Reduce plastic waste – don’t buy bottled water
It is easy to think that global warming and pollution are declining now thanks to the appearance of Global Extinction and Greta Thunberg last year. It is not and we cannot just carry on as before believing that we have done our bit by talking about it.
As readers of the Maidenhead Advertiser we have considerable brain-power which should be used to think of ways to improve our environment, and a duty to do just that.
The decision to reduce the use of plastic bags has been effective and a similar move to ban the sale of bottled drinking water would be even more helpful.
How can we possibly justify the sale of 4,000 million bottles of water in the UK every year when our tap water is absolutely safe?
This figure, equivalent to more than 50 bottles for every person in the UK, does not include bottled fruit-drinks or water with added electrolytes, vitamins, minerals, etc.
Tap water is subjected to much more stringent tests by the Drinking Water Inspectorate than is bottled water, as well as costing 500 times less.
Most of our tap water is supplied by South East Water who collects it mainly from underground chalk aquifers.
If you need to carry water with you then try filling a re-usable bottle from the tap in your home. If you like to have added electrolytes then you could take them in a different form.
If the flavour of your tap water is a problem then a jug with a charcoal filter is an option.
The industry body, Water UK, has established a facility that means that most towns and many retail outlets will now let you refill your water bottle free wherever you are in the UK.
The app “Refill” has a list of all such outlets. You do not need to buy anything to access this service.
The production of plastic drinks bottles has huge environmental costs in terms of the raw materials, the energy used, the amount of water wasted in the process, the by-products, and transport.
The end result is billions of tons of plastic debris in the oceans. How can we possibly justify this extravagance?
Dr ADRIAN DOBLE
Dean Lane Cookham Dean