Bottled water is the number one packaged product in the United States, outselling even bottled soda. Only about 30 percent of water bottles are recycled, and most of the rest end up in the ocean, where they break down into microplastics and poison sea life. The only solution to this problem is to ban plastic bottles.

Question

A student is developing a counterclaim to this argument. Which is the fairest and most effective?
A. If people want it bottled water, they should be able to get all they want of it, and not allowing businesses to sell it will hurt them greatly.
B. Bottled water, soda, and juice all contain the chemical dihydrogen oxide, and their bottles are all made with polyethylene terephthalate.
C. There are places where tap water is not drinkable, and in these places bottled water is distributed in emergency situations and is a lifesaver.
D. Soda and juice bottles are actually more harmful to the environment if they are not recycled and banning these as well would not be practical.

Answer 1

The fairest and most effective counterclaim to the argument that the only solution to the problem of plastic waste from bottled water is to ban plastic bottles is:

C. There are places where tap water is not drinkable, and in these places bottled water is distributed in emergency situations and is a lifesaver.

This counterclaim acknowledges the necessity of bottled water in certain situations where safe drinking water is not available, thereby providing a nuanced perspective on the issue. It emphasizes the important role bottled water can play in public health and safety, making it a more compelling and thoughtful counterpoint to the proposed ban.