Green Blog

Over the last ten years, bottled water sales have been steadily growing at an average rate of 7 - 8% each year. The amount of bottled water consumed globally has doubled in the period from 1997 to 2005.

Around 200 billion bottles of water are consumed every year. The biggest market by far is the USA, which makes up about 25% of worldwide sales.

Recently, there has been quite a backlash against bottled water. The main are of concern is the environmental impact of the bottles themselves. These are manufactured from Polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Although this is a material which can be recycled, the actual number of bottles which are recycled is estimated to be less than a quarter of the total.

The energy needed for the manufacture, shipping and eventual disposal of the plastic bottles is also a source for concern from an environmental perspective. In comparison with ordinary tap water, the carbon emissions generated by bottled water are greater by a factor of 5,000 times per litre.

In spite of the marketing of bottled water as healthy, there is no evidence to support the assertion that bottled water is, in developed countries, any better for your health than ordinary tap water. In fact, some bottled waters have been found to contain uranium and estrogenic chemicals. Most bottled waters contain sodium - which is not good for your blood pressure.

Likewise, when it comes to the taste of the water, there is little evidence to support the notion that bottled water is better than tap water. In the USA, a 2007 episode of Penn and Teller clearly demonstrated that restaurant diners couldn’t differentiate between water drawn from a hose at the back of the restaurant and bottled water. Over in the UK, London tap water (hardly famed for its flavor) came third in a blind taste test of 24 different varieties of water - some of which were expensive bottled brands.

The variation in cost between bottled and tap water will vary from brand to brand. However, as a rule, bottled water will cost several hundred times more per litre than ordinary tap water.

So, in terms of environmental impact, health, taste and cost, bottled water really doesn’t have a lot going for it. If you really dislike the taste of your tap water then you could always try some type of home filtration system. The cost will be greater than for tap water, but very much less than bottled water. If you go for a solution such as the Brita water filter jug then you will know that it’s better for the environment as all parts of the filters are recyclable.

When you’re at home, a home filtration system is ideal - but if you want to have something portable to drink when you’re out and about why not use a bottle which you can fill and refill before you leave. Irish designer Orla Kiely partnered with Brita to produce the “Wottle” - the world’s first designer reusable bottle, manufactured from 100% recycled materials. On the other hand, why not save even more money and do a bit of your own recycling by using and old Seven Up or Pepsi bottle?

Save money with a Brita filter jug - and check out Orla Kiely’s Wottle - it looks fantastic and is better for the environment.