You may hear: plastic water bottles, a huge pile of plastic bottles, Coke and Pepsi plastic bottles, sports drink bottles, a lot of plastic. Photo by Chris Jordan Depicts two million plastic beverage bottles, the number used in the U.S. every five minutes. According to the Pacific Institute, it takes three liters of water to produce one liter of bottled water. 40% of bottled water is tap water, not spring water. Plastic bottles made from PET (polyethylene terephthalate) can be recycled into many products, including beverage bottles, plastic strapping, fleece jackets, sleeping bags, and carpets.