Bottled water industry has a huge impact on the environment.

It uses 1.5 million gallons of oil to just make the plastic bottles every year, not counting fuels used to transport them. The burning of oil emits pollutants into the environment and attributes to global warming.

Water at areas near bottling plants is over extracted, which affects nearby residents and farmers. Also it wastes 2 gallons of water to purify 1 gallon of bottled water.

Ninety percent of the plastic bottles are not recycled and end up in the landfill.

You will save both the environment and money if you drink tap water instead of bottled water. The U.S. EPA’s standards for tap water are actually more stringent then the U.S. FDA standards for bottled water.

If you are concerned or don’t like the taste of tap water, consider a filter pitcher or a faucet filter.

While traveling, fill a reusable bottle with tap water and refill it on the way.