Small but significant steps, like refilling our water bottles, can drive down plastic waste. This is why Glasgow City Council must sign up to the Tap Water Refill scheme.Cllr Martha Wardrop
It is estimated that the average Glaswegian adult buys more than 3 plastic water bottles every week, which adds up to a startling 175 bottles every year per person. In total, the UK uses 13 billion plastic bottles every year. Only 7.5 billion are recycled, with the remaining 5.5 billion causing substantial amounts of single-use plastic waste.
In addition to this, the production of bottled water is around five hundred times more carbon intensive than tap water, and the quality tests for bottled brands are far less stringent than for the water that comes out of our taps.
Glaswegians can adopt small changes that can have a big environmental impact, by refilling bottles and cups with tap water, instead of needlessly buying new single-use ones.
Cllr Martha Wardrop, Green Councillor Spokesperson on Sustainability said, “We need to cut the excessive use of single-use plastic bottles, cups and cutlery that can end up finding their way into our oceans and harming our environment. Small but significant steps, like refilling our water bottles, can drive down plastic waste. This is why Glasgow City Council must sign up to the Tap Water Refill scheme.
“As part of a Refill scheme, the Council can help to support access to a network of free tap water ‘refill’ points across Glasgow. This will ensure we are making a commitment, alongside other local authorities, to the roll out of refill schemes which will reduce the use of single use plastic water bottles. We would work with shops and businesses to encourage support for the scheme with ‘refill’ stickers in their windows letting people know they are offering free tap water.”
As part of the development of an action plan on plastic pollution, a Free Tap Water Refill Scheme would help to cut plastic bottle waste across Glasgow and assist in the Council's efforts to reduce carbon emissions.