Responding to a new report by French NGO, Agir Pour L’environnement, that found that 78% of bottled water contains microplastics and that the Vittel kids bottle contained the highest quantities, the British not-for-profit, City to Sea, who campaign to stop plastic pollution at source said this was a “wake up call” for British consumers.
Jo Morley, City to Sea’s Head of Marketing and Campaigns said,
“This latest study shows clearly that most bottled water contains microplastics which is a far cry from the marketed image of “purity” that those who bottle water for profit would have you believe. Microplastics are increasingly everywhere in our environment. They are found in our oceans, at the top of Mount Everest and even deep in the ice cores at the north and south pole. This should act as a serious wake-up call for British consumers.
He continued, “We have solutions on tap though – literally. One way to start reducing microplastics is to stop producing so much single-use plastics in the first place. Perhaps the easiest item to replace is single-use plastic bottles. We enjoy some of the best quality tap water in the world – there is no need to keep selling water in single0use plastic bottles when our waste systems are at breaking point.”
City to Sea run the Refill campaign that connects people with places they can refill their water bottle for free when they’re out and about. The app currently has over 285,000 refill points mapped in 135 countries around the world including over 30,000 in the UK alone.