Improve water supply in poorer nations to cut plastic use

Improve water supply in poorer nations to cut plastic use

Countries that want to cut their plastic use and address a significant source of plastic litter in waterways should improve their infrastructure and build a safe water supply, according to a new report that looked at solutions to stop plastic pollution in the ocean. Many developing and middle-income countries struggle with both water quality and supply, leading people to rely on bottled water which ends up as litter in rivers and oceans.

According to professor of civil engineering and report co-author Brajesh Dubey, “The obvious solution is building a safe water supply infrastructure which ensures quality supply.” The report also recommends managing stormwater and wastewater and focusing on locals food and water systems that take away the need for the plastic bottles in the first place.

“The obvious solution is building a safe water supply infrastructure which ensures quality supply.”

Brajesh Dubey, Professor of Civil Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur

You can read more about how much water it takes to make plastic bottles and check out a list of books to help you lead a plastic-free life.