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News Index |
Bottled Water
The not-for-profit environmental organisation, Waste Watch is calling on the House of Commons to set an example for the rest of the country by banishing bottled water from the halls of Westminster Palace.
In 2006 and 2007, staff members of the House went through 155,000 litres of bottled water at a cost of £63,599 to the tax payer. Environment Minister, Phil Woolas has criticised the bottled water industry for its wastefulness, but three quarters of government departments continue to allow bottled water in their offices.
Every year, UK consumers buy more than two million litres of bottled water. Only one in five of the bottles are recycled. What's more, the environmental problems begin early in the manufacture and transportation processes. Millions of barrels of oil are used to make plastic bottles and huge amounts of carbon emissions are created as the ubiquitous substance is freighted around the globe.
Waste Watch would like to the House of Commons (as well as businesses and the general public) to realise that tap water is just as healthy as - and 1,000 times cheaper than - bottled mineral water and causes no damage to the environment. The organisation also points out that tap water is just as delicious as bottled water. Most people could not tell the difference between the two in the blind taste tests conducted as part of its 'Turn to the Tap' campaign. In fact, just over half of participants preferred tap water!
