Invention is the mother of necessity, warned Thorstein Veblen. So packaged water is now seen as essential by many, and a million plastic bottles are produced every minute worldwide, as the Guardian series Bottling it has revealed. In the UK, consumers pay up to 1,000 times more than they do for tap water for a potentially less safe product. But the true cost is not to our pockets. Most of these bottles are not recycled; instead we waste energy, choke landfill sites and contaminate our seas. By 2050 the ocean will contain more plastic than fish, research suggests. Marine life is suffering, and perhaps human health too as minute pieces of plastic end up on our plates.
This is a global problem and the answers will vary accordingly. But the essentials are: using fewer bottles, recycling those that are consumed, and ensuring new bottles contain more recycled material. Clean and readily available tap water is needed – particularly important in Asia, which is leading the surge in use – and pressure on producers. Consumers, as well as government and business, have their part to play. Simple measures can have a striking impact: the UK’s 5p tax on plastic bags has led to an estimated 80% fall in use. No great inventiveness is needed. And tackling our plastic addiction is unquestionably necessary.
