Access to free, clean drinking water should be a basic human right, given that it's something we all need to survive.
But that hasn't stopped water fountains from being monetized, and the practice has spurred a heated debate on Reddit after someone posted an X, formerly Twitter, exchange about a since-defunct water refill company.
Reefill, a company that advertised itself as a "cost-effective, eco-friendly alternative to bottled water," tried a business model that offered free tap water at its locations but also chilled, filtered water for a monthly paid subscription via an app.
But one X user suggested another way for access to water to be monetized, and that (as well as Reefill's pay-per-access water) got the r/LateStageCapitalism Reddit community pretty heated.
"There should be an option to watch an ad for as long as it dispenses water," the X user suggested in the comments section of a picture featuring a Reefill unit.
"Can't wait to watch a 30 second doordash ad before fulfilling my basic human needs," the post's title read sarcastically.
"I feel sick," one user replied, while another noted a likely scenario if that were introduced: "Watches ad, presses button, machine is empty try again later."
The idea behind Reefill was to reduce reliance on cold, fresh water offered in plastic bottles, which creates a significant environmental problem from the moment the bottle begins its life cycle.
The move appeared admirable, providing an alternative to grabbing a bottle from the fridge at your local convenience store and instead utilizing a refillable alternative. While all drinking water should be free, this at least cuts out one of the world's biggest sources of pollution.
According to Healthy Human, Americans buy 29 billion single-use plastic water bottles every year, with only one out of six recycled. The organization says it takes 1,000 years for every bottle to decompose, and two million tons of discarded water bottles have entered landfills.
That's a whole lot of waste and a notable way for microplastic pollution to persist for years as products slowly wear down — which can affect human health in a number of ways.
Unfortunately, capitalism continues to dig its claws into drinking water access. At Philadelphia International Airport, one social media user snapped a picture of a water fountain machine that featured SodaStream branding and played ads while people filled their bottles.
In addition to the issue of water having an unnecessary price, this is yet another needless advertising intrusion that we increasingly can't get away from — whether it's at the beach or displayed on bright, disruptive displays on the side of trucks. Like plastic water bottles, advertising also leads to methane-producing landfills filling up quickly by encouraging overconsumption.
These examples are pretty dystopian, but at least the failed Reefill model does provide a lesson: Drinking water should be free, and grabbing a reusable bottle that you can refill at home is just as effective as using questionable services to reduce demand for single-use plastics.
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