Do you know plastic water bottles have a terrible impact on the environment ?
Yes, but to what extent will you tell me?
Is it really that bad to buy bottled water at the supermarket?
Well, we're just going to see what that actually means.
Imagine that Spanish scientists have calculated the precise consequences on the environment.
And the results are edifying.
Bottled water has an ecological impact 3500 times greater than tap water. Explanations:
The study was conducted by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health.
This is the first time that we examine the consequences of bottled water on the environment.
The study takes place in a city, Barcelona, where the consumption of bottled water remains high.
And this, even if the city authorities have made efforts to improve the quality of tap water.
So what exactly is it?
The study showed the following:
If everyone in the city drank bottled water, it would require 3500 times more resources than if everyone drank tap water.
What does this actually mean?
This simply means that we would consume 3500 times more natural resources to drink bottled water compared to tap water.
Undoubtedly, the impact of drinking water in plastic bottles is much more negative than that of tap water.
But wait, that's not all!
Researchers have also found that the impact of bottled water on the planet is 1400 times worse than tap water.
So the consumption of bottled water requires much more natural resources and pollutes much more than tap water.
The conclusion ? For the research team, that means one thing.
The very (very) low risks associated with the consumption of tap water do not justify the consumption of bottled water in view of the ecological disaster that this represents.
It is true that because of water treatment, we can find low levels of trihalomethanes in the water (THM).
But within the European Union, the presence of these compounds is monitored very closely.
According to Cristina Villanueva, the study's lead author, "health arguments do not justify the widespread use of bottled water.
When you compare the 2 alternatives, what you gain by drinking bottled water is minimal.
On the other hand, it is obvious that the environmental impacts of bottled water are higher than those of tap water."
And let me remind you of one thing:in France, tap water is of excellent quality .
By the way, if you want to check the water quality near you, use this free interactive map from Que Choisir.
It allows you to know the quality of tap water in your municipality.
Still not convinced of the need to drink tap water?
Know that in the United States, it takes 17 million barrels of oil per year to produce plastic water bottles.
Impressive, isn't it? And it doesn't stop there!
In the UK, bottled water is 500 times more expensive than tap water.
Buying bottled water because you don't like the taste of tap water?
You are not alone in this case!
Many people don't like the taste of chlorine...
Fortunately, there are tricks to make tap water taste good.
To eliminate the chlorine taste, just fill a glass carafe with tap water and put it in the fridge.
In 10 minutes, the taste of chlorine is gone!
This solution is great, because it does not cost a penny and it is very effective.
Another quick and easy solution is to put a few slices of cucumber or lemon in the carafe.
Not only is the taste of chlorine gone, but cucumber water is packed full of health benefits...
...just like lemon water.
Last tip to eliminate the taste of chlorine, install a water filter on your tap.
It is true that it is the most expensive solution. But don't worry, you get very good filtering.
I've been using this one for 2 years in my kitchen, and I'm very satisfied with it.
In addition, this type of filter not only removes the taste of chlorine, but also pesticide and lead residues.
People trust bottled water because the ads have done a "good job" of convincing them.
Now let's try to do the reverse!
Because if we make a match between bottled water and tap water to know which one we should drink...
The result of the match is final.
The big winner is tap water. You be the judge:
You should know that tap water is much cheaper than plastic bottled water.
And by far more!
In France, a liter of tap water costs around €0.004/l compared to €0.26/l for bottled water.
Tap water is therefore 65 times cheaper than bottled water.
If you want to save money, tap water is ideal.
The other good news is that the tap water is of excellent quality.
It is even very often better for your health than mineral waters.
Why ? Because some mineral waters contain too many minerals and fluoride.
So it is better to drink tap water every day and sometimes mineral water than the other way around.
The icing on the cake, tap water is much less polluting .
Its impact on the environment is much lower than that of water sold in plastic bottles.
In fact, bottled water generates 360 times more greenhouse gases than tap water.
Not to mention the fact that bottles generate 150,000 tons more plastic waste per year.
Moreover, all drinks, including Coca-Cola, sold in plastic bottles are a major source of pollution.
I advise you to invest in a good water bottle and keep it as long as possible!
This is the simplest and most effective way to reduce your plastic consumption .
In addition, it's very practical to carry water everywhere (to work, sports, on a picnic...) and it's much more economical.
If you too are convinced that we all need to reduce our consumption of bottled water, share this article with your friends.
And you, do you usually drink tap water or bottled water ? Tell us why in the comments. We can't wait to read you!
