subject: Bottled Water Is Terrible Energy: Equivalent To 1 / 4 Bottle Of Oil [print this page] Bottled water on the first comprehensive energy analysis confirmed the target of many environmentalists. From the start of production to consumer consumption, the energy consumption of bottled water is tap water 1,100-2,000 times (where the water is purified, drinkable water, translators note).
In the past few years, the energy consumption of bottled water into the sky. In 2007, global sales of 20,000 million liters of bottled water, which the United States for up to: sales of 3,300 million liters per year, the average consumption of 1,100 liters per person per year. Since 2001, total sales of bottled water grew 70% over the milk and beer. Many global conservationists concerned about this growth, they suspected production and transportation of bottled water than directly from the tap water consumption of energy for much more. However, so far, no one knows the energy value of a bottle of bottled water actually is.
Oakland, California non-profit organization?? Pacific Institute environmental scientist Peter? Gleick and his colleagues Heath? Curry will be the production, transportation and every process of stacking up the energy consumption calculated on the basis of bottled the energy consumption of water. They calculated the process include: the production of plastic bottles, water processing, labeling, bottling, sealing, transport, cold storage.
In the latest issue of "Environmental Research Letters", the researchers revealed the manufacture of bottled water is the most energy consumption of two steps: the production of plastic bottles and transportation. The team estimated that each year the world production of plastic bottles on the consumption of only 5 million barrels of oil?? This is the nation's two and a half of oil consumption. To calculate, however, a bottle of bottled water consumed in the transportation of energy is not so simple. Some of the water transport distance is very short, and some water is transported from distant overseas, and this increases the energy consumption of bottled water. Gleick and Jim found that imports of bottled water is the energy consumption of bottled water 2.5-4 fold local and imported water during transport over the energy consumed to produce the energy required for the bottle.
Gleick estimates, the 2007 U.S. production of bottled water consumed energy equivalent to 3.2-5.4 million barrels of oil. The world energy consumption of bottled water production is 3 times that number. Another perspective, each bottle of water is equivalent to 1 / 4 bottle of oil.
Pennsylvania environmental engineer at Carnegie Mellon University, H? Scott? Matthews said: "bottled water in the packaging and publicity, they do very well. However, for packaging and promotional water, and to compare The energy consumption of bottled water and tap water differ, but they do not. "Gleick said that although water purification and transportation also consume varying amounts of energy, but compared to bottled water, the most expensive energy is also inadequate water consumption bottled water, a few per cent.
Columbia University industrial ecologist Jinheng Zhe, said the study did not count in calculating the energy savings from energy recovery bottle. Gleick said the reason they did not calculate this energy is almost all recycled bottles because there is no re-made into new bottles use, but is, carpets, clothes or toys, the raw material.
