Persuasive Essay On Bottled Water

634 Words2 Pages

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? According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which oversees the bottled-water industry, Americans drink more than eight billiongallons of bottled water each year. Most of that water is packaged in plastic bottles.The EPA estimates that plastics such as those used to make water bottles make up nearly 13 percent of our trash. An industry watchdog group reports that it takes nearly eighteen million barrels of oil to make the amount of plastic needed to meet Americans'thirst for bottled water. That's about the same amount of oil that a million vehicles use in one year. Oil is a nonrenewable resource—once it's gone, it's gone. Worse yet, the vehicles used to move bottled water from place to place release harmful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Perhaps more alarming is that people recycle fewer than 20 percent of their empty bottles. Most emptybottles are tossed in the trash. From there, they end up in a landfill, where they cause further environmental damage. As if its environmental costs weren't enough, bottled water also hurts your wallet. Tap water is readily available from... ... middle of paper ... ...fference? Both tap water and bottled water may contain salts and minerals found naturally in the earth. It's possible that people may taste these materials in their water. The taste of tap water that many people dislike, however, is the chemical chlorine. Water systems use chlorine to make sure tap water is safe to drink. Fortunately, you can purchase inexpensive water filtration systems that can easily remove chlorine from tap water and improve the taste. These filters are a better alternative to purchasing expensive bottled water. Bottled water is a healthy alternative to other beverages. It's easy and convenient to grab a bottle and go, and more people than ever are taking advantage of its benefits. However, the cost of the bottled-water trend to both our environment and our wallets is just too high to ignore. The best—and most responsible—choice is tap water.

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