How Disposable Water Bottles Impact the Environment

Out of all the contributors to pollution, plastic bottles are some of the worst. Plastic bottles account for many tons of discarded waste that never make it to a recycling plant. Some are still unaware of the harmful effects that single-use plastic water bottles have on the planet. Read on to learn about how disposable water bottles impact the environment.

Contributes to Pollution

As we mentioned, one of the most significant effects disposable water bottles have on the environment is that they continually contribute to pollution. Many plastic water bottles never make it to the recycling bin, which means they get tossed in with the rest of the trash that gets sent to a landfill. Yes, a lot of the garbage is sorted, but that is not a failproof system. In some cases, these bottles can end out at sea, where they end up negatively impacting marine life.

Harm Wildlife

Disposable water bottles can also harm wildlife when they reach ecosystems such as oceans and swamps. It’s estimated that well over a million species of wildlife and plant life die every year due to the growing pollution caused by plastic disposable water bottles. In addition to more apparent damage, over time, these water bottles can leech harmful chemicals into the water, which also changes surrounding environments, further destroying these areas.

Releases Carbon Dioxide

One thing that many don't consider about these water bottles is the amount of pollution generated by their production. It's estimated that the water bottling process annually releases about 2 1/2 billion tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. This CO2 is a cause of global warming as it leads to the earth’s surface heating up and, as a result, plant and animal life don’t survive the new climate.

While it may be hard to accept, we hope our article covering how disposable plastic water bottles impact the environment has changed your opinion on them. If you want to cut your water bottle usage out entirely to help save the environment, consider purchasing a Reverse Osmosis system filter. These filters can help you cut out a lot of plastic waste while providing clean, safe water for you and your family to drink.