World Water Day: Dirty bottle packaging urges people to 'drink and think'

Today, on World Water Day, organisations across the globe are taking action to tackle the world's water crisis.
The new packaging created for World Water Day. Picture: One Water.The new packaging created for World Water Day. Picture: One Water.
The new packaging created for World Water Day. Picture: One Water.

It is 2017 - and 1.8 billion people still use a source of drinking water contaminated with faeces, putting them at risk of contracting cholera, dysentery, typhoid and polio.

And business One Water has launched alternative packaging to alert people in the UK to poor water conditions experienced elsewhere in the world.

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The British company has developed a sleeve for its water bottles to make the liquid inside look dirty. It is hoped that this test project will raise awareness of the struggles in other communities.

Duncan Goose, founder of One Water, said: "It seems counter-intuitive to be trying to sell a bottle of water that looks dirty, but we think it’s a useful moment of reflection in our busy days and an opportunity to support a business that pours its profits into clean water for everyone rather than into the bank accounts of corporations.”

Trial versions of the new bottles are currently being market tested.

By this summer, One Water will have raised £15million for water projects and it is hoped that £20million will have been raised by 2020

World Water Day is recognised worldwide on March 22 each year. Picture: One Water.World Water Day is recognised worldwide on March 22 each year. Picture: One Water.
World Water Day is recognised worldwide on March 22 each year. Picture: One Water.
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It is also estimated that the British population will consume around 4.8billion litres of bottled water each year by the time 2020 arrives.

Mr Goose added: “If only a small proportion of the profits from the sale of every bottle of water went to clean water projects, we could have a huge impact on water issues worldwide.

"By drinking One Water you’re effectively saying to someone without access to clean water, ‘Have a clean drink on me.’”