The fallacy of bottled water - 12 million Brits avoid tap water for purity reasons, but are they right?
The latest research by WWF suggests that, through our food and drink, we are consuming 5 grams of plastic each week - the equivalent of the size of a credit card.
It also shows that (10,799,000) of us buy and drink bottled water instead of tap water, with 31% (12,796,000) of us doing so for purity reasons.
Thirty-eight per cent (12,532,000) of people polled agreed that there are more safety regulations and checks for bottled water than tap water.
Yet UK tap water (and in particular Scottish Water) is renowned for its safety and purity - meeting stringent standards in testing, treatment, and accessibility.
It's one of the world's safest options.
Despite this, there's a pervasive belief among we Brits that bottled water holds superior purity.
The statistics are intriguing considering that Britain's tap water is among the highest quality globally.
So, what prompts Brits to continue seeking purified H2O?
While Brits perceive bottled water as purer, statistics reveal a stark contrast.
A substantial 23% (8,858,000) of Brits wrongly assume that micro and nanoplastics are more prevalent in tap water than in bottled water.
However, studies consistently show that plastic contamination is more prevalent in bottled water than tap water.
This paradox highlights the need for increased education regarding water purity and the environmental impact of plastic pollution.
As the push for sustainability gains momentum, addressing misconceptions surrounding water sources becomes imperative to encourage the adoption of more eco-friendly alternatives and promote a greater understanding of water quality.
Reflecting how Brits are consuming water, air up's research highlights where the nation is getting its drinking water from, and why 10 million are now only drinking bottled water:
- 21% (10,799,000) of Brits buy and drink bottled water instead of tap water
- 31% (12,796,000) of Brits drink bottled water over tap water for purity reasons, but if they were made aware that it is no better than tap water, they would drink just tap water
- 27% (12,795,000) of Brits have never heard of micro plastics and nano plastics being present in bottled water
- 26% (11,382,000) of Brits agree that the presence of micro and nano plastics in bottled water has deterred them from buying bottled water
- 23% (8,858,000) of Brits assume micro and nano plastics are present in tap water rather than bottled water
- 38% (12,532,000) of Brits agree that there are more safety regulations and checks for bottled water than tap water
air up is putting revolutionary technology behind an innovative way to add flavour to our tap water without the chemical nasties that offset our goals to stay hydrated and live healthier lifestyles.
To try and provide an innovative, healthy, and tasty way to drink tap water, improving our relationships with hydration, air up is advocating for the use of retronasal technology.
"There's a lot of hesitancy around drinking tap water," says Siena Cid from the Life Science Team at air up.
"While acknowledging potential contaminants and heeding government advisories is crucial, shunning safe tap for bottled alternatives isn't the answer.
"There's no evidence that bottled water is cleaner than tap water meets government standards.
"Several single use water bottle companies use tap water with recent findings of demonstrating high nanoplastic levels, there is no added benefit.
"The environmental impact of single-use plastic bottles is massive."
How does air up work?
air up harnesses this clever bit of science by infusing flavoured air into every sip of water from the bottle.
One of 28 different flavours will be added in bubbles every time you drink and it is this that will give your 100% pure water its flavour.
Each pod contains natural flavourings and scents that infuse with ambient air to be added to the pure water, these flavours range from Lime and Orange-Passionfruit to Kola and Iced Coffee with ten others in between.
The first prototype for air up was developed by Lena Jüngst and Tim Jäger in 2016 and spent three years in development.
Since then, air up has successfully launched in Germany, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria and the Netherlands, with more than one million customers already.
Now Lena and the team are bringing this innovative way to drink water to the UK.
Shop air up here
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