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Bottled Water and the Environment
For food to be beneficial and balanced, water is needed in cooking, and drinking as part of the diet. However, due to the need of having mobile food, water has been bottled for to allow production, transportation and easy use (Gleick, 2010). However, the bottling and canning processes of producing food such as bottled water is what makes the food product unsafe for the environment. These processes are the ones that influence the opinion of the environmentalists against the food product. This paper will explore the harm and benefits of such foods by examining bottled water as the specific food product of the study.
The historical usage of bottled water dates back in the early civilizations as kingdoms and nations tried to carry water for use in transit (Goldschein, 2011). Most of these usages were for travelling and people going to war and involved carrying fresh water that was not harmful to the environment. The cases of bottled water that led to environmental degradation concern were recorded in the Boston. Since then, the world’s use of bottled water has increased by an estimated 10% globally (Goldschein, 2011). This rate translates to environmental degradation with the same margin due to the negative effects the bottled water attracts.
One of the most harmful effects of bottled water is the bottle that the water is stored in. In most cases, the bottle is plastic and therefore it is not biodegradable. Due to poor waste disposal practices and behavior by users of bottled water, these bottles end up in the environment causing pollution (Gleick, 2010). They are thrown away and are scattered everywhere when they are used. When they are thrown, mostly they are swept away by rain water and end up in the oceans and water masses where they mess up with the marine life. In addition, they may be buried in the soil and thereby affect the soil composition.
Moreover, when thrown into the environment, they destroy the beauty of the environmental vicinity, especially in public places like parks. At a health perspective, bottled water also contains preservatives that are not necessary in the body. Despite not having any proven health harms, these additives are not the best food products to put in the body when there is an alternative of drinking tap water (Food and Water Watch, n.d). Moreover, the economic effect of the bottled water is highly significant due to the sums of money spent in the industry. In most cases, bottled water is commercially produced, which impacts on the expenses level of people compared with tapped water. If tapped water is available, the consumption of bottled water should therefore be discouraged.
The production of bottled water as a refreshing drink and as a food is sustainable in the short term and long term. However, it is a costly expense that takes millions of the world expenditure in direct and indirect terms (Food and Water Watch, n.d). In addition, bottling of water involves costs of fuel for processing the water into the bottles and transporting the same to consumers in different parts of the world. In most cases, this is the fuel used is a fossil fuel that contributes to increased production of environmentally unfriendly emissions. These gases contribute to the total global warming problem that leads to the increased environmental challenges. In conclusion, continued use of bottled water may be sustainable but gradually harmful. Therefore, the world should be encouraged to use tap water for general use and as food.
References
Food and Water Watch, Bottled Water Costs Consumers and the Environment. Retrieved From, <http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/water/bottled/bottled-water-bad-for-people-and-the-environment> June 22, 2014
Gleick, P. (2010). Bottled and Sold: The Story Behind Our Obsession with Bottled Water. Washington DC: Shearwater Books.
Goldschein, E. (2011). 15 Outrageous Facts About The Bottled Water Industry. Retrieved From, <http://www.businessinsider.com/facts-bottled-water-industry-2011-10?op=1> June 22, 2014