What Type of Water Bottles Should We Be Using?: by Kristen Stambaugh

What Type of Water
Bottles Should We Be
Using?
By Kristen Stambaugh
Sample Calculation for

Daily Water Intake
Pounds of body weight
150 lb.
Water requirement based on weight (75% of body

weight for an active person or 50% for a sedentary
person)
112.5 oz.
(for active
person)
Add for dryness of climate (if applicable)
16 oz.
Add for strenuous exercise (if applicable)
16 oz.
Total per day
144.5 oz.
Divide total by the number of hours you're awake to

find your hourly water requirement: 144.5 16 =
9 oz. (per hour

if awake for 16
hours)
http://www.naturodoc.com/library/nutrition/water.
htm
WHAT ABOUT
DISPOSABLE
PLASTIC WATER
BOTTLES?
Plastic Buildup in Pacific

Ocean
Charles Moore, an American
oceanographer who discovered the
Great Pacific Garbage Patch or trash vortex, believes that about
100 million tons of flotsam are circulating in the region.
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/the-worlds-rubbish-dump-a-garbage-tip-that-stretches-from-hawaii-to-japan778016.html
Water, Energy and Oil

Wasted
To create this much bottled water:
100 Gallons
This much extra water is required for production

and purification:
200 Gallons
And this much energy is required for

manufacturing:
64
Megajoules
And this much oil is required to produce the plastic

bottles:
16 Gallons
120 Pounds
And this much CO2e is needed to manufacture

plastic bottles:
http://www.newdream.org/water/calculator.php
JUST TO GET AN AN IDEA OF HOW

MUCH MONEY IS WASTED EACH
YEAR ON DISPOSABLE WATER
BOTTLES
In 2007 we (Americans)
spent $16 billion on bottled
water. Thats more than we
spent on iPods or movie
tickets
http://www.evergreen.edu/sustainability/banthebottle.
htm
Should Bottled water

be subjected to a sin tax?
What is a sin tax?
A state-sponsored tax that is added to
products or services that are seen as vices,
such as alcohol, tobacco and gambling.
These type of taxes are levied by
governments to discourage individuals from
partaking in such activities without making
the use of the products illegal. These taxes
also provide a source of government
revenue.
http://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/sin_tax.asp
Which Type of Plastic is Used

in
Water Bottles?
Plastic #1 is what most water bottles are made of and
this type of plastic is intended to be disposed of
(because reuse can cause bacteria to form).
Plastic #1 is RECYCLABLE (although only about 20% of
disposable water bottles end up recycled)
Plastics #2, 4, and 5 are safe to use but are not very
durable over time.
Plastic #2 is usually recyclable but 4 and 5 are not.
None of these 3 types are dishwasher safe
Some cloudy water bottles are made of plastic #2
Plastics #3, 6, and 7 (polycarbonate specifically) have

been found to leach certain hormone disruptors,
including Bisphenol A (BPA), which cause concern
when released into the human body.
Plastic #7 is what many reusable water bottles were made of
until the BPA scare emerged.
http://www.back2tap.com/resources/get-the-facts
Different Types of Plastics:

Plastic #1 Polyethylene terephthalate
(PET or PETE) is one of the most common types
of plastic and is commonly found in water bottles,
juice bottles, soda bottles, peanut butter jars and
cough syrup bottles.
Different Types of Plastics,

cont.:
Plastic #2 High-density polyethylene

(HDPE) is often used in shampoo bottles,
detergent bottles, some plastic toys and sturdy
shopping bags. Plastic #2 is one of the safer
types of plastics. Most bottles with a Plastic # 2
label are recyclable (allow some cloudy plastics
that are Plastic #2 may not be able to be
recycled).

cont.:
Plastic #3 Polyvinyl chloride, or No. 3 PVC

is typically used for shower curtains, plastic
binder coverings, wrappers on meat and cheese
products, some bottles and plumbing pipes (think
of PVC pipes). Many consider this an especially
bad type of plastic for the environment as it
releases many toxins into the environment in its
production.

cont.:
Plastic #4 Low-density polyethylene, or No. 4

LDPE, is used in commonly used for grocery bags, CD
cases, plastic rings on 6-packs of cans and on some
types of bottles. This is not considered as bad for the
environment as PVC but does release multiple
chemicals into the environment when manufactured.

cont.:
Plastic #5 Polypropylene, or PP, is used in
reusable plastic food containers, some types of

disposable food containers, medicine bottles and
some types of bottles. Many people have
switched to using this type of plastic in packaging
instead of PVC because of toxicity problems.

cont.:
Plastic #6 Polystyrene, also known as
Styrofoam, is used in some types of cups and

take-out food containers and packing material.

cont.:
Plastic #7 This number is used for plastics that
dont fit in another category. These include

polycarbonate bottles, which many worry may
leak hormones into the body when used with hot
beverages (BPA).
WHAT ABOUT
REUSABLE PLASTIC
BOTTLES?
The Truth About Tap Water

City tap water must meet standards for certain
important toxic or cancer-causing chemicals, such as
phthalate (a chemical that can leach from plastic,
including plastic bottles); some in the industry
persuaded FDA to exempt bottled water from the
regulations regarding these chemicals.
City water systems must issue annual "right to know"
reports, telling consumers what is in their water.
Bottlers successfully killed a "right to know"
requirement for bottled water.
http://www.tappening.com/Why_Tap_Water
About 99.9% of all Americans live in

areas where the tap water is safe
and has been treated and is available
for unlimited use, so take advantage
of this free and healthy resource!
According to the New York State

Health Department, not only is
tap water safe to drink but tap
water is actually the best water
available!
7 Ways to beat BPA,

in order of Importance:
1. Ditch the clear plastic baby bottles. All the research that says there
are problems point at the effect of the estrogen-like BPA on
children as being the most significant.
2. Tin cans are often lined in plastic BPA and sit around a long time;
get rid of older tin cans, particularly if they contain tomatoes and
other acidic fruits.
3. Don't use your polycarbonate bottle for hot drinks.
4. Polycarbonate bottles get crazed and cracked as they get older;
that increases surface area. Get rid of old ones.
5. Replace your Polycarbonate bottle with a new BPA free bottle,
particularly if pregnant or pre-pubescent.
6. Replace jugs where water sits around a long time, like Brita
knockoffs. (Brita says they are BPA free)
7. Stop using jugged water cooler water, get a filter and cooler that
uses city water.
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/04/bpa-inwater.php
WHAT ABOUT
METAL WATER
BOTTLES?
Aluminum & Stainless Steel

bottles
Metal water bottles come either constructed from
aluminum or stainless steel or perhaps a
combination of both.
Pros:
Reusable and durable
Keeps water colder
Cons:
If not insulated will retain temperature of beverage on
outside of bottle
Heavier than plastic
Can dent easily
General Differences between Aluminum and Stainless

Steel bottles:
Aluminum:
always use a liner inside the bottle

lined bottles are not recyclable and
could contain BPA
tend to be lighter than stainless steel
Stainless Steel:
doesnt leach so no liner needed

100% recyclable
tend to be less expensive than

aluminum
Which type is best for the

environment?
PLASTIC? uses the least amount of materials to produce but typically
do not last as long
- Disposable plastic bottles not intended for reuse and while they can be
recycled, most bottles are not recycled and when recycled usually turned
into something of lesser use or down-cycled
- Reusable plastic bottles intended for reuse, many types of plastics
used in reusable water bottles are non-recyclable
METAL? more materials to produce but tend to be longer lasting than

reusable plastic bottles
Aluminum bottles intended for long term use, not recyclable because of
the liner
- Stainless steel bottles intended for long term use, recyclable and can
be used to create something of equal economic value (does not need to be
down-cycled)
OVERALL CONCLUSION While plastics require less manufacturing,

reusable bottles are always more friendly to the environment, and
metal water bottles are the most environmentally friendly overall
because they tend to last the longest.
Benefits/Problems of
Different Types of Bottles
http://www.back2tap.com/resources/get-the-facts/reusable-bottlecomparison-table/
ANY reusable bottle, no matter where it comes

from or what it is made of, is better for the
environment than the manufacturing and
shipping of bottled water. Stainless steel bottles
appear to have the lowest long term impact on
the planet as well as being the safest health-wise
and having the best performance features. Best
of all, you can fill your stainless steel water bottle
with tap water, filtered if you want, knowing that
you are consuming the healthiest, most costeffective, and carbon-conscious drink under the
sun.
http://www.back2tap.com/resources/get-the-facts/reusable-bottleoptions/
Additional Useful Resources:
http://www.newdream.org/water/reasons.php
http://blog.sustainablog.org/groundbreaking-bottledwater-tax-raises-dustup-in-chicago/
http://www.back2tap.com/resources/get-thefacts/bottled-water-consumption/
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/04/bpa-inwater.php

What Type of Water Bottles Should We Be Using?: by Kristen Stambaugh

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

What Type of Water Bottles Should We Be Using?: by Kristen Stambaugh

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

What Type of Water Bottles Should We Be Using?: by Kristen Stambaugh

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

What Type of Water

Sample Calculation for

Water requirement based on weight (75% of body

Add for dryness of climate (if applicable)

Add for strenuous exercise (if applicable)

Total per day

Divide total by the number of hours you're awake to

9 oz. (per hour

Plastic Buildup in Pacific

Water, Energy and Oil

This much extra water is required for production

And this much energy is required for

And this much oil is required to produce the plastic

And this much CO2e is needed to manufacture

JUST TO GET AN AN IDEA OF HOW

Should Bottled water

Which Type of Plastic is Used

Plastics #3, 6, and 7 (polycarbonate specifically) have

Different Types of Plastics:

Different Types of Plastics,

Plastic #2 High-density polyethylene

Different Types of Plastics,

Plastic #3 Polyvinyl chloride, or No. 3 PVC

Different Types of Plastics,

Plastic #4 Low-density polyethylene, or No. 4

Different Types of Plastics,

Plastic #5 Polypropylene, or PP, is used in

reusable plastic food containers, some types of

Different Types of Plastics,

Plastic #6 Polystyrene, also known as

Styrofoam, is used in some types of cups and

Different Types of Plastics,

Plastic #7 This number is used for plastics that

dont fit in another category. These include

The Truth About Tap Water

About 99.9% of all Americans live in

According to the New York State

7 Ways to beat BPA,

Aluminum & Stainless Steel

General Differences between Aluminum and Stainless

always use a liner inside the bottle

doesnt leach so no liner needed

tend to be less expensive than

Which type is best for the

METAL? more materials to produce but tend to be longer lasting than

OVERALL CONCLUSION While plastics require less manufacturing,

ANY reusable bottle, no matter where it comes

Additional Useful Resources:

You might also like