People around the world are purchasing bottles of water, marketed as pure and natural. The bottled water industry has created the idea that for up to 4 dollars a bottle everyone can drink from the most pristine landscapes in the world. Sounds a lot better than municipal water that falls from the tap. However, many questions surround regulation as well as the social and environmental impact of bottled water:

According to the World Watch Institute,

“Excessive withdrawal of natural mineral or spring water to produce bottled water has threatened local streams and groundwater, and the product consumes significant amounts of energy in production and shipping. Millions of tons of oil-derived plastics, mostly polyethylene terephthalate (PET), are used to make the water bottles, most of which are not recycled. Each year, about 2 million tons of PET bottles end up in landfills in the United States; in 2005, the national recycling rate for PET was only 23.1 percent, far below the 39.7 percent rate achieved a decade earlier.”

In order to talk about this problem in the context of a solution, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order this week banning the use of city funds to purchase single-serving plastic water bottles. The order also prohibits the sale of such water containers on city-owned property. In this interview, Newsom talks about fighting such a huge industry, joining other mayors across the country, as well as looking at the changes individuals can make, such as owning portable, reusable bottles.

As consumers, our dollars are our vote, so instead of buying bottled water begin carrying glass or stainless steel portable containers and regaining confidence in tap water.

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