One million plastic bottles are purchased every single minute across the globe. A miniscule percentage of these bottles get recycled. The majority end up significantly damaging the environment, creating vast amounts of plastic waste, polluting the planet and contributing to global warming. 

Ultimately, plastic bottles cause major harm to the environment. Every single time someone buys bottled water in a plastic bottle, there is a hugely negative impact on our planet. Below, we explain more about how purchases of plastic bottles are killing the earth, and what you can do to minimise your own personal impact and protect the planet for future generations.

Plastic Bottles are NOT Infinitely Recyclable

PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) bottles are not infinitely recyclable; they can only be recycled a handful of times - the maximum is around five times. And, the plastic recycling loop of turning plastic bottles into other plastic bottles is not likely. So, this means a much smaller percentage of recycling is taking place with PET bottles.

In fact, plastic bottles often get downcycled due to their low quality composition. This means that they usually get sold as another form of plastic and fibres that can be used for fleeces, textiles and carpets. If a plastic bottle is not recycled, it takes 450 years for it to decompose. 

This staggering amount of time is because they’re made from a material that photodegrades as opposed to biodegrades. Essentially, even when plastic bottles break down, they leave behind microplastics that continue to do damage on our planet for years to come.

Microplastics are Polluting Our Oceans

On planet Earth, every minute, a garbage truck worth of plastic touches down in our beautiful oceans. Once at sea, the action of the sea, sun and wind break plastic down into miniscule particles that spread throughout the water and have been found in every crack and crevice on our planet, including the deepest trenches and the highest mountains. 

Microplastics have been broken down into such tiny pieces that they’ve been found in drinking water and even floating through the air. Statistics show that 17.6 billion pounds of plastic enters our oceans annually, and by the year 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish. If this isn’t a wake-up call, what is?

Plastic is Harmful for our Health and our Planet

Plastic has an incredibly harmful impact on our health and our planet. 1 million seabirds and 100,000 fish, sea mammals and turtles die every year as a result of plastic pollution. This has a devastating impact on our planet’s beautiful creatures and marine life.

Plastic is made from petroleum oil, which is a non-renewable fossil fuel that pollutes the air. This pollution directly contributes to global warming, and climate change. Likewise, creating plastic wastes a vast amount of water. Specifically 22 gallons of water is used to create 1 pound of plastic - an astonishing amount.

So, What’s the Solution?

Plastic waste is destroying our planet; pure and simple. Urgent solutions are needed to stop this damage and protect the earth for younger generations, and we’ve listed a few below;

• Stick to reusable or 100% infinitely recyclable materials. If you’re buying water, don’t buy plastic water bottles. Buy RightWater - we are a canned water brand, and our canned still water is the best choice around.

• It’s natural spring water made by nature in California, and our packaging is 100% free of single-use plastic. Buy canned still water in packs of 24 x 12 fl oz for just $36.00. It’s the best thing to do for the environment.

• Remember to recycle properly, as recycling has a massively positive impact on our planet. Make sure you’re aware of the recycling rules and regulations in your area, and recycle what you can as much as possible. 

• Educate yourself about organisations that are doing their part in the water crisis. Drop4drop is a charity that provides access to clean water, transforming lives, creating opportunities and laying the foundations for a brighter future for those who need it most.