Facts about bottled water that not everyone knows

There are things that bottled water manufacturers never want consumers to know about.

Where does the water in the bottle come from?

According to Brightside , many companies prefer to print pictures on their packaging, implying that the water you buy comes from a beautiful, picturesque stream or waterfall. But the truth is that many times the bottled water you buy is actually just tap water added to plastic bottles, identical to the water you get from your home faucet. The only difference is the marketing campaign worth millions of dollars behind it.

In fact, some water bottles also have a small caption on their bodies, stating that water is taken from a hose or regular water supply channels. Because companies are supposed to explain where their water comes from. That way, the cost of creating the water you are drinking, is a lot less than what you are paying for it.

One report also found that nearly half of the bottled water actually originated from the tap, but could be further processed or tested for safety. In the past, some products such as Dasani of Coca-Cola, Aquafina of PepsiCo and Pure Life of Nestle were forced to change the labels in the US to accurately reflect this information.

In US-based Natural Resources Protection Council trials, about one-third of bottled water samples showed they still had some contamination, such as benzene, mold, kerosene, tetrahydrofuran, antiseptic, styrene, choline, algae and glass beads. This means that bottled water is not pure or much safer than tap water. Many types of bottled water have been recalled, although marketing campaigns have always tried to make them appear natural, clean and pure.

More water is needed to create a plastic bottle that holds more water than it can hold

Ironically, more water is needed to produce a plastic bottle than what it will contain. Specifically, about 1.39 liters of water are needed to produce a plastic bottle that can hold 1 liter of water, according to a report from the EPA ( US Environmental Protection Agency). Of course, producing a soda bottle requires less water, but is still a lot on a large scale.

And another secret is that most plastic bottles are not made from recycled plastic. Although it is stated on the bottle by the manufacturer, saying that it is recyclable, most of the world's leading beverage companies do not use recycled plastic to make new bottles. In fact, only 6.6% of these brands' packaging is made from recycled materials and the rest are pure plastic.

Also, a lot of water is wasted in the automatic bottling process. When water is filtered by bottling companies, the amount of waste is about 9 times more than what is put in the bottle.

The construction of plastic water bottles also generates millions of tons of CO2, which contributes significantly to climate change. Not to mention most bottled water is transported by truck, rail or boat, equivalent to the lot of fossil fuels burned to move them.

The taste of bottled water is almost indistinguishable

Some say they can distinguish the taste of bottled water from tap water, or between different types of bottled water. But this is really hard.

As a result of many scientific experiments, most people cannot tell the difference between them. One of the latest research conducted by students at Boston University shows that one-third of the taste test participants cannot determine exactly which is bottled water or which is tap water.

Do not reuse plastic bottles

According to Brightside, some types of plastic bottles that contain water can release dangerous chemicals because, like other plastic sources, the materials that make them are byproducts of crude oil. So pay attention to the special signs at the bottom of the bottle. These are numbered triangles, which show which plastic was used.

A bottle labeled 1 (PET or PETE) uses plastic that is safe for one use only. When exposed to oxygen or high temperatures, including heat from the sun, this type of plastic bottle releases toxic substances into the water. Users should also avoid bottles labeled 3 or 7 (PVC and PC) because they also release harmful chemicals that can get into food and drinks. Even long-term exposure to this type of plastic bottle can lead to serious health problems.

Plastic bottles with the number 1,3,6,7 at the bottom should not be reused.

Bottles made of polyethylene (No. 2 and 4) and polypropylene (No. 5 and PP) are suitable for many uses. They are relatively safe if you only store cold water and regularly disinfect.

Bacteria and how to drink water properly

According to scientists, drinking water from a used plastic bottle is almost the same as licking a toilet bowl, a dog's toy, or even worse. Because the amount of bacteria in such bottles often exceeds the safety limit. We often create the perfect conditions for bacteria and microorganisms by opening the bottle cap with dirty hands, not washing enough clean and keeping warm water in it.

So what to do after drinking water? Wash bottles regularly with warm soapy water, vinegar or antibacterial mouthwash.

Drink water from a straw if you think about your health.

According to Brightside, even after washing the bottles thoroughly, we can still get food poisoning or even hepatitis A. Because studies show that most bacteria live on bottle necks, bottle caps, where that you cannot wash well enough. The twist-on bottle cap and sliding click cap make it perfect for germs to get into your stomach with water. To be safe, use a straw.

Bottled water doesn't really help you stay healthy

According to Brightside , this is one of the fairly common misconceptions about water. Bottled water companies want to attract new markets, including young people and sports enthusiasts. So they advertise bottled water with different flavors added, claiming "it's good for your health" more than other sugary drinks.

In fact, sometimes this water can contain as much sugar. In order not to be fooled by advertising, always check the information on the bottle label.

It takes 450 years for plastic bottles to decompose

Most plastics are generally thought to take between 70 and 450 years to completely biodegrade. But water bottles made of polyethylene terephthalate (symbol PET) are almost non-biodegradable. That means they will break into smaller pieces, on the ground or in the ocean and may eventually endanger the lives of marine life.

Greenpeace estimates that 12.7 million tons of plastic end up in the oceans, every year. It is so common that about half of all sea turtles in the ocean now eat plastic. Because even a small piece can kill them. Plastics also enter the human food chain, in the form of microplastics, or microscopic pieces of plastic.

How huge is the bottled water market?

Global consumption of bottled water has skyrocketed over the years. This market has grown from less than $ 200 billion in 2014 to nearly $ 300 billion in 2019. By 2021, it is predicted to be worth $ 350 billion, after growing 10% per year.

According to the Guardian, every minute 1 million plastic bottles of water are purchased around the world. That is about 20,000 bottles per second. These staggering numbers are thought to stem from concerns about polluted water in certain areas, rising average incomes and a growing global culture of mobility.

Finally, the irony is that in 2014, the bottled water industry generated sales of about $ 13 billion. At the same time, it is estimated that the global water crisis will cost US $ 10 billion to resolve. This means that, in theory, all proceeds from bottled water can completely solve the global water crisis. Unfortunately, no one will do so.

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