Be sure to recycle your plastic bottles

EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I (WPRI) - It seems more and more people prefer the taste of bottled water over tap water. Billions of bottles of water are sold in the United States each year, but not all of that plastic is getting recycled.

"Tap water-it doesn't come out really, really cold and it's not purified." said Nathan Foley, who says he drinks several cases of bottled water each week.

But by definition, bottled spring water, isn't purified either. It is different than distilled water, mineral water, and sterile water. All separate things sold in a similar package. Americans buy almost 30 billion bottles of water a year, but less than 30% make it into the blue.

Chris Wonzy says he tries to recycle his plastic bottles. "Sometimes I recycle them. Sometimes I don't. Depending on how lazy I am that day."

And those recycled water bottles might end up somewhere you never considered like your carpet, or sweatshirt, maybe even the container holding your laundry detergent.

We've discovered that stack the water bottles sold in the US each year end to end, It would circle the earth the earth more than 150 times.

• Click here for more information on recycling plastic water bottles .