Home Carbonating Of Water And The Environment
Ecological effect – transportation and exhaust fumes
Today, water is transported all over the world and sold in plastic bottles. The water tastes the same, and the carbonic acid tastes the same. It is the same water all over the world that evaporates and rains back down – we all know this. Somehow, the water industry has succeeded in selling bottled water at high prices – the very same water that is in your own tap, where it costs next to nothing.
Part of the reason for the high price starts with the transportation of the people, bottles, capsules, cartons, pallets, and labels needed in the bottling factories. Then the transportation of bottled water from the factories to the wholesale retailers, where it is repacked again and shipped off to local retailers such as supermarkets. Customers then drive to the supermarket, get the water from the supermarket and take it back home. That is not the end though, as they then drive back to the store for recycling, or even worse throw them out with the garbage for more transportation and toxic fumes from burning. Huge amounts of gases are released into the atmosphere as a result of all this totally unnecessary transportation of water – water that you already have in your own tap – water that is regularly quality controlled.
Waste of energy
A soda machine takes no energy at all, it is not electric. Empty bottles and canisters are constantly being reused, and the machine itself has a lifespan of many of years.
Purchased water on the other hand, is especially energy-inefficient. Loads of energy is wasted in transportation, lots more goes into the fabrication of plastic bottles, the capsule, labels and cartons etc, all requiring huge amounts of energy. Machines are used in every step of the process, with assembly lines running in heated factories to which people are driving to and from in cars. Sorting, labelling, positioning, gluing, packing – everything takes lots of energy. But at home you do this for yourself and no heat or electricity is used.
Raw materials
Disposable bottles, capsules, labels and cartons are taking up our natural resources. Even recyclable bottles have a short lifespan. Also, the water from springs is emptied as the spring water is marketed as being something unique.
Garbage
Carbonating your own water means a lot less garbage. All that remains is the occasional aroma bottle and a new machine maybe every ten years. In comparison, just recycling purchased drink bottles normally means refuse sacks being filled, with new requirements in energy for cleaning and redistribution or simply being burned.This all release pollution into the atmosphere.
Selling of water in stores should be illegal
The authorities should simply ban, or at least add environmental duties on the reselling of bottled water as it is totally unnecessary.
Savings
To carbonate your own water is cheaper than buying carbonated beverages. It can be done in all households and in all work places.
Transportation of 55 litres of water from the supermarket is reduced to a one kilo bottle of carbonic acid, meaning several trips are reduced to one. Those with even bigger bottles will perhaps refill this as seldom as once a year, or even more rarely. Carbonic acid is a preservative, and lasts for years.
Released from having to go specially the supermarket. If you have two canisters for carbonic acid, you can simply refill the one not being used whenever you have to go the supermarket anyway.
More room, less hassle, more time off. Those who have a soda machine at home, be it Wassermaxx, Sodastream, SodaFresh, SodaQuick, Sodamaker, or something else, no longer have to gather sacks of empty bottles for recycling, and no longer have to stand in line to recycle them.
Make an effort for the environment. It feels good to make a difference and not contribute to the illogical transportation of water all over the world.