Bottled water consumption halved
Thirsty nation. Polls carried out by YouGov before and after the lockdown have shown that bottled water consumption has reduced by half. Nearly 60% of adults regularly purchased single-use bottles of water before the pandemic, and this has now reduced to 30%. This seems to be largely due to an increase in working from home, but anecdotally many of those polled were committed to the reduction of single-use plastics.
Should you refill? Due to concerns that the coronavirus can survive on plastic for over 24 hours, YouGov also wanted to gauge the respondents’ feelings on reusable water bottles. The majority had no qualms but one in ten said they would need more reassurance.
Note. Although some national coffee shop chains have paused their refill initiatives, you shouldn’t feel obliged to do so too. Scientists have backed a campaign to continue these with basic hygiene precautions.
Tip. If you provide a refill station, consider how you will minimise the risk of virus transfer, e.g. touch-free taps, pedal operated taps, providing sanitising wipes, etc.
Create your profile to unlock this advice and many more.