Did you know that over 50 billion plastic bottles of water are purchased each year in the United States, greatly contributing to waste? Although some plastic bottles are recycled, the vast majority - specifically around 80% of them - end up in landfills across the country. Considering the fact that plastic bottles can take up to a thousand of years to decompose, these statistics are alarming. How can one simple product have such a significant impact on our environment, polluting our planet?
Did you also know that the average American spends over $100 on bottled water each year? In 2013, a survey conducted by the University of Michigan found that one gallon of bottled water is almost 2,000 times the cost of a gallon of tap water. The study also reported that in 2012, Americans spent over $11.8 billion on 9.7 billion gallons of water. Furthermore, recent trends have shown that bottled water sales grow exponentially every year. Since 1991, bottled water sales have increased by 371%, thereby tripling the amount of bottled water sold in 22 years. Despite knowing the impact these plastic bottles have on the environment as well as the expensive price tag these bottles come with, U.S. consumers continue to purchase bottled water every year.
As the biggest consumer of bottled water on the planet, we as Americans must rethink our habits. To reduce both costs and plastic pollution, more Americans must invest in reusable water bottles and filtration devices for their tap water, if necessary. Ultimately, plastic pollution is a threat to our environment and we should turn away from the consumption of plastic bottled water to prevent more plastic bottles from ending up in our landfills.
For more information on plastic water bottle pollution and the University of Michigan’s study on water consumption habits visit the following two articles:
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