Should Bottled Water Be Banned? – Top 4 Pros and Cons

Americans consumed 13.7 billion gallons of bottled water in 2017 – more than any other beverage by volume – boosting an industry worth $18.5 billion. 67.3% of bottled water sold in the United States is in single-serve plastic bottles. 70% of those plastic water bottles are not recycled. Globally, about 20,000 plastic bottles are bought every second, the majority of which contain drinking water.

In 2013, Concord, MA, became the first US city to ban single-serve plastic water bottles, citing environmental and waste concerns. Since then, many cities, colleges, entertainment venues, and national parks have followed suit, including San Francisco, the University of Vermont, the Detroit Zoo, and the Grand Canyon National Park.