British Trading Bottled Water for Tap? Think Again

What happens when people give up bottled water?

Though environmentalists heavily push tap water as the be-all, end-all solution to bottled water waste, the reality is that many people don't trade their bottles for tap.

So shows research by AC Nielsen and the National Hydration Council in the United Kingdom, where the bottled water backlash is strong. Instead of filling up at the tap, Britons who have given up bottled water are turning to sodas and other sugary drinks to quench their thirst. This from an article about bottled water in the U.K. Telegraph:

Last year the bottled water market suffered a significant fall, as consumers – swayed by an environmental campaign and the high cost – turned away from the once fashionable drink.

However, figures from the market research firm AC Nielsen, which tracks in detail the spending habits of tens of thousands of consumers each week, indicated that 71 per cent of the money saved was spent not on free tap water, but rather than sugary soft drinks.

The National Hydration Council, a lobby group set up to promote the health benefits of water, has calculated that this equates to Britons consuming an extra 1,700 tonnes of sugar and 6.8 billion calories, at the same time as the country faces a mounting obesity crisis.

Tap water, for all its virtues, has a hard time competing with bottled water on one key characteristic. One of the reasons that bottled water skyrocketed in popularity is because it was convenient and cold. Just pull one out of the fridge and take a swig. No ice necessary.

Taps don't deliver cold water. So, it's no surprise that thirsty people are going to reach for a cold beverage (be it bottled water or soda) over lukewarm tap water. Even in Europe, where the populace doesn't really believe in icing down its beverages.

Thankfully, this isn't just an either-or proposition: Either bottled water or soda. A Primo Water dispenser offers the cold convenience of bottled water and the environmental responsibility of tap water at the touch of a button. Why would anyone choose tap or bottled water when they can choose Primo instead?