A social media post has been doing the rounds for some years where a young cashier suggests an elderly woman's generation "don't do the green thing".
The reply is an admonishment of the rocketing convenience consumerism that has fuelled the mass waste epidemic: "No we took our glass bottles back to the shop, left milk bottles on the porch etc".
The message is clear: the solution to cutting single-use plastic waste was always there.
Thankfully "reuse" is a buzz word once again, but it is something we need to commit to as a global population - and stay committed to if the problem of single-use plastic pollution is going to improve.
Committed to providing an alternative to plastic pollution
Like glass milk bottles Doulton's water filters have always offered an alternative to the pollution of single-use plastic water bottles.
Look at bottled water as an example. In developed countries where clean water flows from the taps of most homes, there are millions of people who choose to spend hundreds of pounds on water that is bottled in single-use plastic.
Why? The answer will no doubt be quality. That quality can be achieved direct from the tap by using a water filter - a permanent, ceramic filter not a throwaway gadget.
The other answer might be convenience. What could be easier than turning on the tap and filling up a reusable bottle?
Sustainable water filtration
This sustainable alternative to single-use plastic bottles has been around for more than 100 years. All you need to enjoy it is a refillable bottle or a glass.
Yet millions of single-use water bottles still get thrown away every year. While companies are busy committing to using recycled plastic and increasing recycling rates it is time to stop, step back and look at the bigger picture. Why is there a need to generate waste at all to drink water? There is not.
For the best part of 200 years, natural earth has been engineered to create ceramic water filters that use the porous qualities of the natural material to draw out impurities that contaminate and affect the taste of water.
A Doulton Water filter lets families drink tasty, clean water from the tap whenever they want to - without generating waste.
When Doulton says "use a filter and cut your environmental footprint by turning your back on bottled water" we mean it. We are not just adding our voice to the debate. We know our product offers a sustainable solution for enjoying clean, high quality drinking water day after day, week after week, year after year.
Trust in the tried and tested
Blue Planet has made the world sit up and take notice, but firms like Doulton were already committed to providing a sustainable method to allow families to enjoy water without buying single-use plastic.
Rather than jump on the bandwagon of the latest trend, trust in tradition and trust in the values of longevity. There is a reason some brands were built to last - the methods are tried and tested over centuries. A commitment to quality and innovation keeps that fresh.
If you want to cut your single-use plastic waste, consider cutting it completely not just contributing to recycling. Make a sustainable decision that offers true longevity - and a firm that genuinely supports longevity and sustainability as Doulton has for more nearly 200 years.
