Bottled Water...are you kidding me???

Question

The US spent $50 Billion dollars in bottled water in 2006. Seriously! Bottles are now going for $50 - $80 in restaurants. In a taste test, it was proven that 7 out of 10 could not tell the difference in taste, and the scientific community have proven that there is no more inherent value in the bottle water than that which comes from the taps in America.

I understand about freedoms and choice, but surely people can spend their money in more responsible ways...like taking that money and contributing it to causes that care for those children in the world who are dying because they have no fresh drinking water?

C'mon...has America become that self absorbed?

Answer 1

Bottled water was the greatest marketing scam since Procter and Gamble's Charmin toilet paper scam. Charmin toilet paper has become the model for marketers around the globe.
P&G was looking for a way to sell less for more. Their idea was to cut 25% of the paper on a roll. To sell the idea, they fluffed up the paper to make it look bulkier. The fluffy paper came out soft so they marketed it as softer. They made a bundle of money selling less paper for more money.
Bottled water is exactly the same concept. I forget which bottling company tried it. But, whichever one it was needed a new product. One genius suggested they just bottle plain old water right out of the tap. Bottled water now reigns as king of the marketing scams.
It just goes to show you how gulible people are.

Answer 2

I see the point your trying to make. We used to buy bottled water since the water from the tap tasted disgusting after a while it was getting pricey so we purchased a Brita water pitcher which was the initial cost but in the long run worth it, in the end the water tastes sweet and crisper than any bottled water and has saved us money in the long run. We're now looking at purchasing an on tap filter too. I think if everyone got filtration system in their homes, restaurants and other locations. This would cut down on the amount spent on bottled water but this is easier said than done.

Answer 3

I guess it depends on where you are. Tap water here is very hard, and has a cloudy consistency, and because of the hardness, tastes pretty metallic even with a filter. It's probably pretty similar in many other place.

I'll use it for cooking, but I buy my drinking water. But i do it with a 5gallon jug for $1.25, it's much more cost effective than buying $1/bottle of the same filtered tap.

Playing devil's advocate... why is it that "responsible" giving away of money always has to be towards people in far away lands? They're not my personal issue. Kids starve here too, and i'm much more willing to give to my local community that i'm a part of than to some questionable organization.

Answer 4

First off, this isn't limited to America. Second you can buy bottled water for 13 cents a bottle, Third all your soft drinks are actually bottled water with 5 cents of sugar added to them, Fourth have you ever tried to drink from a faucet? The convenience of having a drink which doesn't contain harmful sugar or caffeine is well worth the price to your health. There is a difference in water because all water if flavored by different minerals. Tap water in my area is not suppose to be drank by children without being boiled first because its UNSAFE. As for those dying children we should all chip in and send some bottled water to them.

Answer 5

I am certain that the quality of the water running out of a tap in the U.S. varies considerably between different cities, states, etc. as it does in Europe and the rest of the world. In some areas tap water is of particularly high quality, in others it isn't. For example, Thames Water, providing water in the greater London metropolitan area in the United Kingdom was fined in late 2006 (see sources) for providing dirty water to consumers. While most water suppliers do not violate national of federal regulations, the water that reaches the tap is not always of high quality or particularly healthy (check the tertiary treatment stage for water purification).

As such, this is not only a matter of taste, but also of the water's content of chlorine, bacteria, salts. This is an important factor for which many people opt for bottled water instead.

Now, paying €40-60 per bottle is unheard of in Europe. Prices for bottled water are more than an order of magnitude lower, typically around €1.5-3.0 per 1.5 litres. The people that opt to buy water at the prices you quote are the only ones to blame for accepting such ludicrous prices.

Answer 6

when you are out and need/want some pure water and maybe there is not even a tap around you buy bottled water.. i dont think its a selfish or self absorbed act.. anything more than a few dollars per bottle though is getting there though... non impoverished people spend their money on all sorts of ridiculous things, kids have million dollar birthday parties while other kids a few thousands miles away starve to death... how stupid is that... bottled water is not a problem... it may just be a sad symptom of the sad world in which we live

Answer 7

don'y lay it all on Americans, the Europeans may even be worse than us when it comes to bottled water. I was grocery shopping in Italy and could not find the bottled water by the other beverages so I asked and lo and behold they had a whole big separate room just for bottled water! If you feel strongly about it,suggest an additional tax on bottled water to your local legislative representative and pressure bottlers, Nestle, Coke and Pepsi to spend profits in countries who do not enjoy a safe and reliable water supply. I actually think I saw and add recently from a bottler who does just that.

Answer 8

the very fact that you can sell an American a bottle filled with something that falls out of the sky is proof that you can sell anything in this country. God bless capitalism and the hunger of the consumer.

Answer 9

Isn't that CRAZY??? I laugh at people that say they would never drink tap water, only bottled water. PEOPLE: IT"S THE SAME THING!!!

Answer 10

Its our choice, sure beats us trying to spread Islam at the point
of the sword.