THERE IS NO PLAN(ET) B!

As the demand for bottled water continues to grow, the environmental dangers and water wastage associated with PET plastic bottles have come sharply into focus.

And that’s why Celli Group and Cosmetal are leading the way in responsible water use and consumption, and are committed to delivering innovative water dispense solutions for commercial and domestic markets, as well as promoting the use of reusable water containers.

Water is one of the planet’s most precious resources, and we cannot afford to waste a single drop. According to The Global Footprint Network, an international non-profit organisation founded in 2003, humanity has been in what’s called an ecological overshoot since the 1970s. This means that we are using more of the planet’s ecological resources than nature can regenerate.

In 2017 we used the equivalent of 1.7 Earths, which will take one year and six months to replace.

It’s a sobering thought, and one that lies at the heart of Celli Group and Cosmetal’s philosophy that we should all “Drink Responsibly” and work towards alleviating the strain we place on our planet’s natural resources. Of course, as consumers our reasons for choosing bottled water are varied and complex.

In some parts of the world lifestyle choices, convenience or a lack of confidence in the public water supply can be the key drivers of choice. In others, it’s because bottled water is the only source of drinking water available. Indeed, with 64 per cent of water resources concentrated in just 13 countries, UNICEF reports that water scarcity affects around 1 in 10 of the world’s population.

The problem we face is that most water bottles (up to 1.5 litres) are made of PET plastic, which can be both wasteful and harmful to the environment during manufacture, as well as after they’ve been used and discarded. As Paul Mc Rande states in The Green Guide, the manufacture of just one kilogram of PET requires 17.5 litres of water, and releases about 40 grams of hydrocarbons and 2.3 Kg of CO2 into the atmosphere. This means that for a 1.5 litre PET bottle of water, almost half as much water is wasted in producing the container.

What’s more, PET plastic bottles don’t biodegrade after they’ve been used, they just break down into smaller and smaller pieces over time. These small plastic pieces, known as microplastics, can then find their way into our lakes, rivers, streams and oceans where they’re often mistaken as food and eaten by aquatic and marine animals.

In response to these challenges, Celli Group and Cosmetal are pursuing a water (r)evolution. Together we are working to eliminate or at least counter the waste associated with disposable bottles, opting for better quality filtered water in our workspaces and homes, which can be dispensed into reusable containers – because dispensed water has a significantly lower environmental impact than PET plastic bottles, both in terms of production, transportation and disposal.

Drinking plenty of water is good for our health, hydration and general wellbeing; however, we need to be mindful of the cost to the environment and take steps to protect it… because there is no plan(et) B!