Each day, people in the U.S. throw away more than 60 million plastic water bottles, most of which end up in landfills or as litter in America’s streets, parks and waterways. Americans throw away 35 billion empty water bottles a year. Of those, only 12 percent are recycled.
How much do plastic water bottles contribute to pollution?
According to the Container Recycling Institute, 86% of disposable water bottles used in the United States become garbage or litter, adding 38 billion disposable water bottles in U.S. landfills. The water bottling process releases 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually .
What percentage of waste is plastic bottles?
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottles and jars— 29.1 percent .
How many plastic water bottles are used each year 2020?
Plastic Bottle Facts
481.6 BILLION plastic bottles were used worldwide in a single year. That’s 40 billion per month and 1.3 billion per year.
How much plastic is wasted?
You can’t manage what you don’t measure
Of the 8.3 billion metric tons that has been produced, 6.3 billion metric tons has become plastic waste. Of that, only nine percent has been recycled. The vast majority—79 percent—is accumulating in landfills or sloughing off in the natural environment as litter.
How much plastic is wasted each day?
Around 60 million plastic bottles end up in landfills every single day , and Americans alone send more than 38 billion water bottles to landfills every year, the equivalent of 912 million gallons of oil. That means that 1,500 plastic bottles are thrown away every second of the day.
Is bottled water a waste of money?
You’re wasting money
If you’re regularly buying bottled water, you’re spending far more money than you would by just drinking out of the tap. According to the Beverage Marketing Corporation (BMC) the average cost of bottled water in 2016 was $1.11 per gallon.
What would happen if we banned plastic water bottles?
Banning bottled water would reduce waste and protect the environment . About 70% of plastic water bottles bought in the United States were not recycled in 2015, which means the majority end up in landfills or in the oceans, harming the ecosystem and poisoning animals.
How much plastic is littered each year?
More than 300,000 tons of plastic are estimated to be littered or inadequately disposed each year.
How much plastic is wasted each year in the world?
Today, we produce about 300 million tonnes of plastic waste every year. That’s nearly equivalent to the weight of the entire human population.
How much plastic waste is in the World 2020?
Globally to date, there is about 8.3 billion tons of plastic in the world – some 6.3 billion tons of that is trash.
How much of plastic waste is single-use?
The conveniences plastics offer, however, led to a throw-away culture that reveals the material’s dark side: today, single-use plastics account for 40 percent of the plastic produced every year.
What percentage of all waste comes from beverage bottles?
Beverage Bottles Alone
This is up from 3.8 billion plastic water bottles sold in 1996, the earliest year for available data. The process of producing bottled water requires around 6 times as much water per bottle as there is in the container. 14% of all litter comes from beverage containers.
How many plastic bottles are recycled each year?
Low Recycling Numbers
Less than 3 million tons of plastic bottles are recycled each year around the country. While that may seem like a lot of plastic, that amount represents less than 8% of the total plastic waste produced in America.
How much waste is produced each year?
According to the United Nations we dump 2.12 billion tons of waste every year.
How much plastic has been recycled since 1950?
Study: Nine Percent of the Plastic Produced Since 1950 Has Been Recycled. A study published in the journal Science Advances offers findings from the first-ever global analysis of all mass-produced plastics ever manufactured.
How much plastic is actually recycled 2021?
Plastic. This will likely come as no surprise to longtime readers, but according to National Geographic, an astonishing 91 percent of plastic doesn’t actually get recycled. This means that only around 9 percent is being recycled.
How many plastic water bottles are used a day?
1.3 billion plastic bottles were used each day.
Why should we avoid bottled water?
The plastic bottles leech chemicals into the water, which can lead to a number of problems . Small plastic bottles are made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which leech in harmful plastic chemicals and hormone disruptors into the drinking water.
Is it cheaper to buy bottled water vs gallon?
This small price can look appealing, but be careful! Over time, you’ll end up paying much more for bottled water compared to a bottle-less water cooler. Bottled water costs around $8.50 per gallon , whereas bottle-less coolers provide an unlimited drinking water supply at no cost.
Should I stop drinking bottled water?
They can leach chemicals into your water . Despite the collective efforts of bottling companies to use BPA-free plastic, other potentially harmful chemicals are still found in plastic bottles, and they can leach into the water if exposed to heat or left to sit for long periods of time.
Why we should get rid of plastic water bottles?
Single-use plastics (such as plastic water bottles) add to our landfills, pollute our oceans, and cause untold devastation to wildlife and the environment as a whole . What’s more, plastic water bottle production contributes to climate change.
What can I use instead of plastic water bottles?
- Insulated Stainless Steel Bottles. Insulated stainless steel bottles are characterized by their ability to keep drinks hot and cold for hours. ...
- Glass Bottles. Bottles made of glass are widespread today. ...
- Aluminum Bottles. ...
- Tritan Copolyester Bottles.
Why do people buy bottled water?
People choose bottled water for several reasons, including its refreshing taste, reliable quality, zero calories and additives, and convenience . Banning or restricting the sale of bottled water will result in consumers choosing less healthy beverages.
