What’s Really in Bottled Water (Besides Water)?

After a soccer game, this kid is rehydrating with filtered water from home — no plastic, no microplastics, just clean, great-tasting water in a reusable bottle!

Most assume bottled water is more healthful, cleaner, or better tasting than filtered tap water. The truth is, bottled water often contains a lot more than just water, and it’s a less sustainable choice.

Microplastics in Every Sip

More than 90% of bottled water brands contain microplastics—tiny plastic particles that are often shed during the manufacturing and bottling process and end up in the water you drink.

And microplastics aren’t the only concern. Plastic bottles can also leach harmful chemicals like BPA and phthalates, especially when exposed to heat like in a hot car or garage.

Less Regulated Than You Think

Bottled water is not always held to the same safety or transparency standards as municipal tap water. Public water systems are required by law to publish annual water quality reports. Bottled water brands are not.

In fact, some bottled water products are simply repackaged tap water that may or may not have been filtered. Even if the tap water was filtered before bottling, microplastics are introduced during packaging, meaning the final product can still be contaminated.

It Costs More Than You Might Think

Bottled water can cost 2,000 to 3,000 times more per gallon than filtered tap water. With a filtration system at home, there’s no need to run to the store, carry heavy cases, or create plastic waste every time you’re thirsty.

A Hidden Environmental Cost

The environmental toll of bottled water goes far beyond the plastic you see. Producing plastic bottles in the United States requires more than 50 million barrels of oil each year. This accounts for the extraction, manufacturing, and transportation involved in getting bottled water onto store shelves.

And what happens after you drink it? Contrary to popular belief, only about 15% of plastic bottles are recycled. As much as 85% end up in landfills, oceans, or incinerators contributing to long-term pollution and microplastic buildup in the environment.

A Better Option: Vätten Home Filtration

Tap water that’s filtered with a high-quality system is not only more affordable, it’s also more reliable and environmentally friendly. Vätten systems filter out chlorine, disinfection byproducts, heavy metals like lead and chromium, PFAS, volatile organic chemicals, pesticides, herbicides and microplastics, while saving money and cutting plastic waste.

If you’re looking to make a change, now is a great time to switch from bottled to filtered water.

Take the quiz to find out which system fits your household best: https://www.thevattencompany.com/quiz

References

NIH – Plastic particles in bottled waterNational Institutes of Health. Plastic particles in bottled water. January 2024.https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/plastic-particles-bottled-water

Forbes – These Three Plastic Recycling Myths Will Blow Your Mind. Tenenbaum, L. May 15, 2019. https://www.forbes.com/sites/lauratenenbaum/2019/05/15/these-three-plastic-recycling-myths-will-blow-your-mind/

Frontiers in Chemistry – Synthetic polymer contamination in bottled waterMason, S.A. et al. Synthetic Polymer Contamination in Bottled Water. Frontiers in Chemistry. September 2018.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fchem.2018.00407/full

WHO – Microplastics in drinking-waterWorld Health Organization. Microplastics in drinking-water. August 2019.https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241516198

TIME – Microplastics in Bottled Water at Least 10 Times Worse Than Once Thought. Baker, A. January 8, 2024. https://time.com/6553165/microplastics-in-bottled-water-study/

TIME – Americans Choose Bottled Water for Safety and Quality. Are They Right? Siegel, R. September 26, 2019. https://time.com/5686811/is-bottled-water-safest-best/

TIME – Microplastic Contamination Is Found in Most Bottled Water, a New Study Says. Barron, L. March 15, 2018. https://time.com/5200680/microplastic-water-bottle-orb-study/

 TIME – Your Bottled Water Probably Has Plastic In It. Should You Worry? May 29, 2019.https://time.com/5581326/plastic-particles-in-bottled-water/

Wikipedia – Bottled water (cost and environmental impact sections) Wikipedia contributors. Bottled water – Cost. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bottled_water#Cost