bottled water is the fastest growing beverage industry in the world. according to the international

bottled water association (IBWA), sales of bottled water have increased by 500 percent over

the last decade: 1.5 million tons of plastic are used to bottle water every year, unfortunately

the recycling process is messy and inefficient. plastic bottle recycling has not kept pace with

the dramatic increases in virgin resin polyethylene terephthalate (PET) sales, particularly for

PET bottles. it’s interesting to note how the last imperative in the ecological triad of reduce /

reuse / recycle, has emerged as the one given prominence. the consequences of demanding

an emphasis on the first — reduction of consumption and production —puts one on the path

of confrontation with a system which seeking to function at maximum capacity, not minimum.