The other day, when I walked into the kitchen, my flatmate was filling up two large water bottles from the tap. He commented, “gotta stay hydrated in this heat. When I have the money, I buy bottled water. It’s better for you, so I allow myself the luxury.”
This made me realise that many people still believe that bottled mineral water is superior to tap water and better for our health. Many are willing to pay up to 400 times more for it for that reason; and also for obvious reasons of convenience.
The Nestlé mineral water scandal in France
Nestlé is the world’s leading producer of bottled natural mineral water.
In January 2024 Le Monde newspaper and Radio France uncovered that Nestlé has for years been illegally filtering contaminated water and selling it as ‘natural mineral water’. Among the brands affected are Perrier and Vittel.
Natural mineral water is supposed to come from water sources that are absolutely pure and should therefore not require filtering.
The water sources that Nestlé used for its natural mineral water were contaminated both chemically (pesticides) as well as bacterially (e.coli), which the company hid from authorities.
In addition to the obvious fraud and customer deception, it was found that even after filtering it couldn’t be guaranteed that the water was 100% safe to drink.
So there you have it. The pristine mountain springs we are used to seeing in commercials are in fact just that: commercials.
Water from the tap is safe to drink in the UK. In addition, there are filters that you can easily install at home, or take with you. They come in many forms and are all a lot cheaper than buying bottled water.
The idea that you should pay a lot of money for something that is a basic human necessity – just like air – is an abomination. More than that, plastic bottles are horrible for the environment.
Plastic pollution and environmental impact
The vast majority (over 90%) of plastic bottles worldwide are not recycled and end up on landfills, the countryside, rivers and eventually the oceans.
Estimates vary, but millions of tons of plastic enter the oceans each year, much of it plastic bottles.
Worldwide, around 500 billion plastic bottles are bought each year, a number that has grown massively in the last 20 years and keeps rising.
The UK alone uses around 8 billion plastic water bottles each year.
That’s an average of nearly 120 water bottles per person — one every 3 days (which strangely makes it seem less bad than it is, as we are so used to seeing plastic bottles daily and everywhere).
Another factor is the sheer waste of energy required to produce bottled water, contributing to global warming. It is estimated that bottled water takes up to 2000 times more energy to produce compared to tap water.
Bizarrely, 5 litres of water are needed to produce 1 litre of bottled mineral water.
Refill your reusable bottle
It is a double-win. You save both money and the planet with something that is very simple: Carry a reusable bottle with you and refill it at home, at work and when you’re out and about.
Yes, it is a slight adjustment and less convenient, but there are more and more water fountains being installed around London, now numbering thousands if you include cafés and shops. They are certainly in all parks, many public spaces and most shopping centres. A good app to use is ‘Refill Return’ – it maps most of the UK’s water fountains.
The major of London Sadiq Khan has launched an initiative with Thames Water (not a company I’d like to praise here, due to its illegal discharges and unethical practices) and installed an additional 100 fountains this summer in order to reduce plastic use.
If you are ever caught short, please remember that buying a plastic bottle doesn’t make you a heinous monster. It is preferable to dying of dehydration.
This is not about being perfect, but about awareness – something which on this issue many simply still don’t have. It is about working together as society to reduce our plastic use and press politicians to put the right laws in place.
Here’s an example of this lack of awareness. Whenever I go to the gym, there are small water bottles lying around everywhere and the bins are full with them, despite the fact that there are water fountains in the gym. It is so completely unnecessary and a waste of money.
It needs to be said that living environment our free market market has created, in which it is impossible not to use enormous amounts of plastic is not just our fault; it is mostly the fault of governments who have failed in their duty to protect us and the planet.
Planet over profit
The Nestlé scandal confirms what we already know about corporations. They care about one thing only, and that is to make profit.
In order to protect and increase their profits, corporations are willing to do almost anything; whether it is lying to customers and putting them in danger, or it is completely destroying the environment and causing tremendous suffering in poorer countries.
This is why the UK needs to pass a ‘Business, Human Right and Environment Act’. It would hold companies legally responsible for preventing harm to forests, wildlife and communities in their supply chains.
In addition, a ‘Environmental Rights Act’ would enshrine the right to a healthy environment as a basic human right.
These are nationwide Friends of the Earth campaigns that FoE Camden take part in on a local level.
Join us on our Planet over Profit walk on Saturday, August 30th.
More info to come soon.
Written by Umberto Schramm.