The
consumption of bottled water in the U.S.A has exploded over the last decade
with more than half the population preferring bottled water to tap according to
Natural Resources Defence Council (1). This paper sets out to explore whether
U.K. consumers (more specifically, Cambridge) would show the same trend in the
choice between bottled and tap water [1].
The survey questioned 100 people about the consumption of water, and it found that approximately three quarters (76 per cent) preferred to drink tap water whereas a quarter (24 per cent) favoured bottled water. Furthermore, the informants who drank bottled water said it was because it is cleaner than tap water, it tastes better, and it is healthier.
Men were more likely to choose tap water than women.
Eighty-one per cent of all men preferred tap water compared to seventy-four per
cent of all women. Also, the survey
revealed that twenty-one per cent of
all the informants said they always asked for tap
water a
nd only drunk bottled water if they forgot to fill up their bottle or when
travelling to foreign countries, shopping, or dining out.
The survey revealed three possible reasons for the preference for tap water in Cambridge. Firstly, the informants who drank tap water said the main reason was because it is cheaper than bottled water. This information is in accordance with the trend described in the London Evening Standard (2) and the Guardian (3). Secondly, several interviewees said tap water is more environmentally friendly than bottled water as has also been also discussed in the BBC News (4). Finally, tap water is considered healthier not only because it has not been in contact with plastic but also because its added fluoride is good for your teeth.
To sum up, in contrast to the trend in the U.S.A., tap water is more popular than bottled water in the UK because people think it is cheaper, healthier and more environmentally friendly than bottled water.
1- http://www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/bw/chap2.asp
3- http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2009/mar/23/bottled-water-sales-fall
4-http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8141569.stm