Bottled Water: as Terrible as We Suspected

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Obviously? How long did it take these hypocrites to decide that shipping water in plastic bottles was bad for the environment? How many of these hypocrites would recycle their bottles?

Jimmy of NY 7:55AM July 13, 2008

In many cases bottled water is more expensive than beer. Particularly, if you buy the beer by the keg. Thik about that for a while.

JOEL KAUFFMAN of FL 9:25PM July 12, 2008

This site is worth checking out. I read an article one of their founders wrote in Business Week and have been following them ever since. Great information. Cool stuff. Over the top marketing that seems to be breaking through and stirring up a lot of talk.

Larry Hirshcfield of ME 6:15PM July 12, 2008

Many of us remember a time when the idea of anybody actually paying major money for water in bottles would have been laughed off the block. That was back before "the triumph of marketing over simple common sense" (great phrase from last poster above.)

THE REASON for not buying these "brands" is that you can't afford it---even if you think you can. Americans do not save nearly enough---in part because media tells us not to (24/7).

Start by nixing bottled water. Then anything sold at Starbucks. Then over-priced anything else. Be thrifty and be proud of not giving your money to incorporated image-spinners.

Daniel David of NM 11:41AM July 12, 2008

I have lived in areas where I wouldn't tout the local tapwater as an acceptable - or palatable - alternative to bottled, but there are plenty of alternatives for those seeking a clean source of hydration. Many water companies like those who maintain the cliched gathering spot in your office also offer residential service. There is also a wide assortment of in-line filter options available that deliver high-quality agua through a tap mounted on the kitchen sink.

However, even for the most budget-conscious aquaphile, the standard old Brita filters are able to render clean, pure, water from even the nastiest urban chlorine soup, and all without the waste & expense of water delivered in plastic containers that will still clutter our landfills when our grandchildren's grandchildren are applying for their AARP cards. The majority of bottlers run their water through the same identical process - on a grander scale - that the Brita uses.

Even if buying water 20 oz. at a time in plastic bottles weren't an environmental travesty, it would still be a classic example of the triumph of marketing over simple common sense. If, like most people, you lack a steady supply of currency you could just as well use for combustion, you should keep a good nalgene water bottle or two around, and fill them with water from your own home source.

And maybe use the dollars you save to purchase an alternative fuel car & save on gas too.

Kenneth of GA 9:22PM July 11, 2008

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Fresh Greens

Maura Judkis is a producer at U.S. News. She writes about the green movement and looks for ways to be an ecofriendly consumer without breaking the bank. Send her your green tips.

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