In blind taste tests, most people prefer the taste of tap water over bottled. This result has been duplicated multiple times in a variety of countries. So why does bottled water taste "better" when we know what it is? Scientists say it's all about expectation.
More facts about bottled water:
- The country that consumes the most bottled water also has the most widespread supply of potable water — the United States. Americans consume more than 50 billion bottles of water a year, which costs about $15 billion US Dollars (USD) annually, not including any garbage costs or recycling costs.
- If you calculate water costs by the gallon, many brands of bottled water are more expensive than gasoline.
- Out of all the water bottles used in the world per year, only 14 percent are recycled.
- Global bottled water consumption comes to about $50 billion USD. The three biggest consumers after the U.S. are China, Brazil and Mexico.