A horrifying amount of water bottles don't end up being recycled and despite our efforts around 2 thirds still end up in landfill and in our oceans. We need to reduce the amount being produced in the first place.
How easy would it be for us to take a reusable bottle to that supermarket we pass a couple of times a day and get a refill at a reduced rate. Supermarkets and bottled water companies need to be proactive. Water dispensers would be just as easy to install and refill as lorries full of plastic bottles. The cost and energy saved in producing and branding all those plastic bottles could go towards installing these water dispensers.
We could all drink more tap water, in fact tap water has more regulations on it than bottled and in a lot of places is 'cleaner' even in the city. We can't help being sceptical though, naturally the image of a highland stream is more appealing than filtered city water.
There will still be a need for bottled water of course and we could also look into better packaging than plastic but for now water dispensers would be a simple answer that would have a huge impact on the amount of waste filling our oceans.
The Pacific Institute, a non-profit research organization, estimates that the energy used in the production and use of plastic bottles, such as water bottles, is equivalent to filling the plastic bottles one-quarter full with oil. Oil affects global warming by producing high quantities of greenhouse gases when it is burned. The manufacture of one pound of PET -- polyethylene terephthalate -- plastic can produce up to three pounds of carbon dioxide. Processing plastic resins and transporting plastic bottles are major contributors to a bottle's carbon footprint. The Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable estimates that one 500-milliliter (0.53 quarts) plastic bottle of water has a total carbon footprint equal to 82.8 grams (about 3 ounces) of carbon dioxide.
That is just the manufacturing of the bottles before they even end up clogging our oceans and poisoning our marine life.
It's a simple idea, we just need to change peoples habits, much the same with the plastic bag fee introduction, people learn to take a bag with them. People can easily learn to take a refillable container with them.
Please sign our petition to raise awareness and help reduce the amount of plastic ending up in our oceans
