When it comes to bottled water, it’s not just the failure to recycle that’s the problem (90% of the bottles end up in landfills).  Even the outrage over being sold astronomically marked up tap-water is easy enough to convey:  “we’re being robbed!”  But we tend to forget about the amount of resources being squandered by the entire process of bottling and selling what is readily available.  These are resources that would still be squandered even if every bottle were recycled. 

Specifically, to make, fill, store and transport bottled water, we use an amount of energy approximately equivalent to filling each bottle 1/4 full of crude oil.  If we recycle, we reduce the amount of oil that is used to create the plastic itself, but we still pay to have it shredded and reconstituted, filled, (often chilled), and shipped to us.  Water from the tap also has an energy footprint, but it’s a miniscule fraction of that. 

And beyond energy use, there’s also the excess water use.  The rule of thumb is that making the bottle (whether from scratch or recycled) uses 3 to 5 times the amount of water contained in it (some studies and circumstances send that number up near 7).  So imagine, filling and dumping the bottle, say, four times, for each full bottle you drink.

While we're listing the evils of bottled water, we can add the threat of privatization of the world's common water resource, whereby corporations appropriate a readily available public good, cut the public off from it, and then extort profits for the use of the formerly available substance.

So it’s bad for the world and bad for our communities, how about personal health?  For now the jury remains out on whether the antimony in the plastic leaches into the contents enough to endanger the consumer.  Having watched the back and forth on the health effects of polycarbonate for the past decade and seen it finally decided against the plastic this past August (turns out it leaches endocrine disruptors), I’m inclined toward the precautionary principle – avoid until proven safe.  The bottling companies already put expiration dates on mainly to guard against any excessive leaching over time or at least any legal liability in the event.  They also recommend against reuse, the bottles are hard to clean and can harbor bacteria, plus, when the material is stressed by repeated use, damage or heat (like inside the trunk of a car), it might start to leach more…

In the end, it's hard to find a single reason why we should ever be drinking bottled water.  Other than the manufactured need, created by marketers.

What’s the alternative?  Not a bottle of soda of course, but a refillable bottle that you take with you, filling with tap-water or your beverage of choice.  Get a stainless container or a safe plastic container (#2, #4 or #5) or an aluminum container if it has a food-safe coating (these may also be suspect however).  If no children are involved, consider glass.  Carry a small one with you that you can refill as you need and keep larger ones available for refills where you used to stash the case of bottles (e.g. in the trunk of the car).  If you’re concerned about what comes out the tap, please know that tap water, which is regulated by the EPA, has far more stringent requirements for purity than the bottled stuff.  Some bottled is clean, but how can you tell whether the bottle you just purchased is part of the 60% ok water or the 40% nasty stuff?   Use a filter if you must.  In fact, if the tap water seems like such a threat, realize that you get more exposure by bathing in it than drinking it, go ahead and filter the entire domestic water supply coming into your house.

Special topic:  What if you have a serious seltzer habit?  There are alternatives for that too.  Remember those cool soda siphons the Marx Brothers used to squirt each other with?  They still exist.  They’re also a great way to turn local products like Tait Farms Shrub into a tasty fountain drink.  There are a few current brands, including Isi and Kayser.  (They do involve the use of disposable CO2 cartridges, so go easy on that too, if you can.)