Caerus

By Daniel Gløerfelt-Tarp (aka GT)

When the idea was first thought of, bottled water was laughed at by many. “Why would anyone buy a container of something they have readily available at home?” But through capitalism, marketing and a whole bunch of other methods which I don’t really understand, bottled water has become a multibillion dollar industry. That’s what this article is about: bottled water. I know it’s quite banal and you probably have loads of better things to do than read what is more or less an angry rant born out of some ‘bottled up’ rage (I’m probably the only one that laughed hysterically at the pun). But hey, maybe you’ll learn something, or at least have a chuckle.

As you may have guessed, I’m taking aim at the bottled water stocked in UCG’s very own vending machine. The convenient, and not to mention rather expensive, food dispenser is another topic for debate in light of the plastic epidemic which has grasped the world’s oceans by the balls. I’m not going to dive into that for this article though, as I want to keep it at least somewhat focused  (and I must admit that, as someone who forgets to prepare lunch on a daily basis, the vending machine has proved a valuable ally, as it has kept my stomach quiet while I try to pump out those 2500 words for that essay which is due in four hours. Surely some of you can relate to this)

The plastic bottles, on the other hand, is something I take great issue with. It’s a problem many fail to see, as it has become pretty much ingrained in our society. Any supermarket or mini mart or convenience store worth its salt will sell bottled water. It’s become a norm. Therefore, it has become a part of the huge swathe of our plastic problems.

I’m writing this piece to tell you that it’s separate from that swathe. What I mean by that is, those of us lucky to live in a country like the Netherlands are in a position to abandon bottled water completely. Yes, I know, we could probably be well rid of all the other plastic-wrapped snacks in that vending machine but DAMN, I’d be lying if those rice wheels didn’t tickle my taste buds, or if I said that the nut and berry snack packs didn’t have their ratios absolutely perfect. And though it may sound like a bit of a sad excuse, we can’t get rice wheels, nuts or berries from a tap literally a metre away. Which is why I don’t count plastic bottles as a part of our bigger plastic conundrum. The way I see it, our biggest problem with plastic is our unwillingness to part with the tremendous convenience it offers.

To us here in the Netherlands, plastic bottles selling drinking water offer almost zero convenience. This is especially true for those of us who attend UCG, where we can all grab a glass to drink water from. And, to be fair, I haven’t seen anyone buy one of those bottles from the vending machine. Which is all the more reason to get rid of them.

To further strengthen my argument, I’ll give an example of the destructive ramifications which bottled water can have. Perhaps you have heard of ‘Fiji water’, one of the most coveted and marketed bottled water brands in the world because apparently there’s something “pure” and “natural” about it. Having lived in Fiji, I can tell you there’s nothing special about it at all. They draw their water from the very same source my old toilet used. Herein lies the problem: most people living in Fiji derive their water from the same source as Fiji water, and the huge demand for Fiji water has subsequently led this water source to be depleted at a rate where it cannot naturally replenish itself (and that’s bad. This is but one of many examples of the destructive effects that bottled water can have.

So, to conclude, having bottled water here in our vending machine, I would argue, is fundamentally against what we here at UCG more or less stand for. Yes, I know our “sustainable” building has plenty of hypocrisy offer, from our windows to our non-recyclable coffee cups. However, I think getting rid of the bottles here at UCG is a quick and easy first step we can take towards accomplishing our sustainability goals.

I do realise there’s a whole range of factors I am unaware of which could make this change complicated. But if you share the same sentiment as me towards these bottles, then maybe we can all think of a solution together.