A new record for plastic water bottles: Disgusting and totally unnecessary. Pure pollution, no benefit.
In February I took pictures of a Fiji water bottle littered after a few sips drunk, despite water fountains within a few steps. Someone paid to extract oil, refine it into plastic, use it to ship water—WATER!—around the world, so they could drink a few sips and pollute our world with the plastic.
That post was Disgusting and totally unnecessary. Pure pollution, no benefit. Check it out if you want to vomit.
The other day, I found a new record. Another Fiji bottle, this time with not even a few sips taken. the bottle was smaller, but the amount drunk less. To clarify, in case you can’t tell from the picture, the lid has been open and some water consumed. No one can drink the rest because who knows if it’s safe. But the person who opened it didn’t want it anymore so left it on the ground.
Anyone who believes this insouciant product represents free trade or that it benefits the world despite being profitable and contributing to the GDP of multiple nations is crazy.
Of course, an airplane produces this much pollution probably in a fraction of a second even just idling on the runway before leaving the gate. We all have our rationalizations and justifications why our pollution is just the right amount of balance.
EDIT: Here’s an obituary of the guy who started exporting Fiji water all over the world, David Gilmour, though anyone who buys bottled water is funding it, no matter where the water comes from. Bottled water is what makes a system where tap water becomes unsafe to drink. You never need to buy bottled water or any bottled beverage again.
December 2023. I wish I could say I was looking for this repugnance, but I just see it. I don’t bother taking pictures of the countless mostly full plastic bottles of water I see almost daily, but the Fiji ones stand out for coming halfway around the world and costing more.
EDIT: I’ve mostly stopped taking these pictures despite seeing opportunities, but sometimes I can’t pass the more egregious examples. This size bottle only lowers Earth’s ability to sustain life with no redeeming value:
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