The Greener Choice

How drinking filtered tap water can help you save the planet

In recent years the market for bottled waters has grown beyond recognition, across the world.

Why are we drinking so much?

The allegedly superior quality of bottled water is emphasised in the companies' marketing, which plays heavily on images of purity, detoxification, and well-being. Moreover, at a time when obesity is a serious social concern, water seems like the perfect answer for a healthy lifestyle, with no calories, no additives, no added sugar.

Is it better for us?

Interestingly, few bottled water companies now draw attention to any health benefits from the minerals in mineral water, which had been the original reason for drinking them. This may, or may not be due to a recent unequivocal statement from the World Health Organisation:

"In European and certain other countries, many consumers believe that natural mineral waters have medicinal properties or offer other health benefits. Such waters are typically of high mineral content and, in some cases, significantly above the concentrations normally accepted in drinking water. The World Health Organisation is unaware of any convincing evidence to support the beneficial effects of consuming such mineral waters".

So what is in the bottle on top of my water cooler?

It could be any one of these three:

Natural Mineral Water. This must:

come from a specified ground water source, which is protected from all kinds of pollution and be repeatedly analysed over a two year qualifying period.

Spring Water. This must:

come from a single, non-polluted ground water source and be registered with the local authority.

Table Water / Drinking Water. This can:

come from more than one source, and can include the public water supply; be treated to achieve compositional and microbiological requirements. Some companies add minerals, to replace those lost during treatment or to 'enhance' traces of minerals already present.

So why is it so bad for the environment?

The processing, packaging, transportation and sale of bottled water, and the disposal of the associated waste, involves a significant amount of energy use and pollution.

The bottles

Unfortunately, the great majority of water bottles are simply thrown away. Although plastic water bottles are not the only source of plastic waste, they could be a significant proportion of the estimated half a milliion tonnes of plastic we throw away every year. PET is used to make water bottles as it is very lightweight, very clear and is largely unbreakable. Unfortunately, this means it takes several hundred years to disintegrate in our already over used landfill sites.

If bottles are recycled they are often sent away to places like China for processing, using up yet more energy in transport.

Water miles

The concept of food miles, and the environmental damage they cause, is now well established but bottled water can also travel all around the world before we drink it. Arguably the most notorious example is Fiji bottled natural mineral water, which is promoted for its purity, while ignoring the more than 10,000 miles it has travelled to reach us. Closer to home the 18 litre bottle of water on the cooler in your office can be driven hundreds of miles before you get to drink it. It can also be driven hundreds of miles back again to be refilled.