Bluewater Sounds Alarm on Plastic Pollution and Chemical Contamination for Earth Day 2024
Marking Earth Day 2024, Bluewater has launched a significant environmental warning about the risks posed by an overwhelming surge in plastic waste and the dangers of toxic ‘forever chemicals’. The company emphasises that these pressing issues threaten the survival of diverse ecosystems and human health worldwide.
“According to the United Nations, no space or living creature anywhere on Planet Earth is spared from the micro- and nano-plastic particles following in the trail of the 600 billion plastic bottles produced every year – and the toxic chemicals such as PFAS found in them and our tap water,” declared Bengt Rittri, the Swedish environmental entrepreneur who founded and leads Bluewater.
Rittri raised concerns about new data that plastic water bottles made from recycled materials might be compromised by hazardous PFAS chemicals, which could leach into beverages and the surrounding environment. “The lack of research about the extent of PFAS-related health risks is hugely disturbing due to the growing evidence linking forever-chemicals to cancer and other diseases such as decreased immunity, falling sperm counts, and congenital disabilities,” said Rittri. He added that the ubiquitous presence of microplastic particles and their associated chemicals in various biological tissues poses significant health risks.
Notably, PFAS compounds like PFOS and PFOA are now found universally, contaminating soil and water surfaces around the globe due to their use in numerous consumer goods, and are also prevalent in drinking water supplies worldwide.
Rittri called for urgent international cooperation to combat these threats. “It’s now clear we are in a plastic versus planet scenario, so I’m pleading for world governments to work together to urgently reduce all plastic production and phase out single-use plastic bottles,” he stated.
Since its inception in 2013 in Stockholm, Bluewater has placed sustainability at the forefront of its mission, continually developing advanced water purification technologies that filter out up to 99.97 percent of contaminants. The company has also introduced innovative solutions to do away with single-use plastic bottles. Their recent product, the Bluewater Kitchen Station 1™, purifies tap water while infusing it with minerals from ancient northern Swedish mountains, ensuring safety and enhancing health benefits.
“At Bluewater, we very much believe in the art of the possible, which is why we are investing in clean tech and approaches that deliver great-tasting water from taps everywhere that people can trust and will leave a planet fit for future generations to enjoy and thrive on,” Rittri stated.