If an entrepreneur pitched the next big idea as bottled air, many
             individuals in today's society would likely laugh. This was likely the same
             response to the idea of mass-produced bottled water several decades ago and
             yet, this trend is taking the world by storm. Unfortunately, it is not only
             a trend increasing in popularity, but also a trend that contributes to the
             destruction of the environment. Taking a natural resource and packaging it
             for profit to sell in our increasingly consumer driven society extends
             beyond irony. Plastic water bottles are an increasing threat to the
             environment. By examining the increased consumption, limited recycling of
             such bottles, and production and transportation of bottled water, one can
             see the detrimental effects on the environment.
             Consumption of bottled water is increasing at astronomical rates. A
             review entitled, "The Myth and Reality of Bottled Water," by Peter Gleick
             in 2004 stated that consumption was increasing by ten percent every year
             worldwide. The United States has the largest consumer market for bottled
             water (Hu, Morton, Mahler, 565). One article from 2008 claimed Americans
             drank 26 billion liters in 2004, or approximately one 8-ounce glass per
             person every day. In Canada, consumption of bottled water has increased
             roughly 150% from 1999 to 2005 (Arnold).
             The increase in consumption has been attributed to a variety of
             reasons. One reason for the boom in sales is the commonly held belief that
             bottled water is more safe and pure to drink (Hu, Morton, Mahler, 565).
             However, this is often a misperception as most bottle water is tap water
             with added minerals for taste and no known health benefits (Arnold).
             Additionally, this attribution is limited in part given the advances in
             technology with at home water filters. Increased consumption has also been
             attributed to the marketing of water bottles as a cool, healthy image
             replete with mount...