• Compared to regular tap water, it could be more eco-friendly.

The environmental effect of bottled water is a major negative.

A significant amount of power is used during bottled water production.

In 2016, we used 4 billion pounds (1.8 billion kg) of plastic in bottled water manufacturing. That much would take the energy equivalent of 64 million barrels of oil to generate.

Yet only around 20% of plastic water bottles get recycled each year. The vast majority is discarded or washed out to sea.

This is especially concerning since the degradation of plastic bottles has been linked to releasing toxic chemicals.

Several communities throughout the globe have prohibited the sale of disposable plastic water bottles from reducing the negative impact of the bottled water industry on the environment.

Several businesses have also explored the feasibility of producing bottles from biodegradable materials, which might have fewer negative impacts on the environment.

• Expensive but easy to use

Research shows that ease of use is a major factor in why people choose bottled water.

Plenty of places to get big bottle water when you’re out and about or on the road.

This ease of use, however, is costly.

Tap water in the United States costs around $0.005 per gallon (3.8 liters), but buying the same quantity of bottled water by combining single-serving water bottles costs about $9.47.

This indicates that bottled water costs more than milk and gasoline combined and is over 2,000 times that of regular tap water.