There’s a common misconception that bottle water is healthy and with Earth Day behind us, I thought it was time to shine a light on this subject and hopefully inspire you to make a change.  I really hate to be that person that is always the bearer of bad news.  I feel like Debbie Downer all the time!  And if you don’t know who I’m talking about-I’ve added her theme song-LOL!

So this weekend I got a newsletter email from one of my favorite bloggers, Body Unburdened.  She’s full of information that you need to know and this info. she sent compelled me to share with you all.

I know many think that by drinking bottled water, you are protecting yourself from what could be in tap water.  It makes perfect sense.  Not to mention, we’re constantly being told to drink more water.  It stands to reason, bottled water seems like the way to go.  Well, drinking a lot of filtered water IS an important thing you should do for your body.  Drinking it out of plastic water bottles is where it all goes wrong.

There are two HUGE reasons to stop drinking and buying bottled water immediately.  Number one, plastic poison is leaching into the water making it dangerous to drink.  Two, plastic bottles are anything but sustainable.  Not to mention the carbon footprint the trillion dollar industry of bottled water requires each year.

Mind Blowing Facts on Consuming Bottled Water:

• Bottled water is a trillion dollar industry.
• 40% of bottled water is just filtered tap water!
• More than 100 million plastic bottles are used worldwide daily.
• Bottled water is 1900 times the price of tap water.
• Only 20% of plastic bottles are recycled.
• In the U.S. 1500 bottles are consumed every second!
• BPA, a common component in plastic bottles is known to cause the production of “faux estrogen” which is linked to ovarian, prostate and breast cancer.
• Phthalates also in plastic are linked to liver cancer, testicular atrophy, and sterility in males.
• PET bottles contain contaminants of fecal matter, saliva, and food residues in the plastic.
• Studies show that bottled water samples can contain phthalates, mold, microbes, benzene, trihalomethanes, even arsenic.
• Only recently did the FDA start regulating bottled water for E. Coli!

So let’s talk tap water.  Public water is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency, which restricts and monitors public drinking water.  This doesn’t mean it’s totally safe to drink though. Tap water contains bacteria, pharmaceuticals, fluoride, and lead.  This is why it is imperative to filter it.  You would think that bottled water would be more strictly regulated than the public water supply is, but it’s actually the opposite. The FDA regulates bottled water, and their testing process of bottled water is much less strict then the EPA’s testing of local water.

The Bottled Water Impact on Our Environment:

• There’s an area in the Pacific Ocean the size of Texas – known as The Great Pacific Garbage Patch – which is composed of plastic.
• 1,500 plastic bottles end up as waste in landfills or oceans EVERY SECOND.
• Plastic is listed as the number one threat to our marine ecosystem.
• The energy used to manufacture bottled water can power 190,000 homes.
• Plastic bottle production requires 714 million gallons of oil a year.
• Plastic bottles contaminate our soil and water sources.

What Can We Do?

• Drink water out of glass bottles or stainless steel water bottles.  I have THIS glass water bottle.  I actually use THESE daily though. They are super affordable and hold 33 oz.
• Get a water bottle with a built in filter-Find one HERE.
• Filter your tap water.  I love THIS glass filtering water pitcher.
• Avoid plastic.
• If drinking or eating from plastic, never allow to sit in heat and certainly never microwave.  Heat causes plastic to leach.
• Nadia from Body Unburdened suggests the following home filters.  I do not use these so I can’t speak personally about them.

• Berkey countertop filters (this is what she has. It’s also the water filter of choice among doomsday preppers)
• Aquasana reverse osmosis under-sink system
• Aquasana whole house water filtration systems

I hope this post has shed light on the bottled water epidemic.  Luckily with this issue, making a change is simple yet impactful.  Money talks loud and if we all stopped buying bottled water, the industry would wither and we could start seeing positive changes in our planet.  Not to mention our health and our wallets!

To learn more, THIS article is a great read.

xx, Jenni

Shop The Post

Turn on your JavaScript to view content

[optin-form]