We need to stop and think before we open the bottle and drink. Plastic water bottles and plastic in general, is destroying our environment. Here are some simple facts to help you see my point. In 2012 32 million tons of plastic waste was generated in the U.S., and that represents close to 13 percent of the total MSW (municipal solid waste) (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2014). Out of the 32 million tons of plastic waste that was created in 2012 only 9% was recycled (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2014). Every year, about 100 billion tons of plastic are produced all over the world, less than 9% is recycled (REUSEIT, 2014). Plastic water bottles are lightweight, this makes them preferred over glass or aluminum bottles. Although, the weight difference may be only a couple of grams, it makes them easier to carry (PlasticsEurope, 2014). Because of the weight difference between plastic and glass or aluminum, plastic bottles are less expensive to transport. This saves us some natural resources and cuts down on gas emissions from the transporting vehicle (PlasticsEurope, 2014). Another benefit that manufactures’ get from using plastic bottle is clarity. The bottle is clear and this allows the end user to see any impurities that might be in the water and this acts as an assurance that the water is uncontaminated, even if it is (PlasticsEurope, 2014). Unlike glass bottles, plastic water bottles won’t shatter and this makes them safer to use because they won’t produce sharp edges (Andrady, 2009). Plastics bottles provide good thermal insulation and this lets the liquids inside the bottle keep their temperature better. This makes it easier to keep cold water cold and hot water hot. (PlasticsEurope, 2014). Another advantage of plastic bottles is that are less expensive to manufacture, this lets the consumer pay less money for the product (Andrady, 2009). Plastic bottles are light weight, inexpensive to make, durable, resistance to strong chemicals, safe, recyclable, clarity and provide better insulation (Swami, 2011). Yes, all of these things may be true, but there are some things the plastic industries might not want you to know. Like Americans use 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour or 29 billion bottles every year, only 13 percent are recycled (Raghuvanshi, 2011). This is just in American alone, around the world over 38 million tons of plastic water bottles go to landfills each year (Raghuvanshi, 2011). Note, it takes over 700 years for plastic to start to decompose. They will tell you that plastic bottles can be melted down and that would a big plus in recycling. They do not mention anything about the very toxic fumes that will be released into the environment from the burning plastic (Espinoza, 2014). You cannot recycle plastic bottles to make more plastic bottles. There are different types of resins used in producing different types of plastic bottles, such as PET - Polyethylene Terephthalate, HDPE - High-density Polyethylene, LDPE - Low-density Polyethylene and Vinyl - Poly Vinyl Chloride (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2014). These resins cannot be recycled together, they must be recycled separately and this makes recycling difficult. HDPE bottles are used in making carpet and textiles and PET bottles are recycled into clothing, like fleece jackets (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2014). Some of the bottles are recycled into non-recyclable products like plastic lumber used in construction and parking lot bumpers. When someone wants to renovate, the plastic lumber goes to the landfill, and when they repave the parking lot, the same goes for the bumpers. Plastic water bottles have to meet FDA standards which means they are supposed to be safe. But did you know that the FDA has stricter regulations on tap water. So is that bottled water as safe as you think. If the people who bottled the water are subpar you might face the bacteria Vibrio cholera, the bacteria Shigella sonnei Type D, or the chemical ethyl benzene all of which has caused severe outbreaks of acute gastrointestinal illness (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , 2014). Here is a recommendation from the CDC: “In healthy individuals, the parasite Cryptosporidium can cause illness; however, for those with weakened immune systems, it can cause severe illness and possibly death.” Another recommendation from the CDC is “The type of plastic bottle in which water is usually sold is usually a #1, and is only recommended for one time use. Do not refill it.” I don’t know about you but how to you tell a plastic number 1 bottle from a plastic number 3 bottle. People use plastic shopping bags every day. They are used to carry everything from food stuffs to clothes. Plastic grocery bags are cost-effective, easy to use, and convenient to store (Ketcham, n.d.). Plastic bags are more durable than paper bags and less prone to tearing, they are easier to carry, and are far more useful in the rain (Ketcham, n.d.). You can reuse plastic bags in a lot of ways. You can use them as trashcan liners or to keep like items separate from other items in a freezer. Plastic bags last longer than paper bags and be rinsed out and reused (Ketcham, n.d.). Plastic bags are less expensive to produce and use less energy in there manufacturing. According to an article by ABC news, “Plastic bags consume 40 percent less energy to produce and generate 80 percent less solid waste than paper bags” (ABC News , 2006). Plastic bags are so convenient over 1 trillion plastic bags are used every year worldwide. China alone uses 3 billion plastic bags a day. 1 million plastic bags are used every minute. Here are some more facts about plastic bags. Out of the trillion plastic bags make each year only about .5% to 3% are recycled (REUSEIT, 2014). The rest goes to the landfills or the ocean. If a plastic bag goes to a landfill and is buried, it will take close to a 1000 years to decay. Unlike paper bags that can be used in a compost pile, plastic bags just turn into smaller and smaller bits of plastic. The smaller bits of plastic can be mistaken for food by animals. The plastic grocery bag is manufactured from polyethylene, a byproduct of petroleum and natural gas, both are nonrenewable natural resources. The energy used to make about 9 plastic bags is equivalent to the energy it takes to drive a car a half a mile (Moore, plastic pollution, 2012). Plastic bags have been found in the remains of birds, land birds and sea birds, ocean mammals, fish, 86% of all known species of sea turtles, whales, cows, goats and camels and kill millions of animals each year (ABC News , 2006). There a lot of ways that plastics have benefited the human race. Plastics are used more and more in the aeronautics industry. Plastics are lightweight and durable and because of this, plastic parts are replacing parts that usually make from metal. This makes the aircraft lighter and more fuel efficient. This allows the plane to carry the same amount of cargo further distances. Plastics are also being used to make satellites, shuttles, and missiles more efficient (PlasticsIndustry, 2014). Some other industries that have benefited from plastic are, the building and construction, electronics, packaging, and transportation (PlasticsIndustry, 2014) (PlasticsEurope, 2014). The transportation industries are using more and more plastic parts in their cars and trucks. Plastic can be found in the fenders, bumpers, trunk lids, housings for headlights, mirrors, grilles, hoods, doors, and wheel covers (PlasticsIndustry, 2014),(Laird Plastics, 2014). Plastics are much lighter than metal, which means better fuel efficiency. Plastic parts are less expensive to manufacture and because it is lighter than metal, the parts are safer to handle (Laird Plastics, 2014). “Plastics can be designed to be impact and dent resistant, and modified for improved strength” (Laird Plastics, 2014) and this makes it very useful when designing and building cars and trucks. Plastic parts have a very good thermal and insulating properties and these makes it good for insulating electrical wire. All buildings that use electrical power has plastic parts in it (PlasticsIndustry, 2014). The use of plastic has benefited our society a great deal and a lot of industries have improved. Because of its versatile, flexible, lightweight and thermal and insulating properties, plastic will continue to improve our society.
The manufacture of plastic involves many chemicals, many of which have not been sufficiently tested for their toxicological and Eco-toxicological impact on humans or animals (Harris, n.d.). Plastics often leech component chemicals, including hazardous chemicals, through common temperature changes, and this can cause different types of ailments and diseases. “Plastic-producing companies are often chemical companies or subsidiaries of chemical companies, both with poor track records when it comes to their adherence to regulatory compliance and their willingness to perform toxicological analysis on the products they make (Moore, plastic pollution, n.d.). Plastic is not biodegradable, the only way to break down plastic is through photo degradation. This kind of decomposition requires sunlight, not bacteria. When UV rays hits the plastic, they break the molecular bonds that holds the plastic together. Over time, this can turn a big piece of plastic into lots of little pieces (Harris, n.d.). Studies have found that all kinds of species, including small zooplankton, large cetaceans, most seabirds, all types of fish and all marine turtles, readily ingest plastic bits (Moore, plastic pollution, n.d.). These animals in turn are eaten by larger animals and then we eat them. We are at the top of the food chain. Plastic is convenient but I don’t think I want to eat it. We need to stop and think about plastic and our environment.

References
Harris, W. (n.d.). How long does it take for plastics to biodegrade? Retrieved from HOWSTUFFWORKS: http://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/everyday-myths/how-long-does-it-take-for-plastics-to-biodegrade.htm
Moore, C. (2012). plastic pollution. Retrieved from Encyclopedia Britannica : http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1589019/plastic-pollution
Moore, C. (n.d.). plastic pollution. Retrieved from Encyclopedia Britannica : http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1589019/plastic-pollution/285879/Pollution-by-plastics-additives
Laird Plastics. (2014). Transportation Equipment Manufacturing. Retrieved from Laird Plastics: http://www.lairdplastics.com/product/industry/transportation-equipment-manufacturing
PlasticsEurope. (2014). Benefits of plastics. Retrieved from FuturEnergia: http://www.futurenergia.org/ww/en/pub/futurenergia/energy_world_/benefits.htm
PlasticsIndustry. (2014). The Benefits of Plastic. Retrieved from PlasticsIndustry: http://www.plasticsindustry.com/plastics-benefits.asp
Raghuvanshi, K. (2011, April 28). Plastic Pollution Facts. Retrieved from Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/plastic-pollution-facts.html
REUSEIT. (2014). Fast Facts on Disposable Bottles. Retrieved from REUSEIT: http://www.reuseit.com/Facts-and-Myths/Use-and-Toss-Plastic-Bottle-Facts.htm
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2014, february 28). Plastics. Retrieved from Wastes - Resource Conservation - Common Wastes & Materials: http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/materials/plastics.htm