Water, Water Everywhere …
My friend told me that her son’s school canteen has stopped selling water in plastic bottles; instead they sell small tetrapaks filled with water. The school says they are reducing single use plastic.
So, which is better or should I say, least harming, to the environment?
Plastic Bottles or Tetrapaks
Tetrapaks are now, in theory, recyclable, but you have to do some research to find out if they are collected for recycling in your area.
Tetrapaks are made from a layer of paper, aluminium and polyethylene.
The school provides bins where you can put plastic bottles for recycling; they haven’t got a collection point for tetrapaks so most end up in the normal refuse.
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Glasses and Tap Water
When I was at school we drank water from glasses at lunchtime. Metal jugs full of water were placed on each dining table and we simply poured the water into the glass.
How on earth have we got to the stage where pupils can no longer do this?
Why are we charging the school children for water?
Does it cost too much to employ staff to put the jugs of water on the table?
Is the cost of washing the glasses too high in time, employee costs, machinery, power and water use?
Water Fountains
If we were outside we got a drink of water from the water fountains. I’ve heard that most schools don’t have water fountains anymore, but they have water coolers instead. These have to be leased or bought from a supplier and the water has to be provided in big plastic bottles or the cooler has to be plumbed into the system. These coolers have to be regularly cleaned to stop bacteria proliferating. Pupils have to provide their own reusable bottle to fill.
Maybe, there were problems with water fountains; perhaps they weren’t hygienic – who knows, but they must have been a lot better for the environment.
What a Shower
How many meetings and spreadsheets did it take for the school to decide to replace plastic bottles with tetrapaks?
Surely, this is a no-brainer and schools, companies, people should just use common sense?
Water can be obtained from a tap and drunk from a glass.
End of.
Comments welcome below ……..
Out Of The Office 