Instead of supplying bottled water at events, bring your own cup or supply cups made of recyclable material and pitchers of tap water to parish events. Producing bottled water actually uses a great deal of water. In fact, it takes three times more water to make each plastic bottle as it does to fill it. Bottled water is also far more expensive than tap water (more than 300 times more expensive!) and it is no healthier than tap water.  The production of bottled water also uses an enormous amount of energy – the equivalent of what it takes to fuel 1.5 million cars annually. In addition, transporting bottled water across thousands of miles spews carbon dioxide into the air, complicating our efforts to combat global climate change.

Did you know?

In 1999, after a four-year review of the bottled-water industry and its safety standards, NRDC concluded that there is no assurance that bottled water is cleaner or safer than tap. In fact, an estimated 25 percent or more of bottled water is really just tap water in a bottle—sometimes further treated, sometimes not. NDRC