27 Feb The Ripple Effect of Bottled Water Consumption
Written by Steve Silha
Water. Even though it is essential to life, good health, and a properly working society, it is easy to take for granted. Imagine your entire workplace without water for a day – no handwashing, no bathroom breaks, and no refreshing drink after that intense meeting…
Once you have been without water, you quickly remember its value.
As a society, we are drinking more water than ever. According to Grand View Research, the bottled water category is a rapidly growing sector in the global beverage market. Reports from Statista show that water consumption worldwide is vastly higher than other beverages. In 2022, the global consumption of bottled water reached over 500 billion liters. The business world is catching on. Over the past five years, water consumption has received considerable attention in the workplace.
At the onset, water consumption statistics indicate a positive and healthy trend. After all, water is essential for good health and refreshing the body. However, there are pitfalls in the water business to consider before deciding the best way to keep your workforce hydrated.
Why is water important?
As we know, water is essential to human health. It plays a vital role in nearly every physiological process in the body. It supports cellular function, helps regulate temperature, and assists in digestion and nutrient absorption. Here’s a detailed look at why water is so important for maintaining health:
How much water should you drink?
Water is incredibly important to your body. But, how much water should you drink? The amount of water a person needs varies depending on age, weight, activity level, and environmental conditions. Often referred to as the 8×8 rule, a common recommendation is to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day (about 2 liters or half a gallon). Specific guidelines, as quoted by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) are:
Men: About 3.7 liters (13 cups) of water per day from all beverages and foods.
Women: About 2.7 liters (9 cups) of water per day from all beverages and foods.
Keep in mind that water needs can increase with physical activity, hot climates, illness, or pregnancy.
Water is a fundamental nutrient that your body cannot function without. It plays a role in nearly every aspect of health, from cellular function to joint lubrication and mental clarity. Staying well-hydrated is crucial for maintaining optimal health and preventing a range of potential health issues.
Water in the Workplace
Water is not only essential for overall health, but it’s also crucial in the workplace for maintaining productivity, well-being, and a positive work environment. The availability and accessibility of water at work can have a profound impact on employees’ physical health, mental clarity, and overall performance.
Here is an overview of the many reasons water is so important in the workplace.
Improves General Wellbeing
Reduced Illness: Inadequate water intake can lead to dehydration, which can cause a range of issues such as dizziness, dry skin, constipation, kidney stones, and urinary tract infections. Ensuring that employees have easy access to water helps prevent these health issues and keeps workers in better physical shape.
Muscle and Joint Health: Dehydration can impair muscle function and increase the likelihood of cramps, soreness, and injury, especially during physically demanding tasks. Water is essential for maintaining joint lubrication and reducing the risk of muscle fatigue and strain.
Enhances Cognitive Function
Mental Clarity and Focus: Even mild dehydration can impair cognitive function, including attention, memory, and decision-making. According to research by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), dehydration has been linked to decreased attention and concentration. This can lead to more mistakes, slower response times, and reduced problem-solving abilities.
Improved Memory and Productivity: Water plays a role in maintaining healthy brain function, including memory retention. Staying hydrated can boost employees’ ability to learn, retain information, and recall important details. Proper hydration contributes to more effective communication and quicker decision-making, making employees more efficient and productive.
Supports Mental Health
Elevated Mood: Dehydration can cause irritability, mood swings, and increased feelings of anxiety or stress. Keeping employees hydrated helps maintain a more stable and positive mood, reducing the likelihood of frustration or negative attitudes at work.
Reduced Stress: Hydration has been linked to a reduction in cortisol levels, the hormone associated with stress. When employees are properly hydrated, they may feel less stressed and better able to handle workplace challenges.
Lower Mental Fatigue: Being well-hydrated helps maintain the brain’s energy balance, which reduces mental fatigue and helps employees stay alert and engaged throughout the day.
Enhances Workplace Performance
Higher Energy Levels: Proper hydration helps maintain energy levels and ensures that employees stay focused and productive throughout the day.
Improved Performance: Dehydration has been shown to slow reaction times and impair judgment, leading to mistakes and inefficiencies. Adequately hydrated employees can work faster, think more clearly, and make fewer errors. This translates to improved performance across various tasks.
Decreased Absenteeism: Ensuring employees have access to water can help prevent dehydration-related illnesses that lead to sick days. A hydrated workforce is less likely to experience conditions like headaches, fatigue, or digestive issues, which can result in fewer missed workdays.
Promotes a Positive Work Environment
Enhanced Comfort: Having water readily available—whether it’s through water coolers, bottleless dispensers, or bottled water stations—demonstrates a company’s commitment to employee well-being and comfort. Small gestures like making sure employees have access to water can improve job satisfaction and contribute to a positive, caring company culture.
Social Benefits: Providing water stations or hydration areas in communal spaces (e.g., break rooms, kitchens) encourages employees to take regular breaks, socialize, and relax. This can foster stronger interpersonal relationships and teamwork.
Encourages Healthy Habits
Healthy Lifestyle: Offering water as a primary beverage option in the workplace encourages employees to drink water rather than sugary drinks or caffeinated beverages. This can help reduce the consumption of unhealthy drinks like sodas, energy drinks, or excessive coffee, which can lead to sugar crashes or caffeine dependency.
Supports Wellness Programs: Encouraging hydration as part of a larger wellness program can promote overall health initiatives. Companies that focus on hydration may also implement other health-focused programs, such as fitness challenges, healthy snacks, or mental health resources, all of which contribute to a healthier, more engaged workforce.
Reduces Risk of Workplace Injuries
Prevents Heat Stress: In workplaces with high temperatures—whether in factories, kitchens, or construction sites—water is essential for preventing heat stress and heat-related illnesses, including heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Providing easily accessible water throughout the day is critical in these environments, where employees are at a higher risk of dehydration due to sweating.
Improves Reaction Times: Proper hydration supports physical coordination and reaction time. Dehydration can impair these abilities, increasing the likelihood of workplace accidents, especially in environments where employees are handling machinery or performing physical tasks.
Encourages Micro Breaks
Encourages Movement: Having water stations available throughout the office can encourage employees to take breaks and move around. This can help combat sedentary behavior, which is linked to various health issues, including back pain, poor circulation, and increased risk of chronic diseases. Employees who take regular breaks to hydrate and move are likely to feel more refreshed and motivated to work.
Break Time and Productivity: Taking short breaks to hydrate or stretch can help employees recharge mentally and physically, leading to better focus and efficiency when they return to their tasks.
Demonstrates Corporate Responsibility
Sustainability and Eco-Friendly Practices: Many companies are adopting water-saving practices, such as using bottleless water coolers, installing water filtration systems, or encouraging the use of reusable water bottles. These initiatives can help a company reduce its environmental footprint by decreasing reliance on single-use plastic bottles.
Corporate Image and Employee Retention: Offering water to employees and making hydration a priority can improve a company’s image as a caring and responsible employer. This can help with employee retention, attract talent, and build a company culture that values employee health and well-being.
Key Takeaways
- Water supports physical and mental performance by preventing dehydration, improving focus, and boosting productivity.
- Hydration reduces absenteeism by preventing dehydration-related health issues like headaches, fatigue, and digestive problems.
- Water availability fosters a positive work environment, improving mood, encouraging healthy habits, and promoting social interaction.
- Water helps prevent injuries, particularly in physically demanding workplaces, by supporting heat regulation and physical coordination.
- Providing water can enhance employee well-being, contributing to higher job satisfaction, increased engagement, and overall workplace morale.
Water is a simple yet powerful resource that supports a wide range of functions in the workplace. By ensuring employees stay hydrated, companies can improve overall health, enhance productivity, reduce absenteeism, and foster a positive workplace culture. Making hydration a priority is not just about providing water—it’s about creating a healthier, happier, and more effective workforce.
Enter The Problem: Plastic Water Bottles
We have established the importance of drinking water at work. But, how employees consume water at work is very important to consider, too. Enter the Plastic Problem.
Around 500 billion plastic bottles are used worldwide annually, with 35 billion empty water bottles discarded in the United States alone. Shockingly, only 12% of these bottles are recycled. On a global basis, 91% of the plastic bottles used are not recycled.
The Plastic Problem was once considered an underlying concern in the industry. Today, anti-plastic sentiment is at an all-time high, and there is no apparent ceiling in growth for the passion related to the issue.
In 2024, anti-plastic campaigns continued to gain momentum globally, with a heightened focus on reducing plastic waste, particularly single-use plastics like bottles, straws, and packaging. Governments, businesses, non-profits, and grassroots movements have ramped up efforts to raise awareness, encourage behavioral change, and push for policy reform. Here are some of the top anti-plastic campaigns in 2024 that are driving significant impact:
Why Is Plastic a Problem?
While common sense tends to illuminate the main issue with single-use plastics, let’s outline the reasoning here. It will help you better understand why a professional water filtration system is the better option for your workplace.
The problem with plastic bottled waters is multifaceted, encompassing environmental, social, and economic concerns.
Here’s a breakdown of the key issues:
The Obvious Threat – Negative Environmental Impact
The most obvious and most complex issue here is the negative environmental impact. Of these impacts, the most significant and obvious issue with plastic bottled waters is its contribution to plastic pollution. Single-use plastic bottles are made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET). These plastics do not break down easily. It can take hundreds of years to break down. Due to this fact, large volumes of plastic waste are continually accumulating in landfills, oceans, rivers, and other ecosystems. According to National Geographic, over 480 billion plastic bottles were sold worldwide in 2020 alone.
Not surprisingly, plastic bottles are one of the most commonly found items during beach cleanups, contributing to marine pollution. To add insult to injury, when these bottles break down, they can leach chemicals into the water, harming marine life. The World Economic Forum has reported that, by 2050, there could be more plastic than fish in the world’s oceans, by weight.
The Hidden Threat – Other Factors to Consider
While the problem of plastic waste is obvious, there lies an additional hidden threat. This threat is the large carbon footprint left by the production and transport of plastic water bottles, which contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. The plastic manufacturing process requires energy and raw materials, and transporting bottled water across long distances involves burning fossil fuels. This problem is exacerbated by those companies that manufacture still and sparkling waters overseas and export them to North America. According to a 2020 study by the Pacific Institute, more than 1.39 million barrels of oil are used annually just to make plastic water bottles
While bottled water is often marketed as a pure and sustainable resource, it can contribute to water scarcity. Bottling companies often extract water from local sources, sometimes in areas that are already experiencing water stress. As an example, large water bottling operations in areas with limited freshwater resources can deplete local water supplies, leaving local communities with less access to clean drinking water.
In some cases, companies like Nestlé have faced criticism for extracting water from drought-prone regions, such as California and Michigan and selling it at a profit while local residents struggle to access clean water.
Another aggravating factor is the energy that is used for production. Producing a single plastic water bottle requires a substantial amount of energy. The process of extracting, filtering, bottling, and transporting bottled water uses more energy than simply drinking water from a tap. The Pacific Institute estimates that the energy required to produce bottled water is up to 2,000 times greater than that required for tap water.
More Issues with Single Use Waters
Waste Management Issues
Low Recycling Rates: While plastic bottles are technically recyclable, global recycling rates for PET bottles are low. According to National Geographic, only about 7% of plastic waste is recycled, and even if a plastic bottle is recycled, it often doesn’t turn into a new bottle but rather into a lower-quality product. Much of the plastic ends up in landfills or the environment.
Single-Use Culture: The use of single-use plastic bottles promotes a throwaway culture, where people may feel less inclined to recycle or choose reusable alternatives. This exacerbates the problem of plastic waste, which continues to accumulate in the environment.
Economic Inefficiency
Higher Cost: Bottled water is generally much more expensive than tap water, yet it is often no safer or cleaner. Consumers are paying a premium for something that can be accessed from the tap for a fraction of the cost. In fact, bottled water prices can be up to 2,000 times more expensive than tap water, making it an inefficient use of resources, especially in developed countries where tap water is usually safe to drink.
Hidden Costs: The true costs of bottled water go beyond what consumers pay at the store. These costs include:
- Environmental cleanup of plastic waste.
- Healthcare expenses due to pollution-related health problems.
- Infrastructure costs for managing water resources and recycling programs.
Health Concerns
Chemical Contamination: While bottled water is generally considered safe to drink, the plastic bottles themselves can pose health risks. Some studies have shown that BPA (bisphenol A) and other chemicals found in plastics can leach into water, especially when bottles are exposed to heat or sunlight. BPA is a chemical that has been linked to health problems like hormonal imbalances, reproductive issues, and increased risk of certain cancers.
Bacterial Growth: Bottled water, especially when stored improperly, can become a breeding ground for bacteria. If bottles are reused or not sealed properly, there is a risk of bacterial contamination. Although this is rare, it’s a potential concern, especially with bottles left in hot environments.
Microplastics: Over time, plastic bottles break down into smaller fragments called microplastics, which end up in water bodies, affecting wildlife and potentially entering the human food chain.
Social Inequities
Access to Clean Water: While bottled water is marketed as a clean and pure source of drinking water, it is not always accessible or affordable to everyone. In low-income or developing regions, clean drinking water may be scarce, and people may be forced to rely on bottled water at high costs.
Water Privatization: The business of bottled water often intersects with the issue of water privatization. In some instances, large multinational corporations have bought the rights to water resources in local communities, leading to public water sources being sold for private profit. This can create social tensions and exacerbate issues of water inequality, especially in countries facing water scarcity.
The Illusion of “Purity”
Marketing and Misleading Claims: Many bottled water brands market their products as “pure” or “spring water,” leading consumers to believe that bottled water is of superior quality compared to tap water. However, in many cases, bottled water is simply filtered tap water or water from questionable sources. In some countries, tap water is better regulated and monitored than bottled water, which may not undergo the same level of scrutiny.
Environmental Branding: While some companies market bottled water as an eco-friendly option (e.g., made from recycled plastic or biodegradable bottles), these claims often don’t address the larger environmental problem of the massive amounts of plastic waste generated. In many cases, the use of plastic bottles, even if they are “eco-friendly,” still perpetuates the cycle of waste and pollution.
These are all demonstrable and legitimate issues that directly or indirectly relate to single-use products. While these solutions will not fully eliminate the plastic problem, there are ways to mitigate their impact. Shifting towards sustainable practices, such as using refillable bottles, improving recycling rates, and reducing plastic production, is essential for addressing these issues and creating a more sustainable future.
The Solution to The Plastic Problem
Now that we have thoroughly outlined The Plastic Problem, we can discuss the solution. A professional water program is the ultimate win-win-win solution for the workplace.
Your Employees and Business Wins
A well-designed and robust water program brings multiple benefits to your employees. Unlimited free access to a variety of healthy water options can feel like a luxury. Bottleless water systems offer more choices: select still or sparkling water in a variety of temperatures (chilled, ambient, or hot). Many water programs even offer natural flavorings. Employees have the opportunity to customize their pour each time they refill. This makes your workplace’s water program more exciting and appreciated.
The Earth Wins
Statistically speaking, every bottleless water cooler that replaces a single-use plastic water bottle display can eliminate 1,000 bottles per year.
The shift away from bottled water in favor of bottleless (“point-of-use”) water filtration systems has gained traction for several key reasons. These shifts are driven by environmental, economic, and health-related concerns, as well as the growing demand for convenience and sustainability. Here’s a breakdown of the main factors contributing to this change:
Environmental Benefits of a Professional Water Program
Better for the Planet and Your Wallet
Plastic Waste Reduction: One of the primary drivers of this shift is growing concern over the environmental impact of single-use plastic bottles. The plastic waste from bottled water contributes significantly to pollution, particularly in oceans and landfills. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), over 60 million plastic bottles are thrown away every day in the U.S. alone.
Sustainability: Bottleless water systems (such as filtration units or water coolers connected directly to the water supply) do not require plastic bottles, which greatly reduces waste and supports sustainability efforts. Many consumers and businesses are opting for these systems as part of their commitment to reducing their carbon footprint.
Cost Efficiency: Lower Long-Term Costs: While bottled water can appear cheap at first glance, it is often more expensive in the long run due to the recurring costs of purchasing and transporting bottled water. On average, bottled water can cost anywhere from $1 to $3 per bottle, which adds up quickly. By contrast, bottleless water dispensers typically cost more upfront but have lower ongoing maintenance and operational costs. The water filtration system often only needs periodic filter replacements, making it much more affordable over time. This is appealing for businesses that consume large amounts of water.
Health and Safety
Water Quality Control: Many people are increasingly concerned about the quality of bottled water. There have been instances where bottled water has been found to contain contaminants, and people may question the freshness of bottled water that can sit on store shelves for months or years. Bottleless water systems offer more control over water filtration, allowing users to ensure they have access to purified, fresh water at all times.
Advanced Filtration: Modern bottleless systems often come equipped with high-quality filtration technologies, including reverse osmosis, UV light treatment, and multi-stage filters, which can provide cleaner, safer water than bottled alternatives.
Convenience
Constant Supply: Bottleless systems are connected directly to the plumbing, meaning they provide a constant supply of water without the need for frequent bottle deliveries or replacements. This is especially convenient in offices or homes with high water consumption.
Space-Saving: Bottleless water coolers and filtration units are often more compact and less obtrusive than the bulky bottled water dispensers that require large bottles to be stored and replaced regularly. They save valuable space, particularly in places where storage is limited.
Corporate and Institutional Responsibility
Business Benefits: Companies are increasingly adopting bottleless water systems to enhance their sustainability credentials. They are seen as an environmentally responsible choice that aligns with corporate social responsibility (CSR) goals. Many businesses are also moving towards bottleless systems to provide employees with convenient, high-quality drinking water without contributing to the environmental impact of bottled water.
More Employee Choice: Bottleless water dispensers also allow for more customized water options compared to bottled water.
Growing Awareness of Environmental Impact
Advocacy and Legislation: As consumer awareness of environmental issues rises, there is increasing advocacy against the use of plastic bottles. Governments and organizations are also implementing policies to reduce plastic waste, with some even banning single-use plastic bottles in certain places. For instance, cities like San Francisco and countries like France have passed laws aimed at reducing plastic waste, which encourages people and businesses to seek alternatives like bottleless water systems.
Technological Advances
Improved Filtration Systems: Advances in water filtration technology have made bottleless systems more effective and efficient. Many modern systems remove a wide range of contaminants, including chlorine, lead, bacteria, and pesticides, ensuring that consumers have access to clean and safe drinking water.
Smart Features: Many bottleless water coolers now come with smart features, including filters that notify users when they need to be changed or sensors that monitor water quality. These innovations make bottleless systems more user-friendly and convenient.
Perception and Trends
Rising Popularity of Sustainable Choices: As sustainability becomes more mainstream, people are increasingly making lifestyle changes to align with eco-friendly values. The adoption of bottleless water systems is part of a broader trend toward eliminating single-use plastics and making more sustainable choices.
Perception of Bottled Water: As people become more aware of the environmental impact of bottled water, there is a cultural shift toward alternatives. Bottled water is often seen as wasteful or unnecessary when there are more sustainable, efficient options available.
Bottleless Water Systems: The Choice for our Future
The move toward bottleless water systems reflects broader societal trends focused on sustainability, health, and convenience. Environmental concerns, including plastic waste and resource depletion, are major motivating factors. Additionally, economic considerations and the growing awareness of water quality and safety are helping fuel the adoption of bottleless systems.
Transitioning to a bottleless water filtration system for your workplace now is clearly the way to go. As technology continues to improve and public attitudes shift, this trend will continue to grow.