In the UK, we see water flowing out of fountains, taps, toilets, and showers. This hydrating, transparent fluid that we require to nourish our bodies, clean our homes, cook our food, seems to be everywhere—but that reality may soon come to an end, especially when we take into account how much an individual consumes on a daily basis.
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The United Nations (UN) reports that by 2050 around 57% of the world’s population will struggle with water shortage. That means that in less than 30 years, a large majority of people will not have enough water to drink, clean, cook, or bathe with—all because many of us are incapable of turning the faucet off while brushing our teeth today. It may seem like a small, insignificant action, but according to sustainable retailer Ecovibe, it’s these very actions that are pushing us dangerously closer to water scarcity.
'Biggest culprits for water waste'
Their research has found that 80% of British adults have at least one water-wasting habit that they indulge in every single day. That could be anything from leaving the tap on while brushing our teeth and washing our face (which two in every ten people do), to flushing the toilet after every use, taking long baths, and filling the kettle with more water than needed. When adding up these seemingly harmless actions, they found that eachBrit adult is wasting around 1 million litres of water every year—making them some of the ‘biggest culprits.’ They stated in a release:
Brits are some of the biggest culprits for water waste, with 80% of us reportedly wasting water regularly, and with water becoming a pressured commodity, it is more important than ever to make small changes in our everyday lives.
Small actions that can change the future
With the way people are consuming water right now, scarcity is definitely on the cards, and it's already happening in countries all over the world. However, Ecovibe states that we can reverse our impact just as easily. All we have to do is cut down those harmful water wasting habits.
For starters, stop letting the tap run while you’re brushing your teeth or washing your face. The retailer states:
Brushing your teeth twice a day and leaving the tap running wastes a shocking 22 litres of water daily, enough to fill up almost 15 kettles! That means throughout the year we waste enough water to fill around 75,000 kettles a year.
You should also refrain from flushing the toilet every single time you use it. You can even try to switch to a newer model that has been designed to save water.
Ecovibe also says that by reducing your shower to just two minutes a day, you’ll be saving a whopping 18 litres of water a day. They add:
You can save even more water by purchasing shower care bars, rather than bottled shower liquids and gels, which are made up predominantly of water too.
