PLASTIC BITS
Adults will drink from 200billion single use plastic water bottles in a lifetime – even though it’s bad for their health
Those polled believe some water is 'purer' than others
ADULTS will get through more than 200 billion single use plastic water bottles in a lifetime – despite acknowledging it could be bad for their health.
A study of 2,000 people found 27 per cent are regular users with the average plastic bottle drinker buying five per month.
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Yet 22 per cent believe water from a plastic bottle isn’t good for their health, with 33 per cent claiming tap water is ‘purer’ in comparison.
Despite this, 47 per cent don’t give much thought to the damage it could have on their physical condition when needing to buy a drink on the go.
The study was commissioned by reusable bottle brand, Ocean Bottle, which has released Acqua Sordida, a water bottle visibly filled with ‘bits’ to represent the microplastics in our waterways – to encourage the UK to end its toxic relationship with plastic bottles.
Will Pearson, CEO and Co-Founder of Ocean Bottle, said: “Valentine’s Day is a time for us to take stock of our relationships, and our research shows that a lot more of us need to take stock of our current relationship with bottled water.
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“We are literally drinking particles of plastic with every plastic bottle of water we drink and therefore believe it's high time we end our toxic relationship with plastic bottles - it’s better for the ocean and better for our health.”
When it comes to the health aspects of drinking from a plastic bottle, 66 per cent are aware that the water in it potentially contains tiny pieces of plastic.
And although 88 per cent know it gets dumped into the ocean every day and will end up back in our food and drink chain, the average adult is way off when estimating how many pieces of microplastic particles can be found in plastic bottled water.
The average person believes there to be around 64,000 particles in a one litre bottle of water – when wider research shows there could be up to 240,000.
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Quizzed on combating this issue, 61 per cent think the big brands who sell these products are not doing enough to prevent particles getting into the ocean.
In order to avoid such pollution, exactly half of consumers would like to see them introduce more initiatives for reusing or recycling their products.
While others hope to see companies raising awareness about tap water being safer and more cost efficient (28 per cent).
More than six in 10 (61 per cent) of those surveyed are trying to cut back on the amount of plastic water bottles they buy.
And while the study shows a willingness for positive change, forgetting to bring their personal water bottle with them was the top reason for purchasing water from a plastic bottle (36 per cent).
Other reasons include being at the airport before a flight (21 per cent), during a long trip (29 per cent), and when their reusable bottle is empty and they can’t find anywhere to refill it (18 per cent).
This Valentine’s Day, Ocean Bottle is encouraging consumers to take a pledge [] to end their toxic relationship with plastic water bottles once and for all – with those involved in with a chance to win a limited-edition reuseable bottle.
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