The environmental impact of single-use plastics is finally starting to get the attention needed to tackle this growing problem. Mountains of waste are being washed into the oceans threatening marine life, the environment and ultimately our own health.
Thousands of whales, dolphins, seals, sea birds and fish die every year because they mistake plastic for food. Plastic has found its way into the food chain through the fish we eat and has even been found in drinking water. It is a high price to pay for the convenience of picking up a bottle of water, a cup of coffee or a pot of sliced fruit.
Ditch single-use plastics - filter and reuse
Solutions to avoiding single-use plastics are readily available. Reusable bottles and mugs look better, the water tastes better, you save money and play a part in helping to cut waste.
There is no need to compromise. Using a water filter ensures you have the best quality drinking water on tap. Doulton water filters remove harmful contaminants, including chlorine, which can affect the taste of water. They also remove plastic micro-particles.
Made from 100 percent natural materials, Doulton ceramic water filters are an ecologically-friendly, permanent solution for access to fresh, clean and great tasting drinking water. Filling a reusable bottle at home with filtered tap water will cut out the need for ever buying a plastic bottle of water.
Reusable water bottle organisations can see the bigger picture too. Give Me Tap is a charity that aims to cut the use of plastic bottles and provide clean water to communities in need.
Refill and save
Then there is the cost to consumers. Bottled water is on average 500 times more expensive than tap water. If you pay £1 every day for a bottle of water that equates to £365 a year, whereas a Doulton filter would be a cost-effective, permanent solution providing top quality drinking water on tap.
The Government is now proposing a return and reward scheme for plastic bottles to push up recycling rates. The return value is not yet known but consumers will continue to pay for an off-the-shelf product when they could save by drinking tap water from a reusable bottle.
The facts on single-use plastics stand for themselves:
- More than480 billion plastic bottles were bought across the world in 2016;
- 8 million tonnes of plastic is dumped into the oceans every year;
- In the UK, 16 million plastic bottles fail to be recycled every day;
- 100,000 marine animals and one million seabirds die each year as a result of plastic waste;
- Plastic can take 450 years to decompose;
- The average cost of tap water in the UK is 0.1p per litre, compared to 65p for 1 litre of bottled water;
- Tap water is more rigorously tested than bottled water to ensure its safety.
Making simple changes will make a huge difference to the problem of single-use plastics.
Use a refillable bottle, and fill it with filtered tap water instead of adding another plastic bottle to the waste pile. Be part of the solution, not the problem.
