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February 20, 2008
Londoners urged to ditch the bottle and go tap
By John van Straaten and agencies
Londoners are being urged to ask for tap water in restaurants and cafes as part of a campaign to get the public using less bottled water across the capital.
Thames Water and London mayor Ken Livingstone launched their London On Tap campaign this week, urging the public to request tap water if they want it when eating out.
The campaign also aims to raise awareness of the capital's good quality tap water and the environmental impact of bottled water.
Mr Livingstone said diners should not be embarrassed about asking for tap water when eating out.
Mr Livingstone said: "My message is very simple: don't be embarrassed to ask for tap water when you eat out. You will save money and help save the planet."
According to the Consumer Council for Water said tap water cost around one tenth of a penny per litre.
Research by the Container Recycling Institute also showed that around 30 million bottles end up in landfills on a daily basis, where they take over 400 years to break down.
However, a recent National Consumer Council study found one in five people are "slightly nervous" or "too scared to ask" for tap water.
Dame Yve Buckland, national chair of the consumer group, said: "The bottled water industry spends millions investing in their brands and that's what people are paying for when they pick up a bottle of water.
"There is no health advantage in drinking bottled water instead of water from the tap."
http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/topstories/display.var.2058584.0.londoners_urged_to_ditch_the_bottle_and_go_tap.php
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