Microplastic everywhere

 Microplastics are an invisible problem that is becoming part of the marine and human food chain. The University of Michigan has a new technique for tracking the pollution:

"An estimated 8 million tons of plastic trash enters the ocean each year, and most of it is battered by sun and waves into microplastics—tiny flecks that can ride currents hundreds or thousands of miles from their point of entry

The debris can harm sea life and marine ecosystems, and it’s extremely difficult to track and clean up." (SOURCE)

On 5 August Joey Grostern wrote in a Guardian article with the title "Environmental impact of bottled water ‘up to 3,500 times greater than tap water’ "

"The research is the first of its kind and examined the impact of bottled water in Barcelona, where it is becoming increasingly popular despite improvements to the quality of tap water in recent years. ... 

In the US, 17m barrels of oil are needed to produce the plastic to meet annual bottled water demand. In addition, bottled water in the UK is at least 500 times more expensive than tap water." (SOURCE)

Bottled water is of course one of the sources of the plastic debris cluttering the oceans.  In Germany we have good recycling for plastic, but even good recycling does not compensate for the production costs. If we are to protect God's creation, tap water in Berlin is probably the better choice, or at least bottled water in recyclable glass bottles. It may seem like a small choice, but small choices matter!

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