The Pros and Cons of Bottled Water

Bottled water vs. plain old tap water. Many people would ask is there any difference. I mean they both have the word water in them, and how much different can water get. But when it comes down to the differences between the two the pros and cons of bottled water begin to stand out.

Many people believe that water is just nothing, which in a way they are some what correct. Have you ever looked at the label on bottled water? What do you see or better yet what don't you see. You don't see numbers on the nutritional facts of bottled water because water is just that nothing, besides a few minor additives that we will talk about later. With this in mind how can there be any difference between bottled water and tap water, better yet how can there be any cons for bottled water.

Unless for a second we forget about the actual water and begin to focus on the other aspects of bottled water such as the bottle itself. The bottle bar none is the biggest con in this argument with many varying and definitive reasons. First of all plastic is obviously the material that holds the water. Making plastic is a very in depth process which involves resources that would be better suited if they were used in a different way. Now I'm not going to get into the whole process of making plastic because this is article is not about making plastic, instead it is about the pros and cons of bottled water, in which the creation of plastic presents a major con. Secondly after the water is gone what happens to the bottle? Many people just throw it away, leaving it for the community land fill to rot, where as if the bottle were never made in the first place; the plastic would have most likely been put to better use. Only a handful of people actually recycle or reuse there bottle, but over time those who do not recycle will continually waste the plastic.

Now enough about how this bottle presents such a negative aspect for bottled water. Let's begin to talk about the pros of a bottle. Bottled water is excellent for people on the run. Those of you who live a non stop life can relate that a nice bottle full of water can be a life saver, as there may not always be a water fountain nearby, or you just may not have enough time to stop at one. Another excellent aspect is when the water becomes more than just water, as in flavored water. Flavored water cannot be dispelled at a water fountain, because a wide variety of people use the fountain so the water must remain simple and normal. But bottling flavored water has become quite a hot commodity. People, who don't enjoy the bland simple taste of water, can now grab a bottle that has one or many of their favorite flavors while still providing them with water.

Now I said earlier that water is nothing. While this is mostly true there are some additives different between bottled water and regular tap water which create ongoing cons for bottled water. For every quart of bottled water approximately 75 milligrams of sodium is added. While this is a very small amount it still presents the fact that bottled water is not just nothing. Finally another con is not in the bottle of water itself but in what we get out of our normal tap water. Tap water in most places in the United States has added fluoride. Bottled water does not, so for someone worried about their teeth, grabbing a glass and drinking tap water would be more beneficial than drinking bottled water.

Bottled water, while displaying many more cons rather than positive ideas is still very important for some people. Those on the run can sometimes depend on bottled water, in which drinking from a fountain or tap is not possible. But when you do have a choice on whether you could drink from a fountain or tap, or drink a bottle of water, please go for the tap water. While the results may not be very noticeable at all the decision will no doubt help not only you but the environment as well in the long run.