CURRENT SITUATION

Quality from the Tap

Tap water in Switzerland is not only delicious, it also meets the highest hygiene and safety standards. The daily work of over 2500 water suppliers and strict guidelines for water protection ensure the outstanding quality of Swiss drinking water. It is the comprehensive infrastructural measures implemented in recent decades that make today's nationwide, cost-effective supply possible around the clock.

The law sets stricter requirements for tap water than for branded water. Tap water meets higher standards in terms of safety and quality. In over 50% of cases it even has the same or higher mineral content as branded water.

Increasing Consumption of Bottled Water

Although tap water in Switzerland is available around the clock and has an ecological balance that is up to 1000 times better than that of bottled water, more and more bottled water is being consumed in Switzerland. In 2017, it was just under 1 billion litres, more than 42% of which was imported. In the last 50 years, per capita consumption has risen from less than ten litres to over 110 litres. As a result, Switzerland ranks among the top 15 nations worldwide in the consumption of bottled water and spends millions on a product that flows almost free of charge from the tap – at the expense of the environment.

TRANSPORTATION

In the case of bottled water, transportation via truck is particularly important. This is the main reason why up to 3dl of crude oil hide behind every litre of bottled water. The high level consumption of fuel contributes to climate change and pollutes the air with contaminants and heavy metals.

WASTE

Single-use systems produce enormous amounts of waste. In Switzerland, 1.5 billion PET bottles are in use annually, with around one in five not being recycled. Even if the recycling rate is relatively high, this system entails continuous and high costs. The slow decomposition of plastic pollutes the environment and endangers ecosystems and animals.

PLASTIC RESIDUES

A certain amount of microparticles always detach themselves from plastic packaging and diffuse into bottled drinks. This is permissible by law. As a result, someone who drinks only water from PET bottles for a year can essentially "eat" an entire plastic bottle.