The Environmental Impact of Plastic Water Bottles [Infographic]

You’ve been drinking at least four 16.9 oz. bottles of water a day.

You got a good deal at the store on a pack of 24 for less than five bucks, and you toss each empty bottle into the recycle bin when you’re done.

You feel good because you’re not only drinking more water to get healthy, you’re also doing your part for the environment, right?

That’s not exactly the case.

Sure, it’s better than tossing them in the trash, but the truth is using a reusable water bottle is better in so many more ways.

Let’s start with getting healthy.

Yes, drinking water is healthy, but disposable water bottles contain chemicals that have been linked to reproductive issues, asthma and dizziness. Some studies have also found links to increased risks of breast cancer.

While recycling the bottle helps the environment, producing it has already done a great amount of damage because 90% of bottled water’s cost comes from making the bottle.

Bottling water releases 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually and takes 17 million barrels of oil to produce a year’s supply. That’s enough oil to fuel 1.3 million cars for the year or power 190,000 homes!

Oh, and remember that great sale when you bought the water?

Now imagine what you could do with an extra $1,800. That’s the amount you could save in a year drinking the recommended eight glasses of water a day from the tap instead of using bottled water.

Printwand, Inc. put together this information along with more facts about the dangers of disposable water bottles and the benefits of reusable bottles in the following graphic.