Back to the Tap By Nicole Cotroneo Presented
Back to the Tap? By Nicole Cotroneo Presented by Mrs. Ockey and Mr. Hector
Summary: u Americans drinking more bottled water - but at what cost? u Plastic bottles: huge production costs & environmental impact
u Bottled water - essential in most developing countries u However in U. S. : most often unnecessary luxury the planet can not afford
Summary: u U. S. - $11. 8 Billion sales u World -$60 Billion u U. S. - 50 billion bottles (est. ) u World - 200 billion u 9 billion gallons of bottled water
Summary: u Eight 8 oz. glasses of tap water daily = $1. 46/year v Bottled water: $1, 400. 00/year!
The Science: Hard To Believe u Blind taste tests: people can’t tell the difference u Test of 10 brands: average 8 pollutants (chemicals/bacteria) (more than tap water)
Solutions u Many high schools, colleges, and cities - making changes to reduce bottled water consumption
Our Reactions: u Astonished: the cost u Surprised: how much we buy and bottled water is not necessarily purer or healthier
Reactions u Angry: wasteful and harmful to the environment u Angry: companies have convinced us we ‘need’ it
How Can This Be Happening? u “About 38 billion (plastic bottles) per year wind up in landfills, where they can remain intact for up to 1, 000 years. ” “Eighty 86% of the plastic water bottles used in the U. S. become garbage or litter…”
Connections u Magazines (Reader’s Digest, Newsweek, Time) -replacing tap water – advertising genius! u Student report from Health class – carbon footprint u ‘ 60 Minutes’ TV segment – consumer opinions
Updates u Recent article in Reader’s Digest: “…more than 25% (up to 40%) of the water in bottled water comes from a municipal supply. The water is treated, purified and sold to us, often at a thousand fold increase in price. ”
Updates v Aquafina & Nestle will include this information on labeling v Labels continue to be deceptive
Questions?
If you MUST use bottled water, recycle!!!
- Slides: 16