We all use 170 plastic water bottles a year

BRITISH adults will use nearly 7.7billion single-use plastic water bottles this year – more than 170 each, experts claimed yesterday.

The Marine Conservation Society said the huge amount would only add to the existing mountain of plastic pollution – which is a ‘menace to wildlife’.

Thirty per cent even use bottled water at home instead of tap water.

The OnePoll survey also revealed a growing trend of bottled-water consumption among children, with 22 per cent of those aged four to 18 preferring it to tap water.

Some 54 per cent of adults say they would consider using more tap water to reduce environmental pollution.

However, 32 per cent buy bottled water believing they aren’t contributing to pollution because they recycle.

The volume of bottled water sold grew by 25 per cent from 2010 to 2015, according to market research by Mintel last month.

Dr Sue Kinsey, of the Marine Conservation Society, which commissioned the poll along with water filter firm BRITA, said: ‘Single-use plastic water bottles in the seas and on coasts are a menace to wildlife, particularly as they start to break down.

‘It takes 162g of oil and seven litres of water to manufacture a one-litre disposable bottle, which amounts to the release of 100g of carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas.

‘This means single-use plastic bottles significantly contribute to pollution, even if they are subsequently recycled.’