We believe that a high quality water service shouldn’t cost the earth, and have set ourselves a challenging target to reduce carbon emissions by 8% by 2012, which is a significant achievement against the rising trend of emissions in our industry. To help us make the grade, we rely on the latest green-minded businesses processes and techniques, public-facing education and marketing campaigns, and the commitment of our employees, partners and suppliers.
An estimated three billion bottles of water are consumed each year in the UK. Containers can take up to years to biodegrade, and tonnes of CO2 are generated transporting them around the country. Tap water, by contrast, requires no excess packaging or transportation, and costs less than 1p per litre.
The ‘Tap into Water’ campaign was seen as an essential element of our on-going drive to improve environmental performance, and influence consumer behaviour. The campaign was an opportunity to highlight to our customers a simple, yet highly effective way of reducing carbon emissions and saving cash.
We focused on tap water being the right choice for the environment and well as for our customers' pockets.
The campaign was designed to:
- Encourage customers to choose tap water;
- Convince north west businesses, restaurants and public sector organisations to offer tap water to employees and customers;
- Get the debate featured prominently in the media;
- Secure political support;
- Underline our credentials as a green-minded business;
- Promote the superb quality of the region's water.
We identified and collated useful facts and figures including the ‘carbon cost’ of United Utilities’ tap water. We commissioned regional research asking consumers about their attitudes to tap water. 95% of north west diners felt they should be offered tap water in restaurants, but less than half asked for it.
We approached the editors of the Manchester Evening News, Liverpool Daily Post, Warrington Guardian, Blackpool Gazette and the North West Evening Mail.
To encourage their participation, each media partner was given a press pack as well as Tap into Water giveaways including ‘bottles for life’ and restaurant stickers, which the papers could give away to their readers.
We secured endorsement from influential politicians including Gordon Brown, David Cameron and former Environment Minister Phil Woolas.
And we contacted all Local Authorities in the region encouraging participation. Eighteen pledged their support and many are reporting cost savings. One early success was Manchester City Council which reported savings of £93,000 by banning bottled water in its buildings.
Gordon Brown and David Cameron publicly pledged their support, with Mr Cameron saying in a press interview: “I absolutely applaud this campaign. The whole move towards tap water – which is of very good quality now – is an extremely good one.”
On the back of our campaign, Phil Woolas, former Environment Minister and MP for Oldham East, launched a motion calling for an end to bottled water in the House of Commons.
The campaign culminated in a tap water-only Labour Party Conference in Manchester in October 2008.