waste less. live more
We inspire and help people to waste less and live more sustainably.
Plastic bottled water
What is the issue?
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.
Tap water is just as healthy as mineral water, 1,000 times cheaper and does not damage the environment. According to Waste Watch's own campaign 'Turn to the Tap', blind taste tests also 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.
What should be done?
We want organisations to remove bottled mineral water from their conference rooms. 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.
We would like to see greater access to chilled tap water in public places as well as additional investment in promoting the health and cost benefits of drinking tap water.
