MAYS IBRAHIM (ABU DHABI)
More than half of UAE and KSA residents are "somewhat concerned" or "highly concerned" about the health implications of plastic bottled water, according to a new YouGov survey.
The survey was conducted in collaboration with Wisewell, a data-driven water technology company. Its findings are based on the responses of 1,000 participants in KSA and 1,000 in the UAE.
It revealed that 76% of consumers are concerned about the health effects of plastic bottles. Yet, a significant 79% continue to use them as their primary drinking water option.
The report highlighted various health risks associated with plastic ingestion, such as cardiovascular issues, increased cancer risks, disruption in brain functions and declining male fertility.
An estimated 2 billion plastic water bottles are consumed annually in the UAE, with 1.9 billion of those ending up in landfills, according to the report.
In terms of household spending, UAE residents collectively spend around $390 per year on residential drinking water. Of this, 45% ($398 million) is spent on plastic bottles, with an additional 34% ($300 million) allocated to plastic gallon containers.
In the UAE, 82% of the population, 76% of UAE nationals, and 85% of parents expressed concern about the health risks of plastic bottled water.
Despite these concerns, the survey found that 81% of the UAE population uses plastic bottled water as their primary source of residential drinking water.
In an interview with Aletihad, Sami Khoreibi, founder and CEO of Wisewell, highlighted the company's efforts to address these growing concerns with water purification solutions that combine existing technology with traditional filtration methods.
"We use IoT sensors to monitor the quality of tap water before and after filtration, and our system tracks important metrics, such as the number of plastic bottles saved and money saved compared to purchasing bottled water," he explained.
"This transparency empowers users to make more informed choices, transitioning them away from bottled water toward a healthier, more sustainable solution."
Wisewell aims to provide an alternative to plastic bottled water by ensuring access to clean, purified water directly from the tap.
"Our goal is to make purified water the primary option for households, both in the UAE and across the GCC," Khoreibi said. "Despite the concerns raised in the survey, there's still a significant reliance on plastic bottles. We aim to speed up the conversion to purified water users by offering not just a solution, but a transparent, data-driven experience that builds trust in water filtration."
Wisewell has also incorporated social impact into its mission through its "SIP-for-SIP" initiative. For every glass of water consumed through Wisewell's systems, an equal serving is donated to communities in need.
The company has so far donated over 12.5 million servings of water to communities facing water scarcity, in addition to helping eliminate nearly 6 million plastic bottles from entering landfills, according to Khoreibi.