 |
| A water-tap-point in the North of Italy providing you with (cold) sparkling or still water. Bring your own bottles! |
For over a decennium it is widely accepted that people walk
around with small plastic bottles carrying water or any other thirst-quenching
liquid. The small bottles fit in any bag and are therefore very popular. Each
shop selling any kind of food ware or touristic stuff now has at least a small
fridge where cold (soft) drinks are available. Sometimes for incredibly high
prices.
It is important to drink a lot. It helps you to process your
food and keeps your mind active. I do get a headache as I do not drink enough.
It is my personal warning system telling me I need to fill up. Liquids keep
your system functioning the way it should.
Although the plastic bottles seem to be very handy they are
an enormous source of waste. If you throw away your bottle after you’ve
finished it, you cause are one of those people causing a big belt of rubbish. Even
though plastic can be recycled relatively easily it costs many energy to make it
and transport the full bottles to the shop where you will buy them.
In almost all European countries tap water can be drunk without
causing you to become ill. The Alps and the Pyrenees bring cool and fresh
mountain water to nearby cities, the Dutch coastal areas use the water from the
dunes while other countries have developed good cleaning systems. In some
countries, like Italy, they do even sell the water right from the source. So
actually there is no need to buy bottled water when you are in normal health
circumstances.
Water and other sources might become scarce soon. We should
be careful using them and create priorities to what is more important to us. It
can be very easy to become more friendly for the environment. If you don’t do
it yet then you should start to re-use your plastic water bottle. It can be
filled by one of the water taps in your city or – when taps are not available –
in the nearest (public) toilet. There now is even a bottle made for reusing
which is easy to clean too.
If we all start to do this there might be lines for these public
water taps soon. And while you’re
waiting why not talking to the ones around you sharing suggestions how to be
good on the environment.
