I dump discarded bottled water. Am I making a difference?

Question

I dump the water to replenish the water table and encourage others to do the same. Does it make a difference? I figure all that water, bottled up in the trash for a hundred years, is eventually going to make a dent in our fresh water supply.

Answer 1

I don't think it makes a difference.

Answer 2

You go, boy!

Answer 3

if it makes you feel better go right ahead, but your not making any difference in anyway,shape, or form.

Answer 4

Hmm, that's interesting.

I'd probably say yes, you are making a difference.

Answer 5

No. If you want to make a real difference, stop buying bottled water. It's just that simple. It's just a huge drain on resources, both on a global scale, and on a personal finances scale.

Answer 6

Trash is compressed before it ends up in a landfill, which would cause those bottles to burst and release their contents anyway.  Though as a general rule breaking down any hollow container before discarding is a good idea, because at the very least it lets you use less trash bags to store the same amount of garbage.

Answer 7

this is the most intriguing nonsense I have heard lately.

Answer 8

i would say yes you are making a difference. i do not waste water. if i need hot water i let it run into a bucket until it is hot and use the water for my plants or the dog. good job! keep it up! if we all do it it will definately make a difference!

Answer 9

As long as you are recycling the bottles I do not see a problem.

Answer 10

It must be a LOT of water that you are finding in those bottles, cuz it takes hundreds of gallons on a continuous flow basis to make it's way into the water table.  Small amounts aren't going to do very much, but, if it makes YOU feel better, then by all means, you should continue to do this!  Most dump sites have people that sort & recycle the trash before it is buried or burned.  Most garbage trucks compress the trash & those bottles will burst under the pressure & the liquids will just run off onto the roadways & evaporate into the atmosphere!

Answer 11

im confused so u open bottles of water and tehn dump the water out?? isn't that just wasting water?

Answer 12

YES!!! DONT STOP!!! I WANT MY KIDS TO HAVE WATER!!!

Answer 13

No, you have to recycle them.

Answer 14

Skip all these other answers.  You wouldn't be doing this if you didn't think you were making a difference.  You wouldn't be encouraging others if you didn't think it would make a difference.  It's that belief in saving the planet that you share with others that will make the greatest difference.  Putting the water on plants helps the plants clean our air, tap water, well you know it's as bad for plants as it is for people!  The cold water from my shower before the hot, into a 5 gallon bucket, and to the Azaleas!  Your doing good!

Answer 15

good line of questioning. gets people thinking. yes that water would just sit in the land fill and when it came out would be so polluted it wouldnt be potable another thing would be to take the cap off so it would smash flatter and not take up so much room better yet cut the top off and grow a plant

Answer 16

Probably not but I urge you to continue to do that because you will find that ppl see what you are doing and start to do the same start a an environmentalist group and then you might see that you are making a difference

Answer 17

NO!  Don't dump out the water.  The sea level is rising due to global warming and you're contributing to the rising sea level.  If you want to help, fill it up with sea water to offset the melting polar ice.  The people of Tuvalu will thank you.

Answer 18

no

Answer 19

You could make an even bigger difference by choosing to use a personal, easy to clean, reusable water container instead of drinking bottled water!

Answer 20

i doubt it makes any difference.

Answer 21

It can't hurt.  I pour out my unused bottled water on my plants too.

Answer 22

anything you do that makes a difference,no matter how small it is, is still the right thing to do. if we all did that little bit it would make a huge difference. the reason the earth is so messed up now is because everyone saysit doesnt matter and doesnt do anything