BOTTLED WATER: THE FACTS
- For every gallon of water that goes into plastic bottles, two gallons of water are wasted during production.
- Only 1 in 5 bottles is actually recycled
- It takes approximately three times more water to produce a single plastic bottle than to fill it!
- Tap water is around 3500 times cheaper than bottled water
WHAT'S GOING ON?
Bottled water is currently the largest growing beverage in the world, with consumption in Europe alone doubling over the last 10 years to 54 billion litres. The unsustainable use of bottled water is having a heavy and unnecessary impact globally on our environment and on communities, often in the poorest parts of the world.
Although most types of plastic water bottles are recyclable, only 1 in 5 is actually recycled. The remainder get sent to landfills but careless waste management leads to plastic bottles littering rivers and beaches, polluting watercourses, endangering wildlife and spoiling the landscape. Somewhere between 60 and 95% of all marine debris is made of plastic.
Despite being the main consumers of bottled water, many rich countries are reluctant to go on filling up their own landfills, so ship half a million tonnes of used plastic bottles every year to other countries particularly India and China. These waste imports have led to recycling in hazardous conditions without any protection for workers putting them at risk of injury or even death.
Furthermore the growth in the bottled water industry is creating water shortages for farmers worldwide as large multi-national corporations buy up public water sources. The water shortage means that farmers produce fewer crops adding to the world's food crisis.
So what's the alternative? A more sustainable and practical way to provide water for our communities is through self-service water coolers connected to the mains. They are not only environmentally friendly (no transportation costs, no plastic, no wate) but also very cost effective.
TAKE ACTION!
Plastic bottles destroy our planet. Say NO to bottled water and please take the I Drink Tap! pledge at this top of the page!