Naturalpath

Americans spent nearly $11 billion last year on bottled water, making it the nation's second-favorite beverage, after soft drinks.

Plastic Water Bottles: Good or Bad? Bad say environmental advocates.

That's because it takes 1.5 million barrels of oil -- enough to fuel 100,000 cars for a year -- to make the plastic bottles to meet Americans' demand for bottled water. (Source: Earth Policy Institute)

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Although the kind of plastic most commonly used for water bottles -- polyethylene terephthalate, or PET -- is recyclable, consumers recycle just one of every five bottles they drink, with the rest ending up in landfills/

And if your looking for the health benefits of bottled water, than you may be suprised that bottled isn't necessarily healthier.

Many consumers associate bottled water with healthy living, but roughly 40 percent of bottled water begins as tap water. Sometimes, the only difference is added minerals that may not be healthier. The French Senate even advises people who drink bottled mineral water to change brands frequently because the added minerals are helpful in small amounts but may be dangerous in higher doses.

A report by the Natural Resources Defense Council found that the federal Food and Drug Administration has no rules about how bottled water should be filtered or kept free of pathogens. Tap water, by contrast, is strictly regulated. The NRDC tested more than 100 types of bottled water and found "spotty" quality, with a third of the brands containing contaminants such as arsenic in at least some samples.

Plastic Water Bottles: Good or Bad? Bad say health advocates.

There's eco-friendly, healthier and cheaper alternative. Buy a high quality reusable bottle and invest in a high quality water filter.

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