Shelve The Bottled Water
Ok, so we’re not fundamentalists and we’re not talking never buying a bottle of water again. But how about not resorting to bottled water so often, how about thinking ahead and filling up from the tap before leaving home. Why? Here’s a few reasons.
- It costs 10,000 times more to create the bottled version than it does to produce tap water, according to the scientists.
- Drinking a bottle of water has the same impact on the environment as driving a car for a kilometre.
- A litre bottle of Evian or Volvic generates up to 600 times more CO2 than a litre of tap water.
- Research commissioned by a Swiss-based conservation group (in 2001) indicates that bottled water is often no healthier or safer to drink than tap water.
- Huge resources are needed to draw it from the ground, add largely irrelevant minerals, and package and distribute it – sometimes half-way around the world.
- The plastic bottles it comes in take 1,000 years to biodegrade
Can we live without it? Without the water no, without the bottled version, yes. Try and take a bottle of tap water with you when you go out if you might need a drink. Put it in the fridge overnight to keep cold! Calculate how many bottles of water you buy every month-work out how much you’re going to save. Dream a dream about how to be ‘generous’ now you’re going to be loaded.
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Godalming, GB , 25 May 2008
I bought some water in glass bottles produced in a neighbouring county, but as glass bottles don’t absorb germs like plastic does it’s much more hygenic to reuse these bottles over and over again, rinsing them out between uses. I notice other drinks such as the Bottle Green range come in small glass bottles, too, so it shouldn’t be hard to find suitable bottles.
Unfortunately glass is more breakable and less lightweight than plastic, so not suitable for all occasions, but I hardly every buy bottled water now.
Godalming, GB , 25 May 2008
I bought some water in glass bottles produced in a neighbouring county, but as glass bottles don’t absorb germs like plastic does it’s much more hygenic to reuse these bottles over and over again, rinsing them out between uses. I notice other drinks such as the Bottle Green range come in small glass bottles, too, so it shouldn’t be hard to find suitable bottles.
Unfortunately glass is more breakable and less lightweight than plastic, so not suitable for all occasions, but I hardly every buy bottled water now.
Wellington, GB , 27 May 2008
I’m not sure we’ve ever bought bottled water at home, and very rarely when we’re out – we almost always take our own tap water in reusable (plastic) bottles. I guess it dates from school lunches.
Our office has just decided to stop providing bottled water at meetings, and will provide tap water in jugs instead. This is part of a government wide policy (see e.g. http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/47408/story.htm)
Ribble Valley, GB , 02 Jun 2008
If you need bottled water, when you’re running, walking, driving, whatever… Buy a cheap durable water bottle rather than a bottle of water. Simply get into the habit of filling it from the tap before you set out.
04 Jun 2008
I’m quite happy drinking tap water. Down here in Brighton it is quite palatable. Just occasionally when I am out and about I will buy a small bottle of water. I do recycle any plastic bottles I use.
Godalming, GB , 30 Jun 2008
I have to confess that we bought bottled water for our walk from Swanage to Corfe yeasterday as it was a warm and sunny day. We thought of taking the glass bottles, but hubby had the only rucksack so would have carried both and they would have been heavy. Perhaps this could have been avoided if we had been better organised.
Wellington, NZ , 19 Jul 2008
Occasionally end up buying water when out and about (poor planning) but the bottle gets refilled and reused day after day. I think my current one has been going since before christmas. An occasional wash out to keep it fresh and it’s good to go!
London, GB , 16 Aug 2008
We reuse plastic bottles and sports bottles as well. We have not long installed a magnet to help prevent limescale while retaining the minerals – which I think is working so tap water is tasting much better and not costing us in electricity or salt blocks to achieve the results!!
London, GB , 17 Aug 2008
Not really been guilty of this much – I always make a point of asking for tap water if I have to eat out – but now it’s official!
17 Aug 2008
We changed to bottled water some years ago, as we don’t like all the poisonous substances that come out the tap such as chlorine. Luckily we don’t have flouride in our tap water…yet. However we invested in an under sink filter system earlier this year, which gets rid of all the yuk and provides fresh water for under 1p/litre. We keep a few small plastic bottles that we fill from the tap and take out with us, as they’re lighter for carrying when walking. We replace these every 3 months or so. We also keep a glass bottle of tap water in the fridge so we have cooler water on hand. The glass bottle is actually an ex-passata jar. Our recycling bin is now not full of empty plastic bottles, our water costs less, no storage space needed for the bottles and we don’t fill the monthly supermarket trip trolley with bottles. Sorted.
Redditch , GB , 25 Aug 2008
I’m going to invest in a re-usable drinks bottle, I do tend to need to drink lots of water, so will be easy to throw in rucksack or handbag. Also should help with the re-hydration debate. Heard a recent article on Radio that sugested that most of us are not drinking enough (water!) and that this has underlying implications for our general well being and concentration.
London, GB , 10 Nov 2008
There are some good reusable bottles available – I bought one online that is free from the chemical Bisphenol A which apparently is contained in regular water bottles (the kind you buy water in and can reuse)after using a bottle with this in for a number of times it can be harmful. I am not sure of the exact science behind this, but have a look online to research.
I bought mine from ecotopia.co.uk for about £6; but I think you can get them elsewhere or on wewanttap.com. Not as good as using glass bottles…although a lot lighter for on the go!