What do you do with your empty water bottle?

Question

I know a lot of people prefer bottled water over tap water. My question is what effect do all those plastic bottles have on our environment?

Isn't it counterproductive to claim bottled water is cleaner and better for you when the smog from the bottling company is harmful to us and the plastic from the empty bottles usually don't get recycled?

I just can't figure out why people prefer bottled water. It's not even purified usually.

Answer 1

I'm with you 100%!!!  I drives me crazy when I see people stocking up on these.  It is so easy to get filtered water via a tap or refrigerator.  People should be filling up reusable bottles.  I recently bought stainless steal bottles from Klean Kanteen.  These can get washed in the dishwasher, and there's never a plastic taste or odor.

Answer 2

Not only water bottle, all the packaging is a burden for the environment. In the third world countries we find these everywhere spread. Very sad but what is the solution? I don't use any packaged items and add to the menace.

Answer 3

I oftentimes refill them with tap water and chill in the fridge,  same goes with pop bottles.  In the summer their great for freezing and putting in the cooler.  Just be sure not to fill all the way to the top,  so there is room for expansion!

Answer 4

I like what this blogger found: http://tusb.stanford.edu/2007/10/the_war...

Problem #1: it takes 3-5 times more water to create the plastic water bottle than will actually fit in the bottle. Considering each bottle should only be used once (to prevent the leeching of phthalates)- that is a lot of water that is wasted for each bottle we drink.

Problem #2: Plastic is made from petroleum, so we are depleting our non-renewable resources for a bottle that will be used once. The Pacific Institute calculates that the process of making the plastic bottles consumed in the U.S. uses approximately 17 million barrels of oil per year.

Problem #3: Plastic bottles aren’t recycled: only about 12% of plastic bottles were recycled in 2003. Recycling these bottles would ensure less petroleum was used in the production of more plastic bottles. Instead, these bottles pile up in the landfill, taking as long as 1000 years to decompose.

Problem #4: It may be just tap water. Bottled water seems to be more pure and safer because it comes out of a bottle that you had to buy. However, 25% of bottled water is just reprocessed tap water, meaning you’re not getting anything special. In fact, you could save yourself a lot of money (and the planet a lot of pollution) by buying a water filter.

Answer 5

recycle bin

Answer 6

Chuck 'em out the window!

Answer 7

hmm....empty water bottles can be reused in many ways like  e.g a flowerpot:cut off the bottle to half,there u go,a flowerpot.

a stationary holder,and lots more too.

recycle,reuse,reduce :)

Go green :)

Answer 8

Recycle, or reuse!  Do not freeze the soft plastic bottle!

Answer 9

I don't do bottled water. Yes I do have one like at outdoor events and fairs, sometimes, but I don't swear by them as I feel they are a waste and not good for you. It's sad when water cost some idiots willing to pay it, more than a gallon of gas. My mom uses bottled water and they end up in the trash killing our environment a second time. The first time was when the plastic bottle was made.

Answer 10

The best thing is to re-fill it from the water tap in your house.

Answer 11

Shocking! I really do not understand why people in the UK (where the water is quite potable) feel they have to buy bottled water, it's  a CRAZY cost and horrible for the environment. I have put them in peoples toillet cisterns to use less water,  when I was in Antigua, I got the Hotel Management to put them in all their cisterns in the public and private rooms too, it must have saved them millions of liters of precious water.

Answer 12

You are so right, most bottled water is filled out of a tap anyway. I just wash the bottle out, fill it back up and pop it in the freezer and use the next day.

Answer 13

I either recycle it or make it into some craft

I often wonder if the water sold is actually what it says it is...

Answer 14

Recycle Recycle Recycle

Answer 15

If you've followed recent media articles and news stories, you know that some bottled water IS just municipal tap water.  And some municipal tap water is better tasting than some/most bottled water.  Huge mountains of plastic water bottles pile up in dumps because only a small portion of these bottles are recycled.  The Today Show had a segment on water bottles and the cost per bottle to produce was around a gallon or so of oil if I recall.  Why people can't take a reuseable bottle, fill it with water, and keep using it is beyond me.  But these are the same people who throw their trash on your front lawn and along the highways, so what are you going to do?  It's all about convenience.  There is an unfortunate national lack of feeling responsible for one's actions upon others and upon the planet.

Answer 16

Put it in the recycling bin.

Answer 17

SERIOUSLY > > did that dude just say he chucks them out the window????? What is he doing on this site?

Anyway, I am constantly reusing and recycling plastic drinking bottles.  Filling them up and putting them in the fridge makes is easier to bear those hot summer days.

PLEASE RECYCLE!!

Answer 18

I drink all water, water is water to me. I do have bottled water at work and i recycle the bottle when im done. I am from a state that has recycling bins at everyones homes so it is very easy for me to just take it home and throw it in the bin. I agree tho, this water bottle epidemic is stupid!

Answer 19

I recommend to either reuse your water bottle as much/long as possible. At home you can have a water filtering system as simple as a pitchure that fits easily in the fridge. The filter in it is changed periodically.

I notice you must be from an area that isn't into recycling bins as yet. If you must purchase bottled water (big farce btw), I suppose one could save them till a way to get them to recycling. I could see myself doing this. How to save them, first I'd smash them as flat as possible, then use a bag or whatever seems to work best for you.

Overall, the best bet is filtering your own and re-using a plastic bottle or purchase a good water container that will last a long time, the best idea.

As far as bottled water goes..., someone is making big bucks on this idea. I've also read where companies such as Coca Cola has been looking in to buying water rights. This is not good in that eventually we may be forced to buy water at whatever price a vendor wants to set.

Answer 20

If u wud not complete ur h.w so wat wud u do? that time u wud think mayb teacher will scold me so i should complete my h.w

and u complete it . the same way if i wud feel thirsty or if i am not feeling thirsty then also i wud fill it ....! i will fill it for furthur use too......! i'm giving u this answer cuz wenever i am in school i wud always do this....!

Answer 21

Brita for me......bottled water is such a scam.

Answer 22

Tap water is just fine.. people whine about paying 3 bucks a gallon for gasoline .. but will pay 1.89 for 16 ounces of bottled water ... go figure.. but if i did happen to buy a bottled water, I usually fill it with tap water .. freeze it , then put in ice cooler when fishing to keep my food cold in cooler.

Answer 23

Don't buy it.

Use an alternative container.

Re-use or recycle the bottle.

Answer 24

Empty water bottles? I just wash them out, fill them up with tap water and bung em in the fridge to take with me the next time I go out somewhere.

I don't know why so many people are fans of bottled water. I personally think it tastes foul. (Tap water in Australia might be scarce... but if it's from the north, it's the best :D )

Answer 25

bottled water is purified actually.  some companies though just get their water from tap and THEN purify it and sell it to the public for like one dollar each bottle when u can do it yourself with water purifiers and get more water for a fraction of the price.  

companies over the decades had succeded in making us think that bottled water is more cleaner and "purer" than tap water.  you remember all those endless bombardments of advertisements during those times?  it worked so well that they would make billions and rarely spend money on tv ads.

i guess it would take the same amount of time to convince people that bottled water isnt as the bottled water industry

took to convince us otherwise.

Answer 26

Plastic, as it decomposes over a long period of time, leeches chemicals into the ground soil and water table - chemicals such as dioxin.  

Bottled water is not cleaner - most of it is spring water that is unfiltered - if you tested it, you might find that your tap water (especially if you live in a large city) is cleaner than bottled.  NYC and detroit, for instance, have the best city water in the country.  

You are right to mention the process to manufacture the plastic bottles - please remember plastic is a petroleum based product which is harmful to the environment - and at $90/barrel - will make bottling water more expensive.  

Only 25% of the bottles created to bottle water are ever recycled, we can go a long way toward keeping these toxic items out of the waste stream -

1.  don't use them at all

2.  Use a Sigg type aluminum bottle that's washable and infinate reusable and can be recycled when it's done

3.  Make sure that all your plastic (that meets the requirements) get's recycled and not thrown in the trash.

I'm with you - bottled water is bad.......

Answer 27

I always use them and then refill them and then use them agen. And when they get to squashed up and crinkled i recycle them. Or i give them 2 my school for the tower project. They're making a big model of a tower with water bottles and milk bottles! =)

Answer 28

It usually is purified, but you're right.  By the time that bottle gets to you, it's already done as much damage as a gallon of gas in your car.  tsk tsk tsk

Answer 29

I guess most people buy bottled water because they THINK it is safer and cleaner to drink. I used to buy bottled water previously. And the bottles get thrown away right after i finished the drink. But ever since i turned environmentally-friendly, i've stopped buying those plastic bottles. I bring my own water bottle to class and try not to waste plastic bags, like when i buy food stuff, i'd just carry them in my own bag.

Often, we do not realise that we are destroying the earth. I guess the day when everyone realises it, it'd be way too late...

Answer 30

I like bottled water cuz it's convenient. I can walk around with it in my bag. I reuse my water bottles until I get sick of them, get to many of them or lose them. Then I throw them away and buy new ones.

Answer 31

I occasionally buy bottled water for my children when we're out somewhere we can't trust the tap water, and i refill them when they're empty to take water for when we're out and i've had the foresight to do this.

You can also use them in home ed science projects and as mini-cloches.