This is a huge issue that I was researching yesterday. I think it has many profound outcome possibilities and avenues we could take with this. What do you guys think??

The life cycle of a commercial bottle of water revolves around the western way of consumer driven lifestyles. The Container Recycling Institute reports that sales of virgin resin PET (polyethylene terephthalate), the plastic most commonly used in water bottles, shot up to 738 million kilograms in 1999, more than double the amount in 1990. Producing 1 kilogram of PET plastic requires 17.5 kilograms of water and results in air emissions of 40 grams of hydrocarbons, 25 grams of sulfur oxides, 18 grams of carbon monoxide, 20 grams of nitrogen oxides, and 2.3 kilograms of carbon dioxide. In terms of water use alone, much more is consumed in making the bottles than will ever go into them.
Then the distribution, a major concern for bottled water comes from the fossil fuels burned to transport it by truck, train, or boat instead of by pipe. The World Wildlife Fund, while noting that 75 percent of bottled water is produced for local consumption, argues that international companies should invest in bottlers aiming at local markets and ship bottled water in bulk containers. Yet even this would be more inefficient that public drinking water systems.

Then the largest issue associated is the waste of the product. In Australia only 35% is recycled even though it is PET recyclable plastic being used. In June 2003, the Pollution Control Board of West Bengal, India, determined that bottle producers were responsible for collecting used bottles and recycling them. This stratagie should be taken on a global scale.

Design plays a major role in this as there aesthetics and appeal are so convicing that they are changing the publics mind on the basis of safety and taste."They are attractive, they catch the light and they are shiny, so little animals see them and get in," Clean Up Australia spokeswoman Therrie-Ann Johnson said.

First steps to simplify recycling
Container makers can make reprocessing easier by limiting the number of container types and shapes, using only one type of plastic resin in each container, making collapsible containers, using water-dispersible adhesives for labels, and phasing out metals, such as aluminum seals. Plastic resin manufacturers can limit the variety of resins within each numbered type of plastic, avoid using pigments, and formulate resins to better withstand post-consumer processing. Both container and plastic resin makers can help develop reprocessing if encouraged to use plastic that is discarded by consumers.

http://www.designboom.com/eng/education/pet/comp2.gif


SWISS-ENGINEERED SIGG WATER BOTTLES
Although the eco-friendliness of an aluminum drinking container may not be obvious at first glance, think of all the plastic water bottles you aren’t buying if you’re toting around a stylish, sturdy, reuseable and recyclable Sigg bottle. It turns out the Swiss-engineered bottles are the result of a high-tech, low-waste production method that starts with a piece of aluminum the size of a hockey puck.

http://www.inhabitat.com/wp-content/uploads/siggbottles.jpg

I think if people love the design of an eco friendly bottle and can save money by reusing their water bottle, these are important factors in creating a ‘desire’ for a product. Marketing plays a big part in getting the message across too.

www.epa.vic.gov.au/students/activities_lifecycle/lifecycle_activity4.asp
www.anglingmatters.com/ww_life.htm
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/06/san_francisco_m.php