Waste Watch view on bottled vs tap water
Over two billion litres of bottled water are sold in the UK every year - enough to fill the new Wembley Stadium twice over - and only one in five plastic bottles is recycled.
But, the environmental problems associated with bottled water are greater than the sheer waste created. Millions of barrels of oil are used in the manufacture of plastic bottles and the transportation of mineral water across the globe produces even more carbon emissions.
The House of Commons alone got through around 155,000 litres of bottled water in 2006-07 costing the tax payer £64,599. Environment minister Phil Woolas has gone on record attacking the wastefulness of the bottled water industry, yet only a quarter of government departments have stopped using bottled water in their offices.
Waste Watch is urging the House to set a good example to the rest of the UK by banning the use of bottled mineral water in its conference rooms and bars. While the Government should take a lead on the issue, businesses and the public also have a vital role to play. As many companies look to go green, moving from bottled to chilled filtered tap water is an easy and cheaper option. Restaurants and bars should also be routinely offering free tap water to their customers, and the public can do their bit by shunning expensive mineral water and turning to the tap instead.
Tap water is just as healthy as mineral water, 1,000 times cheaper and does not damage the environment. Furthermore, the public cannot even tell the difference between tap and bottled water. According to Waste Watch's own campaign 'Turn to the Tap', blind taste tests revealed that most people could not tell the difference between tap and bottled water, and just over half said they preferred the taste of tap water.
Waste Watch would like to see greater emphasis placed on providing people with access to chilled tap water in public places as well as additional investment in a public awareness campaign to promote the health and cost benefits of drinking tap water.
To find out more download our information sheet How can you get residents to reduce their waste effectively?
