If we want to change our everyday lives to eco-friendly behavior, that often means either higher costs or less comfort. When converting from bottled water to tap water, both are not true. Tap water is as fresh as possible, to have everywhere and unbeatable low.
Hardly any effort, but highly effective
In our opinion, there are two ways to change the world for the better in a meaningful way: through large-scale projects, in which one ensures that the funds invested achieve maximum impact. Or to change things that require very little sacrifice in regards to cost or loss of comfort.
Drinking tap water instead of bottled water simply requires the effort to plan ahead and always have a bottle with you. The silver lining here is that tap water is extremely inexpensive. One litre of Berlin tap water currently costs around 0.5 cents (as of May 2021), and that includes basic and wastewater costs.
The idea behind Local Soda is to establish potable tap water in places where there is a lot of consumption. Cafeterias, restaurants or large offices move around and drink for a water project of their choice.
Because bottled water is still used far too much in Germany, the organisation a tip: tap is establishing 12 water districts nationwide making it possible for the benefits of tap water to be experienced.
The idea behind Local Soda is to establish potable tap water locally in places where there is a lot of consumption. Cafeterias, restaurants or large offices move around and drink for a water project of their choice.
Because bottled water is still used far too much in Germany, the association ´a tip: tap´is establishing 12 water districts nationwide in order to experience the benefits of tap water consumption.
The 0.35 g of CO2 that is released by the Berlin water companies for every litre of drinking water produced is largely due to the power consumption of the pumps. Without a 3-D representation, the consumption is not visual in the graphic.
The wide range of emissions resulting from bottled water productions is particularly dependent on the place of bottling and the type of bottles used. Regional mineral and table water in reusable glass bottles have the best footprint.
In comparison, the emissions of bottled water are 400 to 2,800 times more.
Source comparative figures traffic: VCD Verkehrsclub Deutschland e.V.
According to the german beverages industry’s association WFAG, the per capita consumption of water in Germany during 2018 was an average of 154.4 liters of mineral and table water – excluding the consumption of tap water, spritzers or other mixed soft drinks. This alone results in a difference of 21 to 149 kg of CO2 released, per German citizen per year due to tap water consumption.
With an average footprint of 11.61 t, this is only a fraction. Although, the comparative figures from the transport industry show that this is not irrelevant. The reduction amounts to at least between a good four hours of ICE travel and just under an hour’s flight.
Featured by a tip: tap, a non-profit from Berlin that has been campaigning for tap water and against plastic waste for around 10 years under the unbeatable motto: Imagine you could save the world by being cheap and lazy – supplemented with a 6th argument by us.
Thanks to the German Drinking Water Ordinance, the criteria for tap water are even stricter than for mineral water. So what comes out of our tap is of the very highest quality.
We have calculated the difference per bottle above. If only tap water were drunk in Germany, 3 million tonnes of CO2 could be saved = 1.5x the domestic air traffic.
Over 60 % of mineral water bottles are disposable. PET can be recycled – but a bottle no longer becomes a new bottle, only an inferior plastic product.
For one euro you get a whole 200 litres of tap water. An average 4-person household could save 1,000 € per year. And if it has to be with sparkling water: a fizzer and cartridges cost much less than what you save.
Open the tap – water is there! It’s not that easy with bottled water. At home 24/7 completely without shopping, ordering or lugging boxes. But even on the road, there are now many public places or Refill stations.
Why don’t you do the blind test yourself? Our experience is that tap water often goes down better. But what´s undisputed: It always comes out of the tap at the perfect refreshing drinking temperature.
Empty bottle? Refilling your bottle free of charge en route is also an option in your city: Refill Germany
To you have a worthwhile project idea in the field of environmental protection or education? Or do you want to support the Panterito Foundation with helping hands, donations in kind or money?
