This is topic Guesses on the resource consumption of the manufacture and transport of bottled water in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.
Once again, popURL junkies will have already seen this, but here is a post on the amount of resources the manufacture and transport of Fiji bottled water consumes.
quote:In summary, the manufacture and transport of that one kilogram bottle of Fiji water consumed 26.88 kilograms of water (7.1 gallons) .849 Kilograms of fossil fuel (one litre or .26 gal) and emitted 562 grams of Greenhouse Gases (1.2 pounds).
[Edit to add Fiji label]
[ February 08, 2007, 05:05 AM: Message edited by: Euripides ]
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
First of all, most bottled water doesn't travel nearly as far. Second of all, I want to see the research, not just a summary.
Third of all, I've tasted Fiji, and it's totally not worth it. Posted by dh (Member # 6929) on :
I only drink bottled water when I don't have access to a tap and a reasonably clean cup. And when I do, it's usually Avian or whatever it is they have in the Coke machines.
Posted by RunningBear (Member # 8477) on :
Most of the bottled water available to my town, and the rest of the country, actually comes from within 150 miles of my house. (so I have been told.)
Posted by Euripides (Member # 9315) on :
The article does have a link to the originalfigures, but admittedly not a proper report.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Yeah, but look how incredibly full of guesses and assumptions -- some of which have been pointed out by commenters -- that is! No sources given for any of the numbers given either.
That's not science. It's fancy guessing.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
quote:Originally posted by dh: I only drink bottled water when I don't have access to a tap and a reasonably clean cup. And when I do, it's usually Avian or whatever it is they have in the Coke machines.
I REALLY hope you mean Evian, because there's a fairly drastic difference between that and this.
Posted by dh (Member # 6929) on :
No, I actually enjoy drinking the occasional liquified bird.
(Um, yeah, I meant Evian.) Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote:Originally posted by dh: No, I actually enjoy drinking the occasional liquefied bird.
Chicken soup! Posted by dh (Member # 6929) on :
With a slightly thicker consistency. Posted by Euripides (Member # 9315) on :
Title fixorized.
Posted by KarlEd (Member # 571) on :
I drink bottled water a lot. I've been refilling 1 liter plastic water bottles with filtered water from my fridge for a couple of years now.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
Same here Karl.
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
How do you sterilize them? I hate not being able to actually wash them because of the tiny neck.
Posted by Euripides (Member # 9315) on :
I fill a washable glass jug with tap water and keep it in the fridge.
Posted by MyrddinFyre (Member # 2576) on :
Go go filtered tap water!
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
I've seen some concern raised because the disposable bottles weren't designed for reuse (i.e., not plastic that was tested for long-term use). I do not know enough to comment on this, but I did switch to refilling a glass bottle.
Dagonee, I run my glass bottles [from Snapple iced tea, actually] upside down through the dishwasher. Occasionally I rinse with very diluted bleach and allow to dry completely, then rinse with water again.
On the other hand, my alma mater still discourages reuse. Given my own generalized prejudices against plastic, I think I'll stick with glass.
However, I didn't want to leave this post hanging when the rumor had been addressed pretty thoroughly elsewhere on the web.
[ February 08, 2007, 08:19 AM: Message edited by: ClaudiaTherese ]
Posted by zgator (Member # 3833) on :
quote: Occasionally I rinse with very diluted bleach and allow to dry completely, then rinse with water again.
That's how you clean beer bottles.
Posted by KarlEd (Member # 571) on :
Periodically I put scalding water in a cup (we have "instant hot water") and invert the bottle into the cup, squeeze out some air and let the bottle sit like that for a minute or so. I'll also put some scalding water into the bottle and shake it around.
I'll admit I'm not too anal about sterilization, though. I will do this if there is even the slightest hint of any odor or the neck looks even the slightest bit unclean, but otherwise I only do this every few days. I also often use Crystal Lite (or similar) powder packets with my water bottle. I'll clean it out as above between fillings if I've used any flavoring in it.
Also, I buy Sam's Choice Clear American "Sparkling Water Beverage" rather frequently and I'll re-use those as water bottles, so I often don't reuse the same bottle enough for it to get nasty. (YMMV, of course).
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
quote:Originally posted by zgator:
quote: Occasionally I rinse with very diluted bleach and allow to dry completely, then rinse with water again.
That's how you clean beer bottles.
I know. *grin
I used to brew. Do you, too?
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
Dinnerware is cheap there (as long as you buy 2 dozen of each piece at a time). Next time I buy dishes, I'm going there and either donating or finding someone to split an order with me.
Posted by KarlEd (Member # 571) on :
I have plenty of dinnerware, but I'm sorely tempted by the home-size margarita mixer. Posted by zgator (Member # 3833) on :
I use to brew, but haven't in quite a while. Every year, I mean to pull it out of the attic and brew some, but never get around to it. Stupid life getting in my way.
If you always store that reusable plastic bottle in the fridge, will it get all germy? Just curious since I always use a glass and water from the tap. My water tasting taste buds are pretty unrefined.
Posted by KarlEd (Member # 571) on :
Refrigerators do not sterilize or kill germs. Cold temperatures (fridge level anyway) only retard germ/bacteria/mold growth, which is why food lasts longer in the fridge than outside the fridge, but does not last indefinitely.
Keeping a re-used plastic bottle in the fridge should retard the accumulation of bacteria, but it won't remove or kill bacteria already present.
Posted by Fusiachi (Member # 7376) on :
Oh, an opportunity to plug one of my favorite products: the Nalgene . Holds water, washes well, virtually indestructable.
Posted by Artemisia Tridentata (Member # 8746) on :
Another vote for Nalgene bottles. And, if you make your kids do the dishes, their hands fit in the bottle all the way to the bottom. Up with forced child labor.
Posted by The Pixiest (Member # 1863) on :
San Jose' water is the nastiest water in the known universe.
Our ice cubes develop this waxy build up so we have to empty the built in ice tray in the freezer every so often or we'll have waxy stuff floating in our beverage.
Plus there's this road tar/toxic waste taste that comes and goes.
Filtering doesn't do a lot of good, but it will make it drinkable in coffee.
So we mostly drink bottle water.
Back home, in Arkansas, tap water tasted like tap water was supposed to taste! Clean and clear with just a hint of algae.
Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
quote:I have plenty of dinnerware, but I'm sorely tempted by the home-size margarita mixer.
That is awesome!
We wants it, Prescious, we does...
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
I don't know what they are called, but Tiffany and I have one of those pitchers with the filter on the top. You fill it with water and it pours through the filter into the bottom section of the pitcher.
It drove me nuts that Tiffany while we were dating wanted water but refused to drink any from my refrigerator. Once I tried some of her filtered water I wondered no more, I was living in filthy sin.
Ill still drink from the hose though if I am really thirsty Posted by TheGrimace (Member # 9178) on :
an odd experience: I keep being tempted to call up the manufacturer of this bottle of water I have and commend them. I've had a plastic gallon jug of Aspen (or some other mountain-oriented-brand) bottled water in the trunk of my car for going on 4 years now for emergencies. That just has gone through dozens of freezing cycles, has been tossed around the trunk (often with other objects posessing hard pointy edges etc) and has yet to show any sign of wear or leakage... I'm sure these things aren't designed/tested for nearly this kind of beating, quite impressive
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote:Originally posted by Euripides: Title fixorized.
quote:Originally posted by Artemisia Tridentata: Up with forced child labor.
Hear, hear! Posted by pfresh85 (Member # 8085) on :
At home (near Houston), I drink tap water for the most part. Tap water tastes normal (although occasionally there's too much calcium in it for my tastes). At school (up near Dallas) though, I don't care for the way the tap water tastes. It tastes off to me. So I typically buy bottled water.
Posted by RunningBear (Member # 8477) on :
I was just thinking this morning that despite how suspicious and resentful I am of the bottled water industry in general, I no longer am willing to drink tap water or even use it in coffee or tea. Of course, I have a fridge that filters water, so I am not buying it all from Naive--er, I mean Evian. But when I'm away from home I buy Aquafina or Dasani. (I actually greatly prefer filtered water to spring water; I find the taste of spring water actively nasty.) So somehow they have managed to brainwash me. Or something.
Oddly enough, I don't think twice about drinking ice water in restaurants, which is basically . . . tap water. I guess I'm willing to pay for a bottle of water from a convenience store, but I feel like I'm paying for the convenience--otherwise a buck for two cups of water is an outrage, neh? So I just can't justify those kinds of prices to myself when I go to a restaurant. Convenience isn't an issue, so purified water shouldn't cost more than a buck a gallon or so. Still, not that I'm thinking about it, I'll probably find myself grossed out by restaurant iced water as well.
Posted by pH (Member # 1350) on :
I don't trust the tap water here.
-pH
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
I still drink straight tap water.
On road trips, I even fill up my water bottle in the gas station bathroom.
Posted by stihl1 (Member # 1562) on :
Our tap water tastes like bleach, I use a britta pitcher to filter it and drink a lot of aquafina.
Posted by erosomniac (Member # 6834) on :
quote:Originally posted by Belle:
quote:I have plenty of dinnerware, but I'm sorely tempted by the home-size margarita mixer.
The page cannot be displayed The page you are looking for is currently unavailable. The Web site might be experiencing technical difficulties, or you may need to adjust your browser settings. ??
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
There's an extra http// in there.
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
[/lazy AND technophobe]
Posted by The Rabbit (Member # 671) on :
Given typical values for fuel efficiency for heavy trucks. Shipping one liter of water 100 miles, will use ~ 0.02 L of diesel fuel and result in the emission of ~ 57 g of CO2.
Posted by Dr Strangelove (Member # 8331) on :
I'd just like to pop in and say that every time I see the title of this thread, my eyes immediately go to "bottled water" and I start to become very very thirsty. Thanks a lot Euripides.
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