As I was waiting to meet with a lawyer the other day the receptionist asked if I would care for coffee or something else to drink. “Water would be great.” was my answer. I was presented with a styrofoam cup and a bottle of water.
I know that this particular office has a kitchen with a dishwasher. I also know that the town has excellent water.
I sat there pondering – why. Why present me with two petrochemical based vessels? Why not offer tap water in a washable glass? Why the expense of bottled water? Why not serve the water in a reusable pitcher? Why have such a complicated solution to a simple request – buying and storing cups and water takes time, effort, money and storage space – disposing may be as simple as throwing it away or as complex as recycling the refuse.
Then I pondered – do they. Do they recycle? Do they realize the health issues associated with styrofoam? Do they know that the town has great water? Do they see the waste of money and resources that my simple request caused?
I am sure that the receptionist thought no further than meeting my request but a much simpler, economical and ecologically minded solution was at hand – turning the handle on the faucet and serving up a glass of water; low cost, plentiful, clean, tap water. Sometimes the simplest solutions are the ones we think of last.
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