7.

THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATION AND SOCIO-

ECONOMIC IMPACT ASSESMENT
7.1. Environmental Impact of bottled water Processing

The environmental impact of bottled water processing is mainly emanated from three sources
described as follows.

 When different substance added or reduced to certify water

 Packaging material
 Chemicals and energy used

7.2. Environmental Impact of substance

There are different types of water forms over the earth’s surface. The difference in water forms is
due to the fact that there are different kinds of substances in the water contaminants). The
substances in the water determine its taste, color, odor and uses.

In the process of producing bottled water different substances like manganese, mercury iron, zinc
chlorine etc may be added or reduced to make the bottled water certified for drinking purpose.
Depending on the type of water to be processed some of the substances which are reduced from
the water my have negative impact on the environment.

Hence, great attention has to be taken to minimize the impact of toxic chemicals on the
environment depending on the type of toxic chemicals available in the water to be processed
specific treatment equipments have to be designed which helps to minimize to the environmental
impact of it.

7.3. Environmental Impact of Packaging Materials

More than anything else the environmental impact of bottled water industry comes from the
packaging materials which include the bottle, the cup, the labeling plastic, and the wrapping
plastic.

Different materials are used for the packaging of bottled water: glass PVC (vinyl polychlorure)
and PET (polyethylene terephtalate) and aluminum and steel cans. For a long time, bottled water
was only available in glass, a very good but heavy material.
At the end of the 1960s, bottles started to use packaging made of PVC. In the 1980s, a new kind
of plastic being used PET. PET is progressively replacing PVC because of its numerous
advantages.

 It is brighter than PVC

 Compared to PVC it is very transparent and it is almost look like glass

 PET is Shatter- resistant and easy to work on

 It‘s light weight (20% lighter than PVC) enables to reduce plastic quantities needed to make
a bottle.

 It is compressible , so volumes of waste are smaller

 Where burnt, it does not release chlorine in to atmosphere, contrary to PVC whatever type of
incinerator is used.

However, using of PET for bottling of water is not free of pollution. As the study made by Paul
McRandle (2004) showed the manufacture of one kilogram of PET bring about the release in the
air of 40 grams of hydrocarbons , 25 grams of sulfur dioxide , 18 grams of carbon monoxide, 20
grams of nitrogen oxide and 2.3 kilo grams of carbon dioxide . All have direct or indirect effects
on climate.

To minimize the harmful effect on the environment of PET due to fuel combustion and energy
needs it is better if returnable bottles are simply washed and refilled. Most glass bottles are
treated in this way, while plastic and aluminum packages are generally recycled or
remanufactured. According to a 2001 report of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF),
roughly 1.5 million tons of plastic are expended in the bottling of 89 billion liters of water each
year which the disposal is harsh for the environment.

On the other hand, recycling of used packaging requires some necessary infrastructure, public
awareness and know-how to organize their collection and transform them. In developing
countries the packaging materials may be burnt, end up on rubbish dumps or be re-used or re-
filled in poor hygienic conditions.
The environmental impacts of packaging materials are immense and hence, water bottles are
washed and reused in strong hygienic conditions in order to lessen their negative impact on the
environment.

Moreover transporting bottled water throughout the world also implies energy needs as well as
fuel combustion. The manufacturing, recycling or incinerating plastics imply energy needs and
some outlets in air, and water polluting particles. Hence the processing of water demands
different kinds of chemicals and energy. This has also a negative impact on the environment.

In general, the manufacturing of packaging materials of the bottled water, distribution of the
bottled water, and incinerating or recycling of bottled water and packaging materials are
environment unfriendly.

7.4. Socio-economic Benefits

 As the processing plants are usually labor intensive they create job opportunity for many
skilled and unskilled workers.

 They generate revenue to the government in the form of taxes

 They increase the foreign currency earning capability of the country

 The processing plants would have forward and back ward linkages in transportation and
plastic manufacturing industries, respectively.