| Is the bottled water you drink unhealthy? Do your | | | | Plastic may cause cancer. Perhaps. When heated, |
| water bottles contribute to America's fuel crisis? | | | | chemicals (mostly notably bisphenol A, or BPA) do |
| Or to pollution? Is there a better alternative to | | | | leach from plastic bottles. Studies show large |
| bottled water? Read on for the facts. | | | | doses of these chemicals may lead to cancer. |
| Water bottles are not recyclable. False. According | | | | Recently, the National Toxicology Program, part |
| to the Container Recycling Institute, in the United | | | | of the National Institutes of Health, said "there is |
| States, one in six bottles end up in landfills or | | | | some concern" about BPA's affect on brain |
| incinerators. However, most plastic bottles can be | | | | function in babies and children, and in breast and |
| recycled. The problem is that many recycling | | | | prostate issues for adults. |
| centers don't accept them. Since consumers don't | | | | Drinking from plastic bottles is unhealthy in other |
| have easy access to the right recycling centers, | | | | ways. True. According to Keith Christman, director |
| only 4% of plastic bottles are recycled and made | | | | of packaging at the American Chemistry Council, |
| into new bottles. | | | | already-opened plastic water bottles left at room |
| We save energy by recycling water bottles into | | | | temperature can grow bacteria, just like food left |
| new bottles. False. According to Science Daily, it | | | | in an open container on the counter. |
| takes too much energy and money to recycle old | | | | Tap water is the only alternative to bottled water. |
| bottles into new ones. Instead, plastic bottles, | | | | False. Clean water is now available in a box; it's |
| when they are recycled, are made into non-food | | | | called IceBox. What is IceBox water? It's glacier |
| items, like toys. Therefore, the 70 million bottles | | | | fed water packaged in 100% recyclable cardboard |
| Americans use every day must be made from | | | | from sustainable forests. |
| virgin materials. | | | | Drinking water in a box is better for the |
| Everything - even plastic - eventually degrades. | | | | environment. True. For every 5,000 five liter |
| True, but...Plastic bottles left in the sun may | | | | boxes of IceBox water consumed, 25,000 plastic |
| biodegrade in 50 years time. But most bottles are | | | | bottles are replaced, 1,396 pounds of plastic are |
| in landfills, which means they aren't exposed to | | | | removed from the manufacturing process, and |
| much - if any - light. Some experts say it takes | | | | 474 gallons of oil are not used. Too, the box |
| between 450 to 1,000 or more years for these | | | | doesn't need any special processing to |
| bottles to completely disappear. | | | | decompose. It naturally biodegrades, turning into |
| Plastic is cheap to make. False. The Pacific | | | | compost for that enriches the soil. |
| Research Institute (PRI) says it takes 17 million | | | | IceBox water isn't any safer than bottled water. |
| barrels of oil to make the water bottles for | | | | False. The spout on IceBox water is made from |
| Americans - and that doesn't include the oil used | | | | made from Polyethylene - the same material |
| to transport the bottles. This oil could fuel over a | | | | found in IV bags. The spouts have a special |
| million cars for one year. At a time when | | | | one-way valve that doesn't allow contamination to |
| Americans need to rely less on foreign oil, plastic | | | | enter the box, even after it's been opened. |
| is costly, indeed. | | | | Know the facts. Use the facts. Drink accordingly. |