In the documentary Tapped, the effects of bottled water and the bottled water industry were explored. While highly informative, the movie was very biased against the industry. I felt that it was blaming the big companies for everything while the people who were throwing away the bottles after finishing them were the sweet, innocent, victims. I feel that the people who buy bottled water are just as responsible for the pollution they cause as much as the big companies. And while the FDA, who should be able to control this but can't, is also responsible, the main perpetrators are the people and the companies. I know that I buy bottled water because it is convenient, it is cheap, and it is easy to access. But when I empty my bottle of water, I then fill it up again with tap water or water from other sources (thank you for the free water public school system). The image the movie gave was of the big scary dragon of the industry terrorizing the poor little innocents. But I think the image should be more that of the people and the industry both polluting the planet. The consumer makes the choice to buy the water bottle from the company, and the company makes the conscious decision to sell this product to the consumer.
In class, we discussed water pollution. This is related to the bottled water industry because when the empty bottles are thrown away, they eventually end up in the Pacific Ocean. In the ocean, the bottles poison the fish and other aquatic life. This, I think, is the fault of the people, not the industry. They are the ones throwing the bottles away (where "away" means "eventually into the ocean"), not the industry. The average recycling rate for the United States is 20%. In states with "Bottle Bills," The return rate is higher due to a bigger incentive. This is because states with bottle bills for every bottle you recycle, you get 5 or 10 cents back. The industry has to pay a few cents more per bottle made, but the recycling level goes up. Most states don't have bottle bills due to lobbying from the companies. The movie made the extra few cents per bottle sound like it was an infinitesimal amount, but when you add in the fact that there are probably about a million bottles made every day, that infinitesimal amount? It adds up to a lot more money than you would think. If I was in charge and a decent businessman, I would try to avoid the extra cost too.
As for me, seeing how I'm not a businessman, I still drink bottled water. The only time I replace my bottle is when I lose it. It's cheap, available, and (here's the big one) reusable. I refill it every time I empty it. It's cheaper, more available, and better for the environment.
