Bottles of water at ED station today

[Annie5]

This evening plastic bottles of water were being handed out at ED station, as a marketing exercise by a certain local company. Is it just me, or is anyone else shocked at the lack of thought for the environment, encouraging people to use these bottles, and adding to the huge mountain of plastic ......

[Abe_froeman]

Recyclable plastic presumably?

[Annie5]

There was no "recyclable" logo on the bottle so I think not .....

[Abe_froeman]

Seems unlikley it wouldn't be recyclable in this day and age.

[Annie5]

And given the current plastic awareness, and the knowledge that it is difficult to recycle, I find this a really insensitive marketing exercise .....

[Angelina]

because having a plastic bottle of water is second nature and people don't think about it - they probably thought people would appreciate a drink in this heat, especially getting out of a train.

[Annie5]

Angelina Wrote:

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> because having a plastic bottle of water is second

> nature and people don't think about it - they

> probably thought people would appreciate a drink

> in this heat, especially getting out of a train.

No, they were not doing it out of thought for others, it was a marketing exercise ..... there was a message on the bottle.

[KidKruger]

"..... there was a message on the bottle"

A year has passed since I wrote my note

But I should have known this right from the start

Only hope can keep me together

Love can mend your life

But love can break your heart

[rendelharris]

Actually plastic bottles are easily recyclable, the problem is that we don't, rather than they can't be: we use roughly 40m plastic bottles per day in the UK and fewer than half get recycled. Obviously, recycling uses energy and so forth and so would be better kept to a minimum, but the problems with plastics in the ocean come from dumped plastics. If you took a free bottle of water and conscientiously threw it in your recycling at home no need to beat up on yourself too much!

[JohnL]

I re-use bottles of water (or Indian Tonic Water) for holding tap water (they last for a while)

My Buxton one I've used for a few weeks at work has a recyclable logo.

[peckham_ryu]

Great, will they be back today do you know ?

[Vik]

KK wins the internet today.

KidKruger Wrote:

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> "..... there was a message on the bottle"

>

> A year has passed since I wrote my note

> But I should have known this right from the start

> Only hope can keep me together

> Love can mend your life

> But love can break your heart

[DulwichFox]

JohnL Wrote:

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> I re-use bottles of water (or Indian Tonic Water)

> for holding tap water (they last for a while)

>

> My Buxton one I've used for a few weeks at work

> has a recyclable logo.

Plastic water bottles should not be reused. It says that on all/most plastic bottles.

There is a potential health risk from reusing them. This I believe is due to minute

cracks in the bottle as it scrunched up. These cracks harbour bacteria.

Foxy.

[tomskip]

We've got to get over our love affair with water in plastic bottles.

[JohnL]

DulwichFox Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> JohnL Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > I re-use bottles of water (or Indian Tonic

> Water)

> > for holding tap water (they last for a while)

> >

> > My Buxton one I've used for a few weeks at work

> > has a recyclable logo.

>

> Plastic water bottles should not be reused. It

> says that on all/most plastic bottles.

> There is a potential health risk from reusing

> them. This I believe is due to minute

> cracks in the bottle as it scrunched up. These

> cracks harbour bacteria.

>

> Foxy.

LOL Thanks DF - lucky I'm not infected (yet) then - all I can see is "consume within 3 days of opening". Not as if I have to - We have free bottles in our work fridges (and free coke/diet coke) - and a nice Malbec on Fridays.

I can't read small print without a magnifying glass.

[skylorikeet]

KidKruger Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> "..... there was a message on the bottle"

>

> A year has passed since I wrote my note

> But I should have known this right from the start

> Only hope can keep me together

> Love can mend your life

> But love can break your heart

:) :) Wish there was a like button for this!

[binkylilyput]

I always refill my plastic bottles if I have them.......for weeks and weeks on end! And wash them too. I'm not afraid of bacteria......it's scaremongering b*llox as far as I'm concerned. Everything has bacteria..... including plastic beakers, mugs, cups etc.

I'm far more concerned about the environment than some clap trap about bacteria. I try to avoid plastic bottles wherever I can but, when I purchase one, I use it over and over.

As for marketing tactics with bottled water, I do agree it's not great. I would have totally appreciated a bottle of water given to me I'm sure......but still not acceptable in this day an age.

At the very least they could have a big, fat stamp on it saying "please re-cycle"......and the folk handing out the bottles could also remind people to re-cycle/ re-use.

[Mark]

I know someone who reused a plastic bottle once, they re-filled it with tap water from their kitchen, and they're fine. I believe they've done it a few times since and are still fine, hydrated but fine. Will they ever learn?

[Annie5]

binkylilyput Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I always refill my plastic bottles if I have

> them.......for weeks and weeks on end! And wash

> them too. I'm not afraid of bacteria......it's

> scaremongering b*llox as far as I'm concerned.

> Everything has bacteria..... including plastic

> beakers, mugs, cups etc.

>

> I'm far more concerned about the environment than

> some clap trap about bacteria. I try to avoid

> plastic bottles wherever I can but, when I

> purchase one, I use it over and over.

>

> As for marketing tactics with bottled water, I do

> agree it's not great. I would have totally

> appreciated a bottle of water given to me I'm

> sure......but still not acceptable in this day an

> age.

>

> At the very least they could have a big, fat stamp

> on it saying "please re-cycle"......and the folk

> handing out the bottles could also remind people

> to re-cycle/ re-use.

Exactly. Whereas what happened was the bottles were thrown into the street bins or on the floor after the event, so a lot of people were not recycling them .....

[uncleglen]

you would probably be in trouble if you drank out of the bottle and then re-used it without rinsing it out and thoroughly washing the neck where your mouth had been- there would be a build-up of bacteria in warm temperatures but if you are fastidious you can re-use the bottle for at least 2 weeks- I do. Think similar hygiene to baby bottles!

[Cedges]

I think this thread might be peak East Dulwich.

[Flux capacitor]

I have to agree Plastic bottles are bad news... there is just too much unnecessary waste.

"Freegans have rules among themselves, respecting the businesses whose trash they salvage and the people using the sidewalks where they rummage. They're community-oriented, share everything, and are more aware of social and environmental issues than the average person. We should be outraged about what these businesses throw away instead of donate, compost, or find any use for other than sending to a landfill."

https://www.buzzfeed.com/brandonhardin/personal-stories-people-say-they-shared-in-the-name-of?utm_term=.dbP8Y34PM#120805086

"French law forbids food waste by supermarkets"

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/04/french-law-forbids-food-waste-by-supermarkets

[Michael Palaeologus]

"Shocked" at the giving away of free water? No. I am not even shocked that it was in plastic bottles.

Plastic is like dogs and children, bad when unmanaged and/or unrecycled.

Those that are giving away the water should be thanked. Those that are not recycling the bottles should be chastised.

If the council doesnt recycle the plastic, paper and metal in public bins, they should. However, do we know that they do not?

[binkylilyput]

I somewhat disagree. Plastics are everyone's responsibility, both on an individual level and certainly on a large scale business level. Water bottles do not need to be given away, they really don't.....this is advertising not altruism.