It would cost $265 billion to solve world hunger, we spend $333 billion on bottled water.
Sorry this isn’t actually a fun fact but when I discovered it I couldn’t stop thinking about it and had to share! Please share this and donate here: https://www.facebook.com/donate/291614992464329/10159129972526628/
Estimates of how much money it would take to end world hunger range from $7 billion to $265 billion per year, a recent UN report stated $30 billion a year.
Revenue in the Bottled Water segment amounts to $333.45 billion in 2021.
How much do you spend on bottled water in a year? Please use a reusable bottle and donate the amount you would have spent on water to the World Food Programme. (Even if you only donate half of the amount we will be on target!)
Some numbers to make you think:
- $1.50 Price for 1,000 gallons of tap water in US
- $1.50 Average cost of 20oz bottle of water in US
- $5.99 Price of 20oz BPA-Free Reusable Water bottle
- $79.9 billion Revenue in the Bottled Water segment United States 2021
- $243.68 Amount spent bottled water per person per year in US in 2021 ($55 in UK (£40.91) $103 in Italy, $177 in Germany)
- $237.69 Savings per person if Americans drank tap water instead of bottled water ($243.68 -$5.99 for the bottle)
- $50 Will provide food for a child for the next three months.
- $3.3 billion Money donated to the World Food Programme by the US in 2019
Is tap water the same quality?
3,648,210 Tests carried out by the DWI in 2020 to ensure that UK tap water is safe and looks and tastes good. – Bottled water by contrast can have a lower mineral content than tap water due to the filtering process*** – Drinking water sources available to North Americans may contain high levels of Ca2+, Mg2+, and Na+ and may provide clinically important portions of the recommended dietary intake of these minerals.
Is Tap Water Safe?
Drinking water quality in the United States is generally safe. In 2016, over 90 percent of the nation’s community water systems were in compliance with all published U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards. This number will be much higher if water is boiled or filtered.
99.96% -Latest figures for drinking water quality compliance with the strict UK and European standards
“Almost 100% of drinking water, provided by major suppliers, is safe to drink across the EU. This is in large part thanks to European environmental legislation, supported by EU funding.”^
Bottled water by contrast normally contains micro-plastics – One 2018 study for example, tested 11 globally sourced brands of bottled water from nine different countries. The researchers found that 93% of the bottles showed some signs of microplastic contamination, and that they contained double the amount present in tap water.****
Does it taste good?
In two blind taste tests most people coldn’t tell the difference between bottled or tap water (see links below)
– Try the blind taste test yourself!
– Try using a Brita filter to improve taste
How many people are starving right now?
- 2 billion+ People do not have regular access to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food.
- 800 million are suffering from life-threatening chronic hunger
- 149 million: Children have stunted growth each year due to chronic hunger
Where will my money go?
School meals – Emergency relief in disasters – Building the capacity of communities – Humanitarian initiatives
See more: https://www.wfp.org/overview
What is the World Food Programme?
This is from their website:
The World Food Programme is the food-assistance branch of the United Nations. It is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, the largest one focused on hunger and food security, and the largest provider of school meals.
We have learnt that it is not just about transferring cash, but transferring knowledge. While some money goes to food assistance supplied directly to families or individuals, it also goes to country capacity strengthening – or direct support to national stakeholders, whether governments or civil society, to design and implement Zero Hunger strategies and programmes as well as encouraging cooperation – that is, the facilitation of exchanges of experience; knowledge; policy support…to advance national humanitarian or development goals. https://www.wfp.org/types-of-support
DID YOU KNOW?
- In most cases bottled water comes from the tap. The US’s top still water brands Pepsico’s Aquafina and Coca Cola’s Dasani are actually municipal waters run through a filter (in 2007 Pepsico was legally obliged to state this fact on the bottle)
- In the UK it is the law that employers provide drinking water at work (Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992)
- All restaurants in England and Wales that serve alcohol are legally required to give customers free tap water according to the Licensing Act
- If current rates continue, by 2050 the ocean will contain more plastic than fish
- Globally we buy a million plastic bottles per minute
- 91% of plastic is not recycled
- Bonus fact: 175 bottles are sold every second in France
** How amount saved per person is calculated:
2021 bottled water revenue in $USD for US/UK/EU (from from https://www.statista.com/ ) divided by country population If you live outside of these regions you can do your own calculations by going to the link below and selecting your region
e.g. UK Bottled Water Revenue = US$2,722m UK Population = 66.65 million
$2,722m/66.65m = $40.81 (£30.32)
*** WHO – HEALTH RISKS FROM DRINKING DEMINERALISED WATER Frantisek Kozisek National Institute of Public Health Czech Republic
Some natural mineral waters, in particular glacial mineral waters, are low in TDS (less than 50 mg/l) and in some countries, even distilled bottled water has been supplied for drinking purposes. Otherbrands of bottled water are produced by demineralising fresh water and then adding minerals for desirable taste. Persons consuming certain types of water may not be receiving the additional minerals that would be present in more highly mineralized waters. The possible adverse consequences of low mineral content water consumption are discussed in the following categories: • Direct effects on the intestinal mucous membrane, metabolism and mineral homeostasis or other body functions. • Little or no intake of calcium and magnesium from low-mineral water. • Low intake of other essential elements and microelements. • Loss of calcium, magnesium and other essential elements in prepared food. • Possible increased dietary intake of toxic metals.
https://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/nutrientschap12.pdf
Sources
Bottled water revenue stats:
https://www.statista.com/outlook/cmo/non-alcoholic-drinks/bottled-water/worldwide
Taste tests:
Polarized but illusory beliefs about tap and bottled water: A product- and consumer-oriented survey and blind tasting experiment https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30189556/
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1745-459X.2010.00280.x
^FACT SHEET SAFER DRINKING WATER EU https://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/water-drink/pdf/factsheet_safer_drinking_water.pdf
Drinking water 2020 The Chief Inspector’s report for drinking water in England https://cdn.dwi.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/18151502/1179-APS-England_CCS1020445030-003_Chief_Inspectors_Report_2021_Accessible-1.pdf
World class drinking water https://www.water.org.uk/policy-topics/improving-services-for-customers/world-class-drinking-water/
Articles:
Pepsico tap water scandal https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2021-09-28/bottled-water-is-really-just-tap-water https://abcnews.go.com/Business/aquafina-source-tap-water/story?id=3428260
UN says solving food crisis could cost $30 billion https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/04/news/04iht-04food.13446176.html
****Medical News Today – Which is better: Bottled water or tap water? https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/327395#pros-and-cons-of-bottled-water
How Much Would It Cost To End World Hunger? https://www.globalgiving.org/learn/how-much-would-it-cost-to-end-world-hunger/
Data Shows Bottled Water Consumption Continues To Increase https://www.theshelbyreport.com/2020/05/21/bottled-water-consumption-increases/
Why people drink bottled water https://www.statista.com/statistics/1178166/bottled-water-reasons-for-consumption-us/
The True Cost of Bottled Water https://www.drinkoptimum.com/the-true-cost-of-bottled-water/
Bottled Water The growing cost of convenience https://www.london.gov.uk/about-us/londonassembly/meetings/documents/s61791/06a%20Appendix%201.pdf
NB – Sorry for the chugging aspect of this I don’t work for WFP, I’m just some guy who wants to help. Please share this so we can sort this! #H2Obvious #banthebottle
