Question

Read the excerpt below from “Should Bottled Water be Banned?” As you read, look for the author's claim.




Plastic bottled water should be banned because it creates a large amount of waste that harms the environment.

There is a large amount of plastic bottles used per year but few are recycled. Most plastic bottles are used only once and then thrown away, and many of them end up in landfills, oceans, and streets. Americans alone used 50 billion bottles in 2006, but only recycled 38 billion. These bottles take hundreds of years to break down and can hurt animals that mistake them for food. Even though recycling is available, millions of bottles are still not recycled each year. In addition, producing and transporting bottled water uses fossil fuels and releases pollution into the air.



Not only is it destroying the planet, but it’s not helping our wallets either. Instead of just using tap water, which would be roughly $0.49 a year for eight glasses of water a day, we are spending $1,400 a year. Tap water is a much cleaner, safer, and cheaper option. Banning plastic bottled water would help protect our planet and reduce unnecessary waste. We’re supposed to take care of the Earth, so why aren’t we?



Write a response Identifying the author’s claim. Be sure to use one piece of evidence from the text to support your response.

Answer 1

The author’s claim is that plastic bottled water should be banned because it creates a large amount of waste that harms the environment. Evidence supporting this claim: “Americans alone used 50 billion bottles in 2006, but only recycled 38 billion,” which shows many bottles are discarded and contribute to environmental pollution.