4 Ways to Make Your Water Drinking Habit Zero Waste

I’m sure you’ve experienced that moment when you hear a statistic or read a statement that stops you in your tracks.

For me, it was about plastic bottles.

I learned that around the world, we use about 1.2 million plastic bottles per MINUTE.

That’s shocking, isn’t it?

And worse still, it’s estimated that only 9% of plastic recycled with some reports indicating that roughly half the plastic we use is designed to be single use.

Now I don’t know about you, but sometimes when I read about figures that use millions or billions my brain kinda shuts down. I can’t compute such large numbers. Nor can I visualise what it might look like.

 

 

So when I heard the Ellen MacArthur Foundation telling us that if we don’t do something about it – there could be more plastic than fish in the oceans by 2050 – that really made me sit up and take notice.

That I can visualise.

And I don’t like what I’m seeing.

So what can we do about it?

Well, as this short video shows, part of the solution lies with us in stopping plastic waste at source. We can do our bit by eliminating plastic we don’t need and either reusing or recycling plastic we do need so that this material stays in the economy and doesn’t become waste or pollution.

Now I have a confession to make.

Not so long ago I used to buy bottled water.

I bought it for convenience and for the taste. I somehow thought it was better for me, but have since learned that the bottled water market is not as sparkly clean as we might like to think. And essentially I was duped by marketing.

We live and learn.

And with rising living costs, what better time to rethink our bottled water habit?

Here’s how to break up with bottled water for good, why you should and how to reduce your overall water footprint:

Switch to a reusable bottle

Not only will you reduce plastic waste by switching to a reusable drinking bottle, but you’ll save money too.

You already pay to have water available in your kitchen tap, so get a reusable bottle and start refilling. If you take your own bottle, rather than buy a bottle of water every day for lunch, savings could tot up to a thirst quenching £150 per year. Which means the investment you’ll make in a reusable bottle will start paying you back really quickly. And that saving will only increase as prices escalate.

Manufacturers are experiencing price increases which will ultimately be passed on to the consumer. These costs include production, fuel for transportation, plastic packaging tax and general overheads.

 

Use a filter

One of the number one reasons people give for buying bottled water is that they don’t like the taste of their tap water.

I totally understand this, and it was one of the reasons it took me a while to switch to refilling my own bottle. Fortunately there are lots of different products available from under sink to gravity fed to jug filters which remove contaminants and taints and can make your water taste amazing.

A good filter will make your water taste like it’s fresh from a clear mountain stream. Poetic I know, but true!

It can be a bit of a minefield to sift through information, but the team at Water Filter Guru are constantly reviewing water filters so you can keep up to date with the latest research and products and easily spot the best buys.

Refill on the go

The other reason people buy bottled water is convenience.

You’re out and about, you’re thirsty and you want water now. So you pop into the nearest shop and buy a bottle of water.

however, because refills are catching on, you can find plenty of places to top up your bottle when you’re on the go. So there really is no excuse.

The Refill app, lists over 274,000 cafes, shops, hotels and restaurants where you can refill across the globe. And you don’t need to be a customer or feel obliged to buy anything. You can find public drinking fountains on the app too.

And did you know some airports have drinking fountains? Contrary to popular belief, you are allowed to take an empty bottle through security. Once through, you can then fill your bottle from a public fountain. This means you no longer have to buy pricey water in the departure lounge or on the plane and you’re reducing single use plastic.

To quote the UK Civil Aviation Authority “The Department for Transport does not prohibit the carriage of empty water bottles through security in hand luggage.”

 

 

Reduce your water footprint

Once you’ve stopped buying bottled water and are reducing your plastic waste, why not try this simple tip for reducing your water footprint.

Here at Zero Waste Towers, I save the water I use in a steamer when cooking vegetables [be sure to cool and refrigerate, and preferably use the same day], then reuse it for cooking rice, in soups, stews or making stock or gravy. Any vitamins and minerals that have leached out from steaming get recycled into you, rather than down the sink, so it’s healthier for you and you’re doing a bit more for the planet by reducing water waste!

Every Drip Counts

This article by the World Wildlife Fund, helps us to understand the value of clean, safe drinking water. They remind us that only 3% of the world’s water is fresh and good for drinking. On top of that, rivers and lakes are becoming too polluted to use, or drying up. And extreme weather patterns are causing droughts and shortages in some areas of the world and flooding in others. They say that at the current consumption rate, this situation will only get worse. By 2025, two-thirds of the world’s population may face water shortages. And ecosystems around the world will suffer even more.

So let’s all get into good habits today.

If you come home and have some water left in your bottle, don’t tip it down the sink. Feed it to a house-plant, a garden plant or your pet, use it when you cook or just drink it yourself.

What about you? How have you made your water drinking habit more sustainable?