Letters | An appeal to Hong Kong: say yes to filtered water, say no to plastic bottles

Bottled water became popular only in the 1980s, so what did we all do before that?

Hong Kong environmental issues

Letters

Published: 1:04pm, 9 Nov 2018

Why you can trust SCMP

I refer to the letter from AMC Cinema (“Why our AMC cinemas will not serve tap water”, November 5) explaining why staff didn’t provide tap water for a customer who wanted to fill her own bottle. They didn’t feel tap water is safe “especially when the customer is pregnant”, and so offered her bottled water instead.

That was very considerate. But I wish they were as environmentally considerate, and had offered filtered water instead of water in plastic bottles. AMC could take the lead in this.

Brian Mair, South Lantau

Plastic bottles collected from the beach in Tung Ping Chau. Photo: Facebook

Don’t be lazy, bring your own water bottle

I refer to the letter regarding the AMC Cinema and its refusal to fill up a customer’s drinking bottle (“Why won’t Hong Kong go with the flow and serve tap water?”, November 1). Here is someone trying to do the right thing and she is refused water. I cannot understand how we are still buying water in plastic bottles in spite of all the reports we are seeing on how much damage is done by the increasing use of plastic.

All restaurants and bars should stop selling water in plastic bottles immediately and offer jugs of water on their counters or tables. Our water is safe for drinking and restaurants can have their water tested if necessary and add a filter.

Bottled water became popular only in the 1980s, so what did we all do before that?

Just say no to water in plastic bottles. Now that we know plastic consumption is outpacing plastic recycling, we must make every effort to reduce the millions of bottles used daily. It seems so obvious that this is the best place to start.

Bring your own reusable bottles when you go out and insist that restaurants and bars supply decent tap water. I myself have never been refused tap water in Hong Kong in any restaurant or bar. Storing, then disposing, all these bottles must be a problem. Our beaches are strewn with them, our oceans have islands of them, and our country parks are full of them. It is sheer laziness on people’s part that they cannot bring their own bottle. Schools have made headway on this by making it mandatory for students to bring a reusable bottle.

Judith Ritchie, Lantau

Cristiano Ronaldo shares a bottle of water with members of the rival team, at an Italian Serie A football match in Udine on October 6. Photo: AFP

Hong Kong tap water passed Australian test

Hong Kong tap water is among the safest in the world (“Why our AMC cinemas will not serve tap water”). It is perfectly safe to drink straight from the tap.

This is not just the view of our own Water Supplies Department or the World Health Organisation. When I worked in the Australian Consulate, we tested Hong Kong water as part of due diligence to provide staff welfare. It was up to Australia’s highest standards.

It is now common practice in Australia to provide a bottle of tap water at all tables. Surely in Hong Kong we ought to be going down that path rather than encouraging the greater use of plastic bottles.

It’s about time the Hong Kong government stepped up to promote our safest resource – clean, fresh and healthy tap water.

Peter Forsythe, Discovery Bay

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