The World’s Plastic Drinkable Resource Essay Example

Water bottles have been widely adopted as packaging materials for beverages since the late 1970s. They are an economical source and are safe to use. They can also be recycled. Water also provides a healthy drinking source. Plastic water bottles are everywhere. People argue plastic water bottles should be banned, but doing that could lead to unhealthier situations. Banning plastic water bottles creates more problems than it solves because people will turn to more unhealthy alternative drinks, and there will be a limit on emergency sources of water.

People like environmentalists argue that banning plastic water bottles would help lessen pollution. First, an activist network focused on the protection of the world’s ocean, waves, and beaches known as Surfrider Foundation from San Diego County claims, “Single-use plastics (such as plastic bottles) add to our landfills, pollute our oceans, and cause untold devastation to wildlife and the environment as a whole” (Surfrider Foundation). Here Surfrider Foundation argues that water bottles are one of the causes of pollution in the ocean and destroy the wildlife and environment. However, plastic water bottles actually have a lower ecological footprint than bottles from other drinks. According to IBWA (International Bottled Water Association), water has the lowest water footprint of any drink. 

Next, if plastic water bottles are banned, it will only force people to resort to unhealthy alternative drinks. Derek Lartaud, who works for a broadcasting service called KQED, wrote an article on plastic water bottles and he points out, “After the University of Vermont instituted their ban on selling single-use plastic water bottles on campus, total shipments of all plastic bottles actually increased 20 percent”(Lartaud). Banning plastic water bottles didn’t lower shipments. Plastic bottle shipments instead increased, with people now purchasing other plastic bottle beverages like soda and juice. According to Tejvan Pettinger, who works for a service called Economics Help.org states, “It takes away people’s choice of whether to buy water.” (Pettinger)

Plastic water bottles are healthier than other bottled drinks, and if they are banned it will force people to buy unhealthy beverages. This proves that banning plastic water bottles creates more problems than it solves, for example, more people will turn to more unhealthy alternative drinks.

Banning plastic water bottles also creates a limit on emergency sources of water. Britannica, a general knowledge English-language encyclopedia, states, “Bottled water is essential to public health – if tap water is not drinkable, then bottled water is a necessary replacement...Between Dec. 2016 and Mar. 2018, residents of St. Joseph, Louisiana, relied on state-issued bottled water as a replacement for tap water after high levels of lead were found in their system”(Encyclopaedia Britannica). Banning plastic water bottles would result in people having to drink more tap water, which has produced many problems. Without plastic water bottles, the town of St. Joseph, Louisiana, would have struggled during those two years without fresh and clean water. This proves that banning plastic water bottles creates more problems than it solves, for example, it will cause a limit on emergency sources of water.

Plastic water bottles are an essential resource to the world, and banning them results in more problems than it solves, such as people turning to more unhealthy alternative drinks and emergency water becoming a limited source. First, banning plastic water bottles doesn’t change anything and instead increases plastic bottle shipments of unhealthy alternative beverages, like soda and juice. Second, eliminating plastic water bottles limits emergency sources of water and resorts to people drinking unsafe tap water. Therefore, plastic water bottles are an essential item the world needs, and making sure they’re not banned is the goal the world needs to pursue.