Tap water in South Africa (as in many countries) is drinkable and ours is even said to be one of the best in the world. Despite this, people will still opt for the trendier bottled water, which is no healthier than what they can find at a tap. The massive irony here again is that this wasteful consumption is directly contributing to the degradation of out natural water supply.
The more bottled water you buy the more you are going to have to buy in the future as your trendy habit perpetuates the demise of our planet. Keep at it and one day you will pay more for it than anything else you put in your mouth. Some bottled water (aka tap water much of the time ) is already more expensive than petrol and fruit juices. If global warming leads to further pollution of our natural water (not to mention the glaciers disappearing), eventually everything you buy will cost more because tap water will not be safe to use in any product. You will not only be forced to drink bottled water but will incur the knock-on cost of every product that uses water. Imagine paying for ice by the cube at restaurants.
Besides opting for tap water, there are many ways to help protect the future of our water supply. If heavy metals are genuinely a problem in your water add a filter to your tap or fridge, get a filter jug, or even a water cooler. Push for a ban on bottled water at your company or municipality. All of these alternatives will contribute to breathing cleaner air and drinking cleaner tap water. Even just swapping to 5L bottles instead of hundreds of small bottles when there really are no other options (90% of plastic water bottles are not recycled and not even useful for reuse - PET1 ).
And when visiting trendy restaurants that push bottled water take a stand and ask for tap water! If you are gullible enough to think they are concerned about your health when refusing to serve tap water ask where the ice in your glass and food preparation water comes from. Pull the plug on the bottled water scam!
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The idea came from someone taking water coming directly from a natural fountain - which was awesome to begin with.
ReplyDeleteThis however opened a market that turned the beverage world upside down. Companies like Coca-Cola (where I worked at the time) instantly had to re-strategise their marketing plans as demand for bottled water exceeded that of their 'more expensive' cold drinks. The margins for bottled water was so significant, it was crazy for them to ignore the demand.
In the days before water was in such demand, I was taken through their bottling and canning plants. Their biggest success was the fact that their water standards had to be the same around the world... as it affected the taste of the Coca-cola. The gold was already there.
I find it very hard to believe that their 'sparkling mineral water' is not the same as their 'soda water' which is bottled differently. I could be wrong. But my point Im trying to make is that if you do wish to purchase any brand of 'sparkling mineral water' try to opt for the 'soda water' instead. its much cheaper and the the quality is probably much higher.
As for non-sparkling mineral water. Its crazy if you dont just ask for a glass of tap water. And if you are exposed to a restaurant that does not serve tap water, be sure to ask for a glass and fill in yourself in the kitchen. If that does not work, report them to the local media. Trust me, they will very quickly hit earth and come down to reality.
Support the fight against global warming... spend less money (which is actually one of the biggest reasons for global warming), and drink tap water.
I always drink tap water at home, like (I would like to believe) most people do, but sometimes I have no choice but to buy bottled water.
ReplyDeleteI know when I buy bottled water at a mall, it's not because I don't think that the water supplied in the bathrooms are unhygienic (unfortunately the only alternative source to obtaining water at a mall) but because I just don't want to drink sugar laden soft drinks that don't quench my thirst at all.
The demand for bottled water in a region is directly proportional to the demands of the region's inhabitants for a healthier lifestyle (and to some degree, affluence).
In generations past, healthy living was not "cool". Smoking combined with eating unhealthy foods and consuming soft drinks was just a way of life. Only recently has there been a demand for healthy living (think Kauai, Sumo etc) and it's inevitably that corporations will jump on the bandwagon to meet the supply of a healthier generation.
The only solution is the teach everyone and anyone about recycling as the demand for healthy foods and drinks will not (and should not) decrease.
(Btw, this blog rocks!)
Mr C
Thanks Mr C!
ReplyDeleteSure there are the times we have to buy a bottle of water, but buying water for home or at a restaurant when the tap (or filtered) water is good enough is where I believe alot of crazy waste is. Companies have convinced people to believe that it is better than tap water. As a result of this (for example) it is untrendy to ask for tap water at a restaurant and some (Pigalle in Cape Town) outright refuse to give you tap water. We need to stand up against this money making scam and take back and protect what nature gave us.
I couldn't agree more. Tap water rocks in SA and especially in JHB (one + we have over CT ;)
ReplyDeleteThere are also concerns about the health hazards of re-using plastic bottles.
Here's a tip: Buy some big lucazade bottles from PnP. They are glass and once you have finished the lucazade they make perfect water bottles that are easier to fill (as they have a wide top) and keep cold for longer!
We have about 3 in our fridge and my whole family has started using them now...
Thanks for the blog Iva :)
Spread the word, say no to plastic!
Thanks for the tip fieryneck, you're so right those Lucozade bottles are great!
ReplyDelete