# FILE NAME: 00002030.soc
# TITLE: Should we make it illegal for people to buy bottled water? [65bd7bc690dbb63ea5dc04835b88ceb5]
# DESCRIPTION: 
# DATA TYPE: soc
# MODIFICATION TYPE: original
# RELATES TO: 
# RELATED FILES: 
# PUBLICATION DATE: 2025-10-12
# MODIFICATION DATE: 2025-10-12
# NUMBER ALTERNATIVES: 4
# NUMBER VOTERS: 5
# NUMBER UNIQUE ORDERS: 3
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 1: Statement 1 - While plastic pollution is a major problem around the world and poses a threat to wildlife, we are not in favour of making it illegal to buy bottled water in the UK. We believe that access to clean water should be a human right and so we are against making it illegal to buy bottled water. While we support initiatives such as drinking fountains in public places, we are aware that this is not yet widely available. People also have different needs when travelling abroad and so we are in favour of the sale of bottled water in airports. However, we do support the proposal of introducing a levy on the sale of bottled water. This would discourage people from buying bottled water in favour of refillable bottles and would hopefully provide an incentive for businesses to install drinking fountains in their premises. We also encourage people to recycle plastic bottles and any other plastics.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 2: Statement 2 - Although bottled water is convenient, it's damage outweighs its benefits and tap water would be a healthier and less harmful alternative. Bottled water is a massive contributor to plastic pollution around the globe, these discarded bottles are found in the ocean, landfills and contribute to the harm of wildlife. Though bottled water is convenient, its damage outweighs its benefits and tap water would be a healthier and less harmful alternative.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 3: Statement 3 - Bottled water should not be made illegal. The group felt that this was the best option because bottled water is the healthiest option for hydration on-the-go and is a good alternative to fizzy or sugary drinks. The group also felt that the culture around reusing personal bottles needs to change significantly before we can stop people buying bottled water.
# ALTERNATIVE NAME 4: Statement 4 - Bottled water is a massive contributor to plastic pollution around the globe, these discarded bottles are found in the ocean, landfills and contribute to the harm of wildlife. Though bottled water is convenient, its damage outweighs its benefits and tap water would be a healthier and less harmful alternative. However, there are many instances where people need access to bottled water. For example, when travelling abroad bottled water may also be necessary for hygiene reasons. Also, when travelling in the UK, tap water may not always be drinkable and people may need to buy bottled water. Overall, we don't think that bottled water should be made illegal, however we believe that people should be encouraged to avoid resorting to buying bottled water wherever possible and should make every reasonable attempt to prevent it and use a refillable bottle instead.
2: 4,1,2,3
2: 1,4,3,2
1: 2,4,1,3