Water bottles are a fascinating commodity in the United States. From the elaborate names to the eco-friendly bottle designs, water has been transformed by Corporate America from a basic necessity of life to a symbolic display of lifestyle.

What do you think of when you hear “Coke” and “Pepsi”? Probably not water, that’s for sure. Companies that weren’t originally known for water, like Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, have made their way into the industry and solidified a strong grip on the business with brands such as Dasani and Aquafina, respectively. You know health is not their main priority when the biggest soda companies are also the same ones promoting bottled water.

The water bottle has become the new poster child for America’s obsessive consumerism. Glaceau Smartwater, Fiji, Evian — these are all undoubtedly familiar names; I am willing to bet that many of you buy a bottle on the way to class or work every single day. That comes out to a total of about $10 in a week on water alone — fees for the image upkeep that these large companies promise for buying their product.

I pay $0 for my tap water. The amount of time you wait on line to pay for the bottled water is probably roughly the same time I spend refilling my bottle at a fountain.

As a part of their marketing, bottled water companies emphasize how contaminated tap water is in comparison to the filtered, “pure spring” water these companies sell. However, according to a four-year study done by the Natural Resources Defense Council, one-third of tested bottled waters were contaminated, making them unhealthier than tap water. Talk about a bite in the ass.

As ridiculous as the idea of packaging water and selling it for an even more ridiculous price is, bottled water is here to stay. With this also comes the issue of recycling. As recognition of this fact, New York state recently made it legal to deposit water bottles for 5 cents, just like beer and soda. Currently, about 20 percent of water bottles are recycled, and by offering this incentive, New York hopes to encourage more people to partake in helping the environment. A study done in 2001 showed that states with a bottle bill recycled about 78 percent, while states without one recycled 23 percent. Retailers had a grace period until Nov. 8 to make all necessary changes demanded by the bill.

As much as I don’t agree with purchasing bottled waters by the pack (mostly because they’re a pain to carry), the newly passed bill gives many people the opportunity to obtain a decent refund on their purchases. And as pricey as those bottles go, I’d say that any bottle you can find is probably worth keeping and exchanging. On top of that, the environment nowadays seems to always need some helping out.

What is it to you to simply put the water bottle in the blue container or refund it for a shiny new nickel, right?