"Is Bottled Water a Good Idea?" by Chris Hogan and Janet Larsen of Upfront Magazine - Reading Response 10/9 (Caroline R. - Late due to Internet Malfunctions)

The article “Is Bottled Water a Good Idea?” depicts the two opposing arguments to a long-held debate over the packaged-in-plastic drink. While there are several reasons why bottled water is not good for consumers financially, I believe that, in general, bottled water is a good idea. This is due to the fact that it eliminates obesity, it is recyclable, and it has certain policy standards.

First of all, it eliminates obesity. For example, it says that because bottled water has zero calories, using it to replace one 12-ounce sugared beverage each day would get rid of over 50,000 calories a year from someone's diet. This proves that, by drinking bottled water, obesity would become less of an epidemic, and people would, in general, be healthier.

Second of all, it is recyclable. For example, in the past seven years, the recycling rate for bottled water has doubled to 40%. This shows that people understand the need to recycle the plastic, in order for it to be used in other products. Another example is that, due to lesser amounts of plastic in the packaging, the weight of bottled water has gone down 48%. This shows that the companies are aware of the effects bottled water can have on the environment due to too much plastic, and they are working as hard as they can to reduce those effects.

Finally, bottled water has certain policy standards. For example, the article says, “As a packaged food product, bottled water is strictly regulated by the F.D.A.” This means that it must live up to certain standards that the F.D.A. has set. Another example that connects to it's regulations by the F.D.A. is it must be “at least as stringent as the Environmental Protection Agency standards for the safety of tap water.” This shows that bottled water is just as, if not more safe than tap water, which eliminates the possibility that bottled water can have harmful effects on people.

In conclusion, bottled water is, in fact, a good idea. This is due to it reducing obesity, being recyclable, and having the exact same health risks as tap water. Even though it is a bit more expensive, people generally do not feel the loss of their money on bottled water, and likely would have spent that money on other material things and not on necessities. Perhaps we can soon all come to an agreement on things, and people can be left alone to do as they please. I like to imagine a world where people may choose how they drink their water, whether it be from a plastic package or from a sink, without having government officials saying that they must drink it from one or the other.


Source

Hogan, Chris, and Janet Larsen. "Is Bottled Water a Good Idea?" Upfront 16 Sept.
     2013: 21. Print.