The Myth of Recyclable Water Bottles

The increased usage of single serve plastic water bottles is leading to an unprecedented amount of post-consumer waste. Many people think that plastic water bottles don’t pose an environmental risk because they are recyclable. It’s true that plastic water bottles can be recycled, but only if consumers stop throwing them in the trash.

This is far from the reality of what really happens, as the vast majority of plastic water bottles end up in landfills rather than being recycled. It is estimated that 86 percent of plastic water bottles sold in the United States end up in landfills instead of being recycled. Based on current production levels, an estimated 38 billion water bottles end up in U.S. landfills each year.

The negative environmental impact of plastic water bottles increases every day, and is likely to continue to pose a serious environmental threat until consumers stop using this wasteful product. It’s much more environmentally responsible, and cost effective, for consumers to depend on refillable water bottles for their drinking water instead of using disposable containers that end up in the trash can all too often.