Ditch Single-Use Bottles to Conserve Water Resources
In a world where convenience often outweighs sustainability, it’s time to reevaluate some of our daily choices. One seemingly small but actually significant decision is whether to invest in a reusable water bottle. Every minute, over a million plastic bottles are purchased worldwide. Plastic production has more than doubled in the past 20 years, and it’s everywhere, often ending up in landfills or polluting our waterways. Although it might seem like a minor and harmless choice, buying single-use water bottles has a heavy impact on our planet and water resources.
Behind the convenience of a single-use water bottle lies a resource-intensive process. Plastic bottles are made from petroleum, and energy is needed to produce and transport them. From oil extraction to resin creation, each stage consumes a significant amount of water—roughly 3 liters for each water bottle produced. Although they are technically recyclable, only 10% of water bottles are actually recycled nationwide. As a result, nine out of ten bottles end up in landfills or litter the environment, contributing to long-term pollution and waste.
Plastic pollution is a major environmental issue. We often hear about its impact on our oceans, and those claims are valid. For example, in Oahu, 65% of coral formations are covered in plastic, leading to the death of about 80% of these vital ecosystems. However, for those of us in Minnesota, the ocean might seem distant. So, let’s look at the effects of plastic pollution on a much closer body of water: the Mississippi River.
Along with the freshwater and sediment it carries, the Mississippi River transports huge amounts of plastic pollution from communities along its banks and tributaries to the Gulf of Mexico and ultimately the ocean. It's not just the large pieces of plastic we need to worry about; most plastic debris breaks down over time into microplastics, which are small pieces measuring less than 5mm in size. Although microplastics are difficult to see, they pose serious dangers to a wide variety of organisms, including humans, that consume them.
Switching to a reusable water bottle offers clear benefits! Not only does it help reduce plastic waste and save water, but it can also be good for your wallet. Many people save around $6,180 in five years—imagine what you could do with an extra $103 each month! It’s a simple change that makes a big difference for the environment and your savings.
References
“Bottled Water Factsheet.” R.I.T. Sustainability, www.rit.edu/sustainablecampus/sites/rit.edu.sustainablecampus/files/BottledwaterFactSheetFinal_0.pdf. Accessed 8 Aug. 2025.
“How Many Plastic Bottles Are Purchased Every Minute on Earth?” World Wildlife Fund, www.worldwildlife.org/pages/how-many-plastic-bottles-are-purchased-every-minute-on-earth. Accessed 8 Aug. 2025.
“How Much Can You Save With a Reusable Water Bottle?” NAYAD, 2025, nayad.com/blogs/nayad-drinkware/how-much-can-you-save-with-a-reusable-water-bottle. Accessed 8 Aug. 2025.
Link, Kristen. “The Water Footprint of Your Plastic Bottle.” FoodPrint, 17 July 2020, foodprint.org/blog/plastic-water-bottle/.
US EPA, OW. “Plastic Pollution in the Mississippi River – Regional Cooperation for a Transboundary Problem.” Www.epa.gov, 26 May 2021, www.epa.gov/trash-free-waters/plastic-pollution-mississippi-river-regional-cooperation-transboundary-problem.
Tekman, Mine B et al. “The Effects of Plastic Pollution on Marine Ecosystems.” Research in Marine Sciences, 3 Aug. 2023, resmarsci.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Research_in_Marine_Sciences-23-4.pdf.