FAQ

ABOUT TAP

What is Tap?
Tap is a new ethical enterprise that is taking on the bottled water industry. It is a company, a campaign and a fundraising initiative, committed to getting people to re-think bottled water and rediscover a refreshing, clean alternative that's literally on tap.

But what does Tap do?
Tap sells clever little products that make drinking tap water fashionable, easy and safe.

It puts the spotlight on the bottled water industry, spilling the beans on its environmental, financial  and social cost.

It is a consumer champion for high tap water standards.

It gives 70% of its profits to water projects in the developing world.

What are Tap bottles made from?

PET with stainless steel base and lid. Please click here for more info on PET.

What's your problem with bottled water then?
The bottled water industry is a triumph of marketing over common sense. Although the UK has amongst the best tap water in the world, consumers spend nearly £2bn to buy it in bottles. This isn't just silly, it's bad...

Manufacturing, bottling and transport leaves a hefty carbon footprint, especially when one quarter of all bottles travel over 1,000 km to reach British consumers.

Bottled water is ridiculously overpriced, costing between 250 and 4,000 times more tap. But over 25% of bottled water is simply filtered tap water!

Bottled water is rubbish - literally. Of the three billion empty plastic bottles thrown away each year, only 10% are recycled, the rest ends up as landfill.

The bottled water industry consumes immense resources, requiring approximately 2.7 million tons of plastic each year.

Bottlers can harm ground water levels if they bottle more water than is naturally replenished.

While the world struggles to deal with the challenge of climate change, bottled water has become a symbol of a non sustainable, disposable lifestyle. In a country like Britain, where we have clean water on tap, this is one product we can do without.

What about fizzy water? You can't get that out of a tap.
We don't have a problem with fizzy water. Our beef is with water that, frankly, could just as easily be taken from the tap. Of course, if you find a good way of carbonating your own water then that would be perfect, but it's not easy to do well. Still water is another matter - and that's what we're targeting.

But is tap water really safe?
Bottled water brands are fiercely competitive but one thing they all agree upon is the importance of undermining public confidence in tap water. The irony, of course, is that over a quarter of bottled water in the UK is filtered tap water, so they can't feel that bad about the stuff.

Of course, in some parts of the world, tap water is not safe to drink - but Britain is not one of them. In 2006, 99.96% of tap water samples tested by the Drinking Water Inspectorate passed quality control standards and Britain is continuing to improve the quality of its tap water. But if you're really worried about water quality, why not buy a water filter to be super safe? You can buy individual filter jugs or have a filter system put in at home or at work. It's still much cheaper than buying bottled water and produces a lot less waste.

Why produce products for tap water? I've never heard anything so ridiculous.
In an ideal world, you're right and we would all drink tap water as a matter of course. But we don't. Instead, we see water in terms of brands and buy bottled water without a second thought.

Tap will do for tap water what Anya Hyndmarch did for reusable bags; making an environmentally friendly choice into a fashion statement, giving tap water an image makeover, and providing a useful, practical product into the bargain. And the fact that 70% of profits go to water projects in the developing world ensures Tap is a genuine force for good.

But aren't you just creating more waste?
All our products are designed to promote a sustainable lifestyle that gets people to re-use and recycle. Take our Do It Yourself Bottled Water: with ten labels used ten times, people save 100 bottles of water. The ‘footprint' of our product doesn't even compare to those 100 bottles of water. Similarly with our re-usable water bottle, a product designed to be kept for years rather than thrown away.

Is it safe to re-use disposable water bottles?
Disposable plastic bottles are not designed to be re-used endlessly since scientific evidence shows the plastic will, over time, release nasty chemicals. That's why, on our Do-It-Yourself Bottled Water labels, we have a Drink-O-Meter, counting ten re-fills before you recycle. Ten re-fills is nothing to worry about, but to be on the safe side, we recommend you recycle after that. And you should always rinse the bottle thoroughly between each re-fill to keep it clean and fresh.

What are Tap's green credentials?
Tap is a carbon neutral business. We offset the carbon cost of each bottle and Do It Yourself Bottled Water pack with CarbonAided, one of the most credible carbon offsetting companies who operate a Gold Standard scheme. The project we are supporting has CDM accreditation, which is used to meet national compliance targets (ie. the highest and most expensive accreditation).

We also source sustainable materials whenever we can. Our Do It Yourself Bottled Water pack is produced using recycled and FSC paper stock, vegetable inks and a biodegradeable laminate. Our printer, Good News, is a carbon neutral, green printer too.

Where can I buy Tap products?

Tap products will be available directly from http://www.wewanttap.com/. We are also in discussions with a wide range of highstreet stores and online sellers and expect to see Tap in shops soon. The Tap website will keep up-to-date information on places selling our products.

How will Tap support charity?
Tap supports charities in two ways.

Firstly, 70% of profits will go to water projects in the developing world. We Want Tap Ltd (the registered company) has a written agreement with the Centre for Innovation in Voluntary Action (CIVA) guaranteeing 70% of net profits will be received and allocated by CIVA to support initiatives that improve access to safe, clean drinking water.

Secondly, Tap is designed as a charity fundraising tool. Tap products can be co-branded by charities and used to raise money for their own causes.

What charities will you support?
Tap will direct its money towards practical, grassroots projects that make a real difference to people's lives. Tap has already identified a number of good causes that promote pioneering solutions for the supply and hygiene of water, including;

The Ryan's Well Foundation which has built over 300 wells in 14 countries and provided access to clean water for half a million people. http://www.ryanswell.ca/

The Water Hippo, which helps people carry water with an invention similar to a garden roller, transporting five times as much water than the traditional method of balancing containers on heads. http://www.hipporoller.org/

Play Pumps International, which helps pump underground water to the surface with an innovative merry-go-round pump rode by children as they play. http://www.playpumps.org/

Life straw is a simple filtration system contained in a straw through which people drink their water.  http://www.vestergaard-frandsen.com/lifestraw.htm

Who is behind Tap?
Tap was founded by Provokateur, the ethical communications agency whose book, Acme Climate Action, has just been published by 4th Estate. Provokateur works exclusively for clients it believes in - like Greenpeace, Crisis, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Social Enterprise, Danaya Ethical Diamonds, Liberty, Fair Finance and many other amazing organisations. Visit http://www.provokateur.com/ to find out more.

Tap has been set up in association with Belu, the world's first carbon neutral bottled water company. All Belu's profits go to charity and they were pioneers in using the corn-starch, biodegradable water bottle. Belu is developing a Tap proposition for restaurants.
http://www.belu.org/

The Tap enterprise was inspired and supported by the Centre of Innovation in Voluntary Action (CIVA), the charity whose projects have included the Otesha Project UK, Carbon Neutral Housing and Childline India. Michael Norton, CIVA's founder and author of 365 Ways to Change the World, is responsible for managing the distribution of profits to charity.
http://www.civa.org.uk/

 

Why is a bottled water company involved with an enterprise to get people drinking tap water?
Belu isn't a regular bottled water company. Not only do they give their profits to charity, but they have been at the forefront of innovations to develop better bottled water. Belu's position is that, in an ideal world, we wouldn't need or buy bottled water. They recognise, however, that given people do buy it, Belu has the best environmental and ethical record.

For some time Belu has been exploring tap water filtration for the restaurant trade and Tap was seen as a potential way into this market.

What's the long term plan for Tap?
Tap's first two products - the Do-It-Yourself Bottled Water kit and its reusable water bottle - are just the beginning. Tap will continue to develop smart products that help people kick their bottled water habit and support projects in parts of the world where people really need water. We have lots of ideas for the future of Tap, but we won't spoil the surprise by telling you just yet.