is to take advantage of a free resource in order to make millions in profit; destroying the environment as they go. Both passages expose the bottling companies’ manipulative tricks, in order to bring awareness and open the populations’ eyes to the lies they have been fed for many years, however the authors utilize distinct styles to achieve their goal. Barnett focuses on specific bottling companies’ data and incorporates analysts for support,
Cynthia Barnett and Peter H. Gleick both address the business behind the bottled water industry. In “Business in a Bottle”, Barnett explains how the bottled water industry started, how the industry is struggling with the law regarding drawing its water from natural resources, and how it uses its marketing to imply the false location on where they got the water (128-138). Barnett then concludes that the bottled water industry helps economy with the job opportunities they provided and that consumers do not really care about the content of their bottled water because all they care about are the “convenience, the packaging, and the price” (141). On the other hand, in “Selling Bottled Water: The Modern Medicine Show”, Gleick
of bottled water cite that it is in fact, less stringently regulated and tested for impurities
Many argue the fact that commercialized labeled brands of bottled water have offered choices to people that tap water does not. Although most people often rely on these particular brands of bottled water, most are unaware that some companies are simply using unfiltered-tap water at a much higher charge. Bottled water is averagely sold either individually or in packs of 24 or more at your local grocery store ranging from three to five dollars. This is a high cost not just to one’s pocket but to our waste and
As the bottled water becomes more popular, people prefer to drink bottle water over tap water. According to them, it has a better quality and taste. Unfortunately, people are being fooled by the water industries. The “purified” water, as its label, comes from municipal reserves. This research will discuss:
Pacific Institute (2008). Bottled Water and Energy: A Fact Sheet. Retrieved July 31, 2008, Web site: http://www.pacinst.org/topics/water_and_sustainability/bottled_water/bottled_water_and_energy.html
Johnson tries to convince that although bottled water is convenient to use and sometimes even becomes a life savior, it should be avoided at any cost and tap water should only be preferred. This claim allows The Shorthorn readers to be sure that the author is taking account of both positives as well as negatives of bottled water but includes comparatively lots of negative factors to persuade readers that bottled water should be avoided. She supports this claim by reasons such as bottled water has a negative impact on human health, plastic has a negative impact on the environment, and the plastic bottle is just a waste of money and energy. She also supports her claim of convenience of bottled water by talking about reusable water bottles ' convenience. These reasons are important to those readers who prefer bottled water and are not aware of its negative
Researchers have stated that plastic bottles containing water can contain many deadly chemicals. After close examination of the plastic, researchers concluded that some plastics contain chemicals, like phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA), endocrine disrupters, and cancer, may percolate into the water, especially after being stagnant for long periods of time. Likewise, bottled water is not exposed to the rigorous testing tap water endures. Thus, bottled water is more inclined to be contaminated or a source of infection. Tap water is subjected to daily safety testing, bottled water, however, is only tested monthly at the source; twenty-two percent of the water tested contained contaminant levels that exceeded strict health limits. Safety of the people could be secured through banning water bottles.
According to the “Competition in the Bottled Water Industry in 2006 Case,” bottled water industry became the one of the world’s most attractive beverage categories, as more and more people began to focus on health and fitness. Consumers start realizing the need of proper hydration, and they began purchasing bottled water instead of drinking tap water, because they were worried about safety of tap water, which tasted like chemicals. Actually, tap water contained chemicals, such as chlorine and fluoride, which are harmful for human body; however, this problem was solved when the bottled water was brought to the market. Due to bottled water’s convenience, purity, and portability, and safety, bottled water industry began to rise rapidly. During
Some people may think that bottled water just goes through filters that get rid of the chemicals that are contained within it, and while they are not wrong they are, however, still uniformed. Bottled water is not only taken from streams and filter but “40% of all bottled water is taken from municipal water sources [a.k.a tap water]” (Bottled Water Pros and Cons. 2014. Para. 9). People drink bottled water so that they do not have to drink tap water when in reality they most likely are drinking some tap water that is mixed into their bottled water. On top of that not only has the bottled water been filtered but it has been found that “22% of tested bottled water brands contained chemical contaminants at levels above strict state health” (Bottled Water Pros and Cons. 2014. Para. 9). In other words, though the water may not have the same weird taste as tap water is does have chemicals in it that are at levels that are not safe to be consuming. When it comes to tap water which contains normal amounts of chemicals, bottled water is not safer to be
From a business point of view, it seems so ignorantly deceptive, yet it is absolutely genius. With a little marketing, bottled water has become a huge success. However, it is killing the environment and the water is usually comparable to tap water regardless. The “The Story of Bottled Water” is a very well-made short film that takes viewers into the dark world of manufactured demand.
You'll find it at home, work, and school. It's in coolers and vending machines and on store shelves. You may have it with you right now. Bottled water is everywhere. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports, "Bottled water is the fastest growing drink choice in the United States." In some ways, this is good news. More people recognize the health benefits of drinking water. They are choosing water over sugary drinks like soda and juice. Unfortunately, bottled water has a dark side. It comes not only with a high environmental cost but also with a hefty price tag. Stop and think: Is the growing trend of drinking bottled water really worth it?
It might be easier to live a healthy life for many people, but for others it can be very challenging. I have tried to be healthy so many times, but I always fell off the wagon. For many days I would “feel” healthy, but in reality I was not the healthiest person mentally or physically. I knew that I had to change my behavior, and become healthier (or at least almost healthy) if I wanted to live a longer life. I began my journey by drinking more water, balancing my eating with exerting, all while trying to stay mentally well.
Water is one of the most essential non-renewable natural resources on the Earth. Technically, an un-hydrated human being can live no more than three days. In the United States, people consume water mainly from tap water and bottle water. However, the consumption between these two sources is not even but lean to one side heavily. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, people consume from 240 to over 10000 times more per gallon for bottled water than they usually do for tap water. (NRDC) In addition, according to a survey from US National Library of Medicines, only 17% of the participants prefer to drink tap water exclusively.(US National Library) Compared to the bottled water which is shining like a superstar, tap water is like a diligent worker in the shade, unpopular but useful. The extremely unbalance of bottled water consumption implies that a commonly hold conception exists: bottle water is superior to tap water. In fact, scientific evidence proves that tap water is nothing different than bottle water. More importantly, the excessive consumption of bottled water is an irrational use of resources and creates severe environmental issues.
Less than 1% of the water supply on earth can be used as drinking water.