Bottled Nonsense
One of the biggest cons in human history would have to be that of bottled water. Please explain to me how it makes any sense to pay money, actual money, for one of the only things that is given to us on a golden platter in this world? We possess taps with fresh running water at every turn, yet we walk into a shop and slap money on the counter, just because someone put the water from those taps inside a nicely branded bottle. Thanks corporate companies of the world, for making my life so much simpler. Let me reimburse you for that with my hard-earned money. What’s next, bottled air? Sorry people, if you want to continue to breathe on this Earth, you’re gonna have to pay up.
What is even crazier is the fact that different corporations sell their water at different prices. Hmmm, how could I ever choose between a Valpre for R7.90, and a Bonaqua for R5.90? The Valpre is more expensive, that means it must be better quality water. Let’s buy that one. Right? Wrong. It is the same H20 based liquid, end of story. There are a billion people in the world who walk miles and miles every day of their lives just to reach a source of water to collect some in a bucket for their families, and we are too spoilt to use what we have almost for free at our fingertips. Come on. We are catering for human laziness more and more every day. It all started with companies using scare tactics to make us think that we need a certain product, tap water is bad, tap water will make you sick. Don’t we see? Scare tactics. That’s the only way companies can make any money and gain customers – but that is a discussion for another day.
Sure, there are ongoing concerns that tap water contains high levels of chlorine that put us at risk of cancer. Well, there is equal concern over the chemical treatment of bottled water, and the fact that the plastic contains chemicals called phthalate, which are highly toxic toward the reproductive systems and the liver. Countless tests have also shown that prestigious bottled water is in actual fact often of a lower quality than normal tap water. Many people cannot even determine the difference in blind taste tests, and more often than not, CHOOSE the tap water! So apparently, we cannot win. If we drink tap water we will die of cancer. If we drink bottled water we will die of cancer. It seems everything these days is just a cancer-infested nest that we cannot escape from.
Another issue that arises from drinking bottled water is trash. Used water bottles contribute almost 2 million tons of plastic waste every single year. This can be so easily avoided by drinking tap water. If you do not like the taste of tap water, or are unnecessarily concerned about health risks, then you can look into water purification systems, carbon filters, and any other options currently available – of which there are many.
My view – Live your life the way you want to and stop worrying the whole time about any little thing that could possibly kill you. There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with tap water, and in actual fact, it even tastes a bit better to me. Drink it to your hearts content, and stop supporting the fad that is pouring our supposed freedom inside a branded bottle.
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