By Mandy Froelich, The Mind Unleashed

(TMU) — While traveling may be a worthy investment, there are risks to venturing overseas. For instance, if you were to drink contaminated water in a foreign country, you might contract a parasite. It’s for this reason that 65 percent of travelers admit to buying more plastic water bottles while traveling.

The convenience factor of plastic is undisputed, but the use of the material is devastating the environment. Furthermore, half of bottled water is estimated to actually be plain tap water. For these reasons, and because the quality of water in Iceland is unparalleled, the government is urging tourists to ditch bottled water and drink the country’s lava-filtered tap water instead.

In early June, the Kranavatn campaign was launched. The term is Icelandic for “tap water.” According to the campaign, Kranavatn is “pure glacial water filtered through lava for thousands of years.”  Who could say no to that refreshing beverage?

As TreeHugger reports, the campaign follows on the heels of a survey that discovered the primary motive for why people purchase more plastic bottles while vacationing. Reportedly, contamination is the biggest motivator. Seventy percent of travelers are concerned with the quality of water whereas only 19 percent care about the convenience factor. A press release reads:

“Unlike in other countries, 98 percent of Icelandic tap water is chemically untreated and measurements show that unwanted substances in the water are far below limits, according to the Environmental Agency of Iceland.”

Tourists visiting Iceland are encouraged to refill their stainless steel bottles wherever they are, taking advantage of any operational faucet while feeling at peace knowing the tap water qualifies as a “luxury drink.” In fact, starting mid-June, Kranavatn will be labeled as such at hotels, bars, and restaurants.

Water may be readily abundant where you live, but an estimated 2.1 billion people still lack basic access to the resource. It will be interesting, to say the least, to witness the effects of Iceland’s newest eco campaign. Perhaps other countries will prioritize citizens’ basic rights as a means of attracting folks from other countries.

By Mandy Froelich | Creative Commons | TheMindUnleashed.com

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