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.