Is there a better example of irrationality than the craze for bottled water?
The Earth Policy Institute of Washington says;
The global consumption of bottled water reached 154 billion liters (41 billion gallons) in 2004, up 57 percent from the 98 billion liters consumed five years earlier. Even in areas where tap water is safe to drink, demand for bottled water is increasing—producing unnecessary garbage and consuming vast quantities of energy. Although in the industrial world bottled water is often no healthier than tap water, it can cost up to 10,000 times more. At as much as $2.50 per liter ($10 per gallon), bottled water costs more than gasoline.
3 comments:
Can't think of an example, and the producers of bottled water must be coining it as it sells for more than Coke, and Coca Cola is hardly strapped for cash. As they say there is a sucker born every minute, literaly in the case of bottled water consumers.
Call me irrational, but I drink bottled water in London because the safe but limy and bad tasting water through the taps is not enjoyable. Will you take an empty bottle to an airport before filling it up in the loos so you have enough on a 13 hour flight?
Libertyscott, if the local tap water tastes bad get a water filter and filter your water, you will save heaps of money.
Yes there are occaisions to buy bottled water but most consumers of bottled water buy the water in the unfounded belief that the water is superior to tap water. Tests have shown (Penn & Teller conducted such a test in an episode of their Bullshit series)that most consumers of bottled water cannot distinguish their bottled water from ordinary tap water. So buying bottled water is, with few exceptions, a waste of money.
The real issue is the cost of the bottled water compared to soft drinks.
Post a Comment