No More Bottles: Khaleej Times pledges to use filtered water

Tap water is inexpensive, produces no waste, is regulated by the government.

The UAE consumes 13 billion bags of plastic and approximately 450 billion plastic bottles per year, according to alarming statistics released by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment.
Plastic is destroying the environment and though we are part of the problem, we can also be part of the solution by stopping the use of plastic bottles and using filters instead. This is the message Ian Hannah, business partner, No More Bottles, gave when he visited the Khaleej Times to discuss the benefits of moving away from using bottled water.
Following the #KTforGood Campaign on 'War on Plastics' in March, KT has partnered with No More Bottles to stop the use of plastic bottles in its Al Quoz office. As part of the partnership, No More Bottles has installed 16 high-end water filtration systems throughout the KT office to reduce the plastic footprint in the Khaleej Times building.
Despite the government's efforts to solve the plastic problem in the UAE, there is low awareness among the masses, Ian said, quoting a recent report that showed that 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic was produced in the UAE in 2017 alone.
"In this region, there is a stigma attached in using municipality water or tap water. But did you know that most bottled water produced in the UAE is from a government or municipality source. So if it says 'bottled water', then it is definitely from municipality source. Therefore, you are already drinking filtered water. And this water is very safe."
Talking about the importance of using water from an environment-friendly source such as filters, Ian said: "Not using bottled water and instead consuming water from filter systems can reduce carbon footprint by 72 per cent. This also reduces landfill contribution from bottles and reduces transportation wear and tear and cost as well."
He said tap water is inexpensive, produces no waste, is regulated by the government for purity and can be filtered at delivery point.
Giving statistics, he said filtered water will not only save the environment but will also save money. "A family of four spends approximately Dh1,300-Dh1,500 per year on bottled drinking water. But a filtration system will not only reduce plastic bottle waste but will also cost just Dh855 (No More Bottles filter system cost) annually," Ian said.
Urging people to play their part and reduce plastic waste in the environment, Ian said: "Small changes can make a big difference. You can help reduce this potential global catastrophe by simply not buying single use bottled water. Filtered water is the way to go as it is proven to be better than bottled water."
Benefits of filtered water
>It's healthier
>Uses a resource that is already provided for you
>Reduces carbon footprint
>Reduces plastic waste and preserves the planet
>Encourages others to be smarter
>Saves money in the bargain
Tap water vs Bottled Water
>Tap water is inexpensive
>Produces no waste
>Regulated by government for purity
>Can be filtered at delivery point
>Bottling process can introduce germs
>Bottled water produces waste as only one in five bottles gets recycled
Filtration process at No More Bottles
The filtration systems of No More Bottles are manufactured by Water Logic, a UK-based award winning multinational, which is used in many of the top companies in UAE. Water Logic uses a three-stage purification process to maintain quality and safety standards:
>3-stage Carbon
Filtration
>Firewall UV
Purification
>Anti-Microbial
BioCote Protection
saman@khaleejtimes.com