Chances are you’ve bought a bottle of water on vacation, at a sporting event, or in your school cafeteria. Each year, Americans purchase about 50 billion of them—more than any other drink. Bottled water is quick, convenient, and healthier than sports drinks and soda. But experts say it comes at a cost to the environment: Most plastic water bottles are used only once—and they take hundreds of years to break down in
That’s why a growing number of places around the country are trying to ban the use of plastic water bottles. U.S. national parks and public lands have started phasing out their sale. Stores and vending machines in Los Angeles International Airport in California no longer carry them. And Massachusetts recently banned its state agencies from purchasing them.
People in favor of banning all plastic water bottles say cutting down on plastic pollution is essential. But other people argue that bottled water is vital—especially in places where it is the only safe drinking option.