Why are plastic bottles so bad? In this article you will learn why it is so bad for you and the environment.
500 billion
That’s the number of plastic bottles that are sold each year in the world.
With a consumption of 7 kilos of plastic bottles per inhabitant of the planet, 91% of plastic bottles are not recycled!
Plastic mineral water bottles are not designed to be reused (it says so on every bottle, it’s not just a marketing strategy to get you to buy more).
The pollution of your water by the plastic in the bottle is inevitable…
Not to mention that a plastic bottle of mineral water will last less than a “hard” plastic bottle and obviously less than a stainless steel bottle (plus you’re wasting your money, which is a shame).
What is happening to our plastic bottles?
Started only about 60 years ago, the mass production of plastics has accelerated at such a rate that it has generated 8.3 billion tons, most of which are disposable products that end up as waste. Does this sound like an inconceivable amount? Even the scientists who set out to calculate for the first time how much plastic is produced, thrown away, burned or buried worldwide were horrified by such figures.
“We all knew that plastic production had been increasing rapidly and dangerously since the 1950s. But calculating the total amount of plastic ever produced left us speechless,” admits Jenna Jambeck, an environmental engineer at the University of Georgia who specialises in studying plastic waste in the oceans.
The new study, published in July in the scientific journal Science Advances, is the first global analysis to quantify the total amount of plastic produced, and what happened to it. Of the 8.3 billion metric tons produced, 6.3 billion metric tons became plastic waste. Only 9% of this waste was recycled. The vast majority, 79%, is piling up in landfill sites or spilling out into nature as litter. At some point, most of it will inevitably end up in our oceans, as a kind of final container.
If current trends continue, 12 billion tons of plastic will be in landfills by 2050. That’s the equivalent of 1,188 Eiffel Towers.
If you want to learn more about the different types of plastic, please click on this article.
From a financial point of view, what does this mean?
A liter of bottled water costs about 0.40€. On average, you spend more than 220€ / year on mineral water for the purchase of plastic water bottles.
You will no longer have to buy plastic bottles, which are becoming more and more expensive. With your ecological bottle, you can take tap water with you, of course, you can filter your water with a carafe filter, but also all your favourite drinks. A bottle with a leak-proof cap is a small investment in the long run, it will save you money, while giving you the opportunity to stay hydrated by drinking water or your favourite drink!
It is very easy to do without a plastic bottle. Buthow?
Buying a water bottle is an ecological, profitable and more sustainable way for the environment.
The best solution, in our opinion, is an insulated bottle made of stainless steel, which makes them transport resistant and reusable. By choosing sustainable materials, we are helping our environmental footprint by reducing our consumption of plastic bottles containing chemicals.
You will no longer be participating in the mass production of plastic bottles or other single-use bottled waters, you will be eco-responsible.
Source: NationalGeographic.
