Environmental Impact | Numbers Don't Lie
In contrast to the somewhat subtle psychological effect that plastic water bottles have on individual consumers, the negative impact that they pose for the environment is as obvious as it is enormous. While many buyers are aware of these detrimental effects, they either choose to ignore them or adopt the erroneous notion that their contribution to the overall impact is negligible. The disheartening statistics associated with the environmental impact of plastic water bottles truly invalidate the “it’s just one bottle” mentality of the consumer.
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A Growing ProblemThe problems that plastic in general poses for the environment are not recent discoveries. However, it is the drastically rising consumption of plastic water bottles that makes this a compelling issue. In 1980, the average American drank 1.6 gallons of bottled water each year, according to a statistics report from the Beverage Marketing Corp. By 2008, that number had climbed to 28.3 gallons, meaning that the average American annually consumed 215 bottles (Green). This increase is disconcerting because despite efforts from environmental groups to curb the purchase of plastic water bottles and increase the rate of recycling, the consumption continues to skyrocket.
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Pollution From Transportation
Not only does the production of plastic water bottles harm the environment, but the transportation and delivery of these bottles also waste natural resources. Perhaps the most telling statistics of this issue is that in terms of energy comparison, it requires on average 60 ounces of water to produce and transport one 20-ounce plastic water bottle. In the process, 120 grams of greenhouse gases are produced and 125 milliliters of petroleum are consumed per plastic water bottle manufactured and distributed, further contributing to global warming (Gashier).
In 2006, Fiji transported 18 million gallons of bottled water to California, a distribution process that emitted 2,500 tons of air pollutants.
Based on a report from the Natural Resources Defense Council, the collective volume of the plastic water bottles shipped to U.S. ports each year can easily fill 2 billion half-liter bottles (“Bottled Water Statistics”). There in fact exists a vicious cyclic pattern that aptly characterizes the detrimental effects that the manufacturing and transportation of water: the chemical wastes and air pollutants that are emitted during these processes in turn go back into the water supply in which water bottle companies draw from. The end result is a product that is harmful not only to the environment, but also potentially to humans. |
Landfill: Bottles Everywhere
There is no doubt that the recycling of PET water bottles is beneficial to a number of industrial applications, including clothing and carpeting. In fact, 58% of all recycled plastic from PET bottles are devoted to those two areas. Given that nineteen 20-ounce PET bottles contain enough fiber to manufacture one square foot of carpet or an extra-large t-shirt, the practical benefits of recycling should be not be trivialized. The energy-conserving advantages of recycling are also remarkable, as one recycled plastic bottle equates to conserving enough energy to light a 60-watt light bulb for roughly six hours (Didier). The overarching problem, however, is that consumers rarely attempt to recycle water bottles. In the United States, for instance, 28 billion plastic bottles are left out of the recycling process each year, meaning that 72 percent of all the bottles are left discarded and dumped into landfill. One could lay these non-recycled bottles from end to end and have sufficient length to cover the distance between the United States and China. The extent of recycling in the United States varies by state; in Texas, where recycling programs do not receive as much funding as other states, plastic accounts for almost 20 percent of all pollutants (Stormer).
Damaged Ecosystems
For each ton of plastic that is not recycled, over seven cubic yards of landfill space become occupied. While covering landfill space is no doubt problematic, the bigger concern here is the sheer amount of time it takes for plastic to decompose—an estimated 700 years (Didier). Incineration is not a viable option in dealing with the accumulation of plastic water bottles because more toxic wastes such as ash and chlorine gas are released into the environment in the burning of plastic. Moreover, the degradation of plastic emits toxic particles that pollute the soil and bodies of water, thereby affecting ecosystems and ultimately humans. The negative impact of plastic water bottles on the environment is particularly harrowing in the case of marine ecosystems. These bottles are the second most common item of pollution found on beaches and waterfronts, behind only plastic bags (Stormer).
Because plastic water bottles require such a long period of time to decompose, they can remain in the places where they are disposed for an extended length, essentially serving as an artifact that reminds us of their permanent damage on the environment.
Hollywoods Portrayal |
Works Cited
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