Like a black fly in your Chardonnay

The whole idea of buying water in a plastic bottle for a dollar (or two if it’s “smart”) is pretty new—new enough to have really taken off during my relatively short lifetime.  According to the Beverage Marketing Corporation (whoever they are) the number of plastic water bottles sold in the US jumped from 3.3 billion in 1997 to 15 billion in 2002.  Eek. 

Sadly, the vast majority of these bottles are not recycled--~12% according to R.W. Beck, Inc.(again, whoever that is).  Some end up in landfills (yuck) and many end up in our natural water sources (double yuck).  The United Nations estimates that, on average, every square mile of ocean contains 46,000 pieces of plastic trash.  Also, chemicals founds in these bottles (BPA, namely) have been found in ocean waters around the world.  The final results aren’t in, but scientists think these chemical might cause all kinds of terrible health conditions in animals and people if consumed by drinking water. 

Isn’t it ironic that drinking a plastic bottle of water, a seemingly health behavior, can have such negative effects on water resources? 

So, I’m sticking to drinking out of reusable (but BPA-free) bottle whenever possible.  I have one at work, one for the gym, and a regular ol’ glass for home.