Plastic waste is a pandemic, but what can you do about such a global problem? Take these 10 simple steps to start reducing waste today.

1. Avoid Buying Plastic-Packaged Items

Look for products other than those packed in plastic. Opt for food in glass jars and detergents that come in boxes.

2. Use Shopping Bags Made of Cloth

Make use of reusable bags. Keep them somewhere handy, such as the car or next to the door so you don’t forget to take them with you.

3. Make Use of Filtered Water Coolers

Plastic bottles are one of the most common forms of litter. Carry a reusable bottle that you can fill at filtered water coolers.

4. Upcycle

Think of ways to repurpose old items instead of discarding them.

5. Use Reusable Mugs

Just like making use of filtered water coolers with a reusable bottle, keep a mug in your purse, drawer or bag to have on hand when you order a refill. You could even use it at the office water coolers.

6. No Straws

Usually, drinking out of a straw is unnecessary. If you’re thirsty, make use of drinking fountains or office water coolers.

7. Wear Clothing Made from Natural Materials

Wearing and regularly washing clothes cause’s fibres to fall off, and polyester clothing is typically made of plastic. Opt for clothing that is made from natural materials.

8. Use Compostable Tableware

Use washable and reusable plates, utensils and cups. It’s important to note that compostable tableware won’t biodegrade in a landfill, so you will need to dispose of it appropriately.

9. Don’t Discard Electronics

If you cannot upgrade or repair devices instead of buying new ones, find an appropriate facility to recycle them.

10. Use Your Own Container for Leftovers

When taking home leftovers from a restaurant, use your own reusable container.

To find out more about reducing plastic waste and making use of filtered water coolers, contact Aquafil.

Plastic water bottles get a bad rap, and rightfully so. They are criticised for the contents in them and the packaging. But why are these containers so bad for our environment and our health?

Harmful Chemicals in the Plastic

This is one of the biggest downfalls of plastic bottles. Studies have shown that polycarbonate plastic slowly releases a chemical known as bisphenol-A (BPA) into liquids stored in plastic bottles. The chemical compounds that are released by such chemicals have a myriad of harmful health effects, including altering our hormones.

Creating Trash That Doesn’t Decompose

While plastic drinking bottles may be recyclable, most tend to end up as litter. It has been noted that billions of bottles per year are trashed in the U.S. alone. When you throw away your plastic drinking bottle, it can sit in a landfill for hundreds of years, never decomposing.

What’s more, the growing piles of plastic waste threaten our natural areas and wildlife, rendering our environment less attractive and less healthy.

Another point to consider is that cleaning up all that litter costs taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars every year.

What Are the Alternatives?

If you tend to be on the go a lot, carry a reusable metal bottle with you and make use of filtered water coolers and drinking fountains. Metal tends to be much safer than plastic and these bottles can be filled and refilled without leaching chemicals into your drinking water. Many people argue that they don’t like the taste of tap water, that’s why filtered water coolers remove the bad-tasting chemicals, providing fresh, chilled water. You could also make use of public drinking fountains.

Whether you use water coolers in Sydney in your home, office, university, or any other public space, they are well worth the investment compared to buying bottled water as your main source of drinking water.

Talk to Aquafil today about filtered water coolers and drinking fountains.

There are many individuals, communities and businesses that would like to be more environmentally conscious, but they don’t know where to begin.

Being environmentally friendly means living a lifestyle that is better for the environment – whether it is reducing your plastic waste, making use of public drinking fountains instead of using plastic bottles when you’re on the go or being conscious of litter and its effects on the environment – you can do your part to become eco-friendlier.

5 Ways to Be More Eco-Friendly

1. Be Aware of Your Resources – pay attention to how you choose to travel, use heat, and use water. Changing from harmful plastic water bottles to using filtered water coolers is already a step in the right direction. Taking steps to reduce your carbon footprint and conserve energy also play a role in being environmentally conscious.
2. Conservation – this can be as simple as turning off lights when leaving a room to making choices about how to build a home and the building resources you choose to use.
3. Planting Trees – trees give us oxygen, fruits and provide shelter to wildlife. A shady landscape around your property can help reduce energy consumption and keep your home cool in the summer.
4. Water conservation – a lot of energy is required to pump water from lakes and rivers to our homes. Try to take shorter showers, keep taps closed when brushing your teeth, fix leaking pipes and use water saving appliances.
5. Reduce Your Use of Harmful Chemicals – chemicals like ammonia, oil and paint can cause pollution when disposed of openly. Polluted air and water has serious consequences on our health. Instead, dispose of chemicals at appropriate toxic waste sites.

If you would like to make eco-friendly decisions, or learn more about the benefits of filtered water coolers and drinking fountains, contact Aquafil today.

Purchasing single-use plastic water bottles may seem like a convenience, but in reality, it comes with a steep price tag. Here are 3 very good reasons why you should consider alternatives to single-use plastic water bottles, such as drinking fountains, reusable water bottles, and filtered water coolers.

1. Plastic Water Bottles May Harm Your Health

You hear plenty of talk about why plastic bottles hurt the environment, but did you know that drinking the water from these bottles is also risky? According to a NewStatesman article, studies have shown that bisphenol A (BPA), a substance used in plastic manufacturing, can be toxic to humans. Most notably, it can contribute to low birth weight in new-born infants, and has been shown to disrupt hormone production. BPA has even been banned in Canada and partially banned in Turkey and Sweden.

The fact that the link between BPA and health problems is strong enough to cause entire countries to ban their usage is a big, red flag.

2. They Pollute Both Land and Sea

If you haven’t heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, also called the Pacific trash vortex, get ready to be shocked. The world’s largest landfill is in the Pacific Ocean. Scientists can’t actually figure out how large it is, because it’s too big to trawl and much of it consists of micro-plastics – tiny pieces of plastic that cannot biodegrade (that means they’re around forever). The negative impact this has on marine and plant life is nothing short of tragic.

There are estimates that the Garbage Patch may be as large as Texas. Others say it’s continent-sized. What makes up the majority of trash in the Garbage Patch? Plastic that originated from North America/Asia – such as plastic water bottles.

3. Their Cost Adds Up

When your budget is already tight, buying bottled water is a wasteful expense. Not only will you probably be adding to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch if you don’t recycle, the cost per use adds up to hundreds of dollars a year if you regularly purchase bottled water. In comparison, buying a reusable water bottle costs a reasonable amount of money once, and you refill it as often as you’re thirsty. The savings per year are significant.

Alternatives: Drinking Fountains and More

Luckily, there are lots of alternatives to single-use plastic water bottles. When you’re out and about, use public drinking fountains. If you prefer to carry your own water, get a reusable water bottle, and fill it up at filtered water coolers. Aquafil specializes in placing eco-friendly, money-saving coolers and fountains in public areas, schools, and offices. To save our planet and your wallet, these solutions would be a wise investment.

Contrary to some beliefs, recycling is not a mere school project. There are many negative consequences associated with materials such single use plastic drinking bottles. Recycling or reusing a water bottle can help save the environment and reduce the volume of plastic waste in the community. Here are a few reasons to reuse and reduce the amount of plastic waste through recycling.

The Issue of Population

The world’s population is growing by leaps and bounds with the birth rate increasing and the retired population having longer life expectancies than ever before. As a result more and more people are consuming items that are taking hundreds of years to breakdown resulting in more and more rubbish being disposed of daily. This is true for both residential and business situations.  While there is no way to stop the increase in population, you can be one of few to accept the challenge of using water filter coolers and drinking fountains instead of bought plastic bottles of water. This can be done in homes and offices around the country and it encourages people to take part in looking after the environment. These unique water fountains make refilling easy as the machines have hygienic bottle refill points. With such convenient modern technology available, refilling a reusable bottle rather than purchasing bottled water is an obvious choice. Start refilling and re-using your water bottle today to help the environment.

Wealth Game

People are holding onto more and more stuff in their households resulting in an enormous amount of clutter. We are holding onto unnecessary items handed down from loved ones and gifts that we have received but in reality have no use for. The amount of clutter keeps increasing but we typically do not recycle these goods as we feel it is disrespectful to the giver.  This is not the way it should be, we should be thankful for the gift but we are not duty bound to keep it. Whilst it can be a difficult task to recycle a loved ones possessions we should all take note and encourage our families and friends to recycle unnecessary belongings.

Technology and Recycling

With more and more people relying on computers, smartphones and tablets to keep active and up to date while on the go manufacturers are beginning to move towards eco-friendly supplies. As consumers, we can also help by recycling our old phones, tablets and computers. There are now free recycling services for ‘e-waste’ and we should all take responsibility and help with the safe and environmentally friendly recycling of electronic products.

In Conclusion

Numerous lifestyle choices require more meticulousness when it comes to looking after our environment. We should all consider our choices when it comes to our possessions, what we actually need and how we dispose of those items we don’t require. Aquafil filtered water coolers and drinking fountains offer fresh drinking water solutions for homes and businesses throughout Sydney and around Australia.

You have probably seen drinking fountains with a space just for filling empty water bottles around your local area. At the time, you may have wondered why or what for. Such filtered water coolers, however, are more beneficial than you know. Here are three ways they are helping the economy and environment.

Water Filter Coolers Are Saving Money

While it may be true that a bottle of water generally costs between one and three dollars, this adds up to around fifteen dollars a week when a new bottle is purchased daily. Drinking fountains with filtered coolers can keep money   in your pocket by allowing you to purchase a one off reusable container that you can refill multiple times.

Office Water Coolers Are Convenient

Imagine not having to  go in search of cool drinking water when at work. Fountains with coolers offer you the luxury of accessing  fresh drinking water throughout the day without having to leave the building or spend any money. .

Water Filter Coolers Help the Environment

Thousands of plastic bottles are thrown away every day and later disposed of in landfill. Some plastic containers end up int the ocean  where they are mistaken as food by birds and fish. The can result in them  becoming and dying from ingesting plastic. Refilling reusable water bottles at a drinking fountain reduces the number of plastic containers thrown in the bin and ending up in landfill..

Modern Fountains Are Ideal

Filtered coolers are perfect fits at schools, healthcare facilities and fitness clubs. The machines are eco-friendly and easy to use. Simply placing your water bottle in the designated space on the fountain gives you full access to purified water that is beneficial to your health. Although many rave about the coolers, a personal experience with the fountains is the only way to identify with all of the excitement.

As consumers in this fast-paced world we tend to purchase products because of convenience. T.V. diners, instant coffee, bottled water, all of these items share one thing in common: they’re exceptionally convenient. The problem with many of these goods, besides their health concerns, is that convenience comes at a cost. When it comes to bottled water and the production of plastics, it’s our environment that pays the price.

Consumer Dependence On Plastics

Water bottles are the most obvious of examples to consider when looking at plastic waste. When we finish a bottle of water, we do one of three things: 1) we throw it away, 2) we recycle it, or 3) we litter. Even the best of those three options, recycling, isn’t a viable solution. The resources it takes to recycle and repurpose plastic into packaging requires a high volume of energy and resources. EchoStar Recycling is one of the industry leaders in recycling. To be clear, saying recycling isn’t a viable solution is not to say it isn’t a viable option. You should always recycle, but the first goal should be reducing.

In the United States alone, it is estimated that 1500 bottles of water are used by consumers every second. The next three largest markets can be found in Mexico, Brazil, and China. But plastic water bottles are just the tip of the iceberg. What are most consumer-based water filters (Brita, PUR, Culligan) made of? How about those 5-litre jugs you see on top of office water coolers? Those are all consumables that eventually get replaced, and hopefully, recycled. So as mentioned earlier, it isn’t all about recycling, but also reduction-based solutions.

Filtered Water Coolers vs. Water Fountains, And Plastic Waste Reduction

Environmentally conscious companies are innovating products designed to provide alternative solutions for waste reduction. Drinking fountains today are designed not just for those looking for a quick sip, but for people wanting to refill their stainless steel water bottles. Such companies have been tasked with solving the problems plaguing tomorrow today; problems regarding the correlations between waste, product lifespans and cost efficiency. Replacing wasteful office coolers and filter systems that add to landfills and oceans with every refill and expiration date has evolved from a thoughtful conversation to an actionable solution. Furthermore, these environmentally-friendly drinking fountains are also making a huge difference for business owners looking to save money through optimisation.

So remember this motto and the order of these words if you’re interested in change the matters:
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Refresh.

Water is essential for survival and, in today’s convenience era, bottled water has become a way of life. Although it takes an average of 450 years for a disposable plastic bottle to biodegrade, often we don’t think twice about the possibility of reusing, refilling and recycling, in favour of buying, consuming and disposing. This is a nonsensical approach, given the devastating effect plastic waste is having on our planet, and also the money we could save in the long run by opting for tap water over bottled water or unhealthy sugary beverages.

It’s Time to Change our Habits

Fortunately, communities, towns and cities are beginning to wise up to sustainability issues and assume some responsibility for their environmental footprint. The Australian Sustainable Schools Initiative is just one example of some of the many projects recently initiated to encourage community members to improve the management of energy, waste, water, landscapes and materials.

Local communities and businesses can make a huge difference by discouraging purchased bottled water and instead offering the option to refill reusable bottles via office water coolers, dispensers and drinking fountains. These units not only help to conserve precious natural resources, they also reduce fossil fuel consumed in transporting bottles to landfill sites, as well as cutting down on harmful polluting waste in waterways, oceans and landfills.

The Eco-Friendly Choice

At aquafil, we feel strongly about the detrimental impact bottled water has on our environment and are committed to leading the movement for sustainable change. By promoting and dispensing safe, fresh drinking water in our communities, our drinking fountains and other products provide a substantial saving to the community, help reduce plastic bottled beverages and in turn help to achieve a healthier environment and a more sustainable future.

Our wide range of drinking fountains, refill stations and water coolers offer cost-effective solutions for all budgets and are ideal for a range of purposes, including offices, factories, public areas and schools. Every step of the manufacturing process is designed to be as clean, efficient and sustainable as possible, with a focus on reducing energy, water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, thereby keeping environmental impact to a minimum. Full colour graphics are available on most of our products and are a valuable educational aid in helping promote a healthy lifestyle and sustainable living.

Help Combat Extravagant Disposable Plastic Waste

aquafil supplies affordable units to suit any application. To play your part in helping to create a greener future, and for more information or to obtain a quote, call us or fill out our contact form.