bottledwater-theunitedstatesconferenceofmayors.pptVIP

BOTTLED WATER: THE IMPACT ON MUNICIPAL WASTE STREAMS Brett Rosenberg The U.S. Conference of Mayors May 1, 2008 New York City BOTTLED WATER: THE IMPACT ON MUNICIPAL WASTE STREAMS RESOLUTION 90: IMPORTANCE OF MUNICIPAL WATER WHEREAS, more than a quarter of bottled water is sourced from municipal tap water; and WHEREAS, bottled water must travel many miles from the source, resulting in the burning of massive amounts of fossil fuels, releasing CO2 and other pollution into the atmosphere; and WHEREAS, plastic water bottles are one of the fastest growing sources of municipal waste; and WHEREAS, in the U.S. the plastic bottles produced for water require 1.5 million barrels of oil per year, enough to generate electricity for 250,000 homes or fuel 100,000 cars for a year; and… NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The US Conference of Mayors encourage a compilation of information regarding the importance of municipal water and the impact of bottled water on municipal waste. Bottled Water Municipal Waste Definitions Consumption Demand Recycling Opportunities and Challenges Solid Waste Other Environmental Concerns Bottled Water Municipal Waste “The production, packaging, distribution and consumption patterns of the different types of bottled water vary considerably.” Non-carbonated, or “still” water Individual bottles, either sold separately or in bulk Plastic bottles made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE) Demand/Consumption Americans bought a total of 8.3 billion gallons of bottled water in 2006, sold in a variety of containers from small single‐serving bottles to multi‐gallon water cooler bottles. Of this amount, non‐carbonated water totaled 7.3 billion gallons, or 88% of the total bottled water market Individual PET containers accounted for 4.7 billion gallons, i.e., 57% of the bottled water market. Demand/Consumption According to the Container Recycling Institute, Americans buy an estimated 25 billion single‐serving, plastic water bottles each ye