Just in case you are not yet aware, we are in the middle of a climate crisis. So far, 13 countries have declared a global environmental emergency, including the UK, Australia, Belgium, Canada and France, to name just a few.
With plastic convenience products at the forefront of the blame, it is therefore surprising to note that sales of bottled water continue to rise. In 2018, our country consumed 4.2 billion liters of water from disposable bottles, compared with 3.9bn in 2017. While experts blame the warmer summers for the increase in bottled beverages, those temperatures are a result of global warming – a phenomenon partly caused by our intensive manufacturing of these harmful plastics.
Water Bottle Sales Over the Pond
Meanwhile, Americans consumed a staggering 52.2 billion of water last year. The rising awareness of health issues is thought to be the reason for this increase of 7.3%, with US inhabitants preferring bottled water over sodas and fruit juices. While it is true that PET water bottles are easier to recycle than cola bottles, no waste is better than recycled waste.
Water Production Processes
Even if the whole world was conscientious enough to properly recycle every single water bottle (which is unfortunately not the case), simply producing these plastics places a huge strain on the environment. The amount of water required to make these bottles far outweighs the water contained inside them, while the amount of oil required to meet our demand is incredible – around 17 million barrels a year according to the Pacific Institute. This is a non-renewable energy source, which is a good enough reason not to waste it.
If you did need another excuse to avoid plastic bottles, you only need to take a look at our recycling rates. Out of all the disposable bottles we consume, it is thought that only twenty percent are repurposed. The rest are currently sitting in landfill, leaching chemicals into the earth and refusing to decompose, while posing a serious threat to the local wildlife.
Why Not Drink Tap Water?
Many homes in the UK have now been fitted with a water meter, as the country makes an effort to ensure as little of the precious commodity is wasted as possible. Despite this, it costs far less to fill up a reusable bottle and carry it around with you as it does to buy a disposable bottle from a convenience store.
Bottled water and tap water are equally safe, despite what clever marketing ads may have you believe. In fact, many brands simply fill their bottles with tap water, so what you are buying is exactly the same as what you have in your home, but with a ridiculous mark-up in price.
Since we are now living in a climate emergency, it is time to take control and save our planet. One of the simplest ways to make a difference is to ditch the disposables and purchase a reusable water bottle, like the ones from HydrateM8.
