Slash plastic waste – bring back the drinking fountain

BRINGING back water fountains in towns and cities could dramatically cut down on the plastic bottle waste blighting Scotland, experts believe.

The bottled water industry has fuelled a huge growth in the number of plastic bottles being produced. A recent study found one million a minute are sold around the world.

Many public drinking fountains, often found in parks, have been removed – or are no longer working.

Earlier this year, the Scottish Daily Mail launched a campaign calling for a bottle deposit scheme to be introduced north of the Border to help tackle the country’s litter problem.

It would see people charged a fee of around 10p when buying a bottled or canned drink, which would be refunded when the container is returned.

Last week, Scottish Government ministers said they had asked experts to produce a draft model of how the scheme would work.

A majority of MSPs backed a motion in favour of a deposit scheme, while drinks giant Coca-Cola stated the initiative was the only way to tackle plastic litter.

In Scotland, recycling rates are 40-50 per cent, while in countries with deposit schemes, such as Germany and Sweden, they are nearer 90 per cent.

Natalie Fee is behind a campaign urging the use of water fountains to encourage people to refill bottles instead of throwing them away after a single use.

She said they would ‘help people appreciate tap water and help them realise that they don’t have to buy single-use plastic bottles when they’ re out and about’.

Miss Fee added: ‘The UK is only recycling half of its plastics and a lot of those are escaping into waterways and seas.’

Environmental consultancy Eunomia sponsored the installation of a drinking fountain in Queen Square, Bristol, where its head office is based.

Dr Dominic Hogg, chairman of Eunomia Research, said: ‘Visitors to the square no longer need to buy drinks in throwaway bottles or cups when they want to quench their thirst.

‘We’re calling on everyone to favour reusable bottles or cups instead of buying disposables.’