Their aim was to see if a new initiative to enlist businesses where people can refill empty bottles with tap water was making a dent in the trash littering the pavement, says marine biologist Heather Koldewey, who oversaw the research.
In the long run scientists need to devise ways to break plastic down into its most basic units, which can be rebuilt into new plastics or other materials.
Because they are used for convenience, not necessity, they are easier to do without, and the polymers used to make them are among the most commonly produced and found in the environment.
Koldewey’s own campaign to reduce the use of bottled water in London, called #OneLess, studied possible locations for placing refilling kiosks that would get the most use, such as public transportation hubs.
But plastic, including some of the same polymers found in single-use packaging, is also used in construction, electronics and fabrics.
One key aspect of improving recycling, some experts say, is designing products so they are easier to recycle.
Curtailing the use of plastic and improving recycling and waste systems would put a major dent in the plastics entering the environment, but not every plastic is easily recyclable and some will still likely make their way into rivers, soil and seas.
In the long term some scientists think changing the very nature of the material and the methods of recycling it could be the ultimate solution to the plastic problem.
For years materials scientists have been trying to create plastics that will biodegrade.
Such a method would take a PET bottle, for example, and break it down into its most basic molecules, separating out added chemicals to provide the building blocks to remake virgin polymers.

But despite warnings about single use plastic, busy Londoners are still buying bottled water to quench their thirst before throwing it away, where it can take hundreds of years to degrade.
That’s why the Evening Standard is calling for the end of single use plastic bottles – starting with the Midtown area of our city.
With the Mayor’s commitment to deliver 20 new fountains across London this year, and potentially another 17 in the near future, the Evening Standard are pushing to see more drinking fountains in the Midtown area of the capital to combat plastic waste.
While underground stations are some of the most difficult places to install fountains due to limited space, a spokesperson for City Hall confirmed the Mayor’s interest: “The Mayor wants to work with landowners of areas directly outside Tube stations, and explore wider locations across the transport network like Overground stations and busy bus hubs to find suitable locations for water fountains.” It would also be good to see the historic fountain at Princes Circus made operational.
Campaign groups Water for London and Find a Fountain have been working to get more public fountains on our streets, while the likes of Refill, Tapwater.org and GiveMeTap have focussed on encouraging businesses to provide free tap water.
He says whilst community water schemes at shops such as Pret, Costa, Starbucks and Leon work for some, many still feel “pressurised to buy a cake or a coffee” when filling up.
In the first month the Mayor’s fountains at Liverpool Street station were installed, they dispensed more than 8,000 litres of drinking water, the equivalent to 16,000 water bottles.
The new drinking fountain outside Selfridges’ Duke Street entrance can be used by anyone.
Selfridges reported a 1,780 per cent increase in sales of refillable water bottles compared to the same period in 2014.
If we stop so many plastic bottles ending up in the river, we can make a difference to our oceans too.

The boil-water advisory for Glencoe residents was lifted after three days Monday afternoon, after two rounds of tests gave the all-clear to the water system in the small community southwest of London.
A Sunday night watermain break thrust Glencoe under a boil-water advisory that extended through Tuesday and Wednesday and required residents to bring tap water to a rapid boil before drinking or washing food or dishes.
The cracked pipe gushed water down a residential street in Glencoe Sunday night, what Southwest Middlesex Mayor Vance Blackmore described as a “water park.” It brought with it the threat of contamination because a backflow of groundwater could have entered the system.
The boil-water advisory, announced by the health unit early Monday morning, was a precautionary move.
Health inspectors suggested there was no need for public panic for those who drank a sip before hearing of the restriction on Monday, noting there was enough residual chlorine in the system to kill any harmful bacteria.
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Foreground — White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan — Opaque Semi-Opaque Background — White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan — Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window — White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan — Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Default Monospace Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Sans-Serif Casual Script Small Caps Defaults Done The boil-water advisory for Glencoe residents was lifted after three days Monday afternoon, after two rounds of tests gave the all-clear to the water system in the…

About 20 students walked around London’s downtown streets with two large buckets of water on Wednesday afternoon.
They called it a water walk to raise awareness about the scarcity of clean drinking water in developing countries.
Julianna Mereu, 17, is a student at Central secondary school and helped organize the walk alongside students in her school’s social justice club.
“It’s for the millions of people in developing countries that have to walk hours each day to get water,” Mereu said.
Students at the school have to hold two campaigns a year for Me to We.
Before they had the water walk, Mereu and her teammates in the social justice club researched what clean water access is like around the world.
Then, they decided what type of fundraiser or event they wanted to hold to raise funds and awareness.
She hopes even after she graduates, the water walk will continue to a point where it is no longer needed.
Kevin Wild, Central secondary school’s vice-principal said students organized the walk themselves and he’s glad to see students taking an initiative like this.
“And this is one of the global issues that’s prominent right now and there are things we can do to help.”

As they gather together in London today, as well as in the months ahead, governments and leaders from around the world must take urgent action to avert a catastrophe in Somalia.
The future looks promising, but all of this could be derailed if we do not work together to consign hunger to Somalia’s history.
In Somalia this prompted a response, led by UK Aid, which saved millions of lives and kept famine at bay.
Despite the generosity of the UK public, timely action from donors, governments and NGOs, and the cooperation and pragmatism of the Federal Government of Somalia, more than five million people are still in need of urgent assistance.
For Suweys and millions of Somali children, humanitarian assistance is the difference between life and death.
Last year, Save the Children reached hundreds of thousands of children and their families.
Along with our partners, we need to reach at least the same number again this year.
Leadership is required to invest in these solutions in Somalia, alongside urgent humanitarian assistance.
The World Bank’s International Development Assistance (IDA) contains precisely the level of resource required to build safety nets, resilience and drought response mechanisms – and to keep famine at bay.
By building on this progress, we can save countless lives now – and deliver a safer, healthier and more prosperous Somali future.

Homes and businesses affected are having to use bottled water while work continues to fix leaks and repair burst pipes following a thaw in temperatures after last week’s cold weather.
In the Commons, Thames Water was criticised for failing to contact residents and tell them how they could collect bottles of water.
Labour’s Chuka Umunna, who represents Streatham, said he was "astounded" at the lack of a Government statement on the issue, adding that "at the very least" there should be "some kind of public inquiry".
We’re pumping an extra 500 million litres of water a day – the equivalent of 200 Olympic swimming pools – through its network to bring all customers back into supply – more info on what we’re doing here: https://t.co/UfECIulsdw pic.twitter.com/kLALZZbdyr — Thames Water (@thameswater) March 5, 2018 Raising a point of order, Mr Umunna said: "Over the last few years there have been several major water leaks, burst water mains causing severe disruption to my constituents meaning that they can’t wash, they can’t cook, they can’t do the basic things we take for granted.
"Yesterday over 20,000 homes across London and… many others across the rest of the country were left without water.
While the snows, the freeze, the thaw has posed huge challenges, Ofwat this afternoon has said that these companies have fallen far short in forward planning, giving the right support and communication to people."
Labour colleague Helen Hayes, who represents the neighbouring constituency of Dulwich and West Norwood, told the Commons: "Thousands of my constituents have been without water over the weekend, some since last Thursday.
"During that time they have been unable to contact Thames Water by telephone or via the website and they have not received any information on when supply will be restored or how to obtain bottled water."
She added: "This is a national crisis in our water industry and it is clear that the industry is not fit for purpose."
Both Jaguar Land Rover and Cadbury have seen production at UK plants hit as a result.

Shop owners were today accused of cashing in on London’s water crisis by charging up to £8 for bottles of water as 5,000 homes remained without mains supplies.
Several schools in the area also remained shut today, while one emergency water station had apparently have run out of supplies.
A spokesman for Thames Water today said teams were working “flat out” to locate and repair damaged pipes, bleed airlocks and restore pressure in affected areas.
Venting his frustration online, he wrote today: “Day four with no running water in SW16.
“The thing is, their sole purpose is to make money and they’re a one-off.
They feel lied to after all these messages about service coming back.” One shopkeeper said he “wasn’t surprised” by the water bottle price hike, adding: “I’ve had to pay £20 to go in a taxi to pick up bottles front the wholesalers – it sells out so fast.
Thames Water some answers now would be good.” A mother of three from Streatham, Anna, who gave birth last week, told the Standard: “The lack of any communication or accurate information has been appalling.
“The most stressful thing is not being able to do dishes, I had baby screaming at me for milk but [I had] no clean bottles left.” Dunraven primary and secondary school in Streatham was closed for a second day today.
Sunnyhill primary in Streatham also remained closed, while the Livity special school in Streatham was also closed to all pupils, saying: “Thames Water is dealing with water leaks around Streatham and the school has no water.
“Although the situation is recovering we still need to ask for help from the majority of our customers who do have water.

With such a media spotlight on sustainability, Zenith’s 2018 UK Bottled Water Conference on 15 March in London will open with a breakfast briefing on finding more sustainable packaging solutions.
The session features compliance experts Ecosurety, environmental charity Hubbub and leading retailer Marks & Spencer, with moderation by The Packaging Collective.
Taking up the challenge of "Inspiring consumers to value packaging and encourage recycling while on the go", the session will bring together industry members to discuss consumer concerns, focus on areas of opportunity and create a positive way forward for brand owners, suppliers and retailers.
The briefing will review the latest recycling initiatives, including reverse vending and deposit schemes, as well as offering case studies illustrating the importance of producer responsibility in building consumer awareness on effective packaging waste management.
Other highlights at the conference include an overview of latest market developments from Zenith, analysis of consumer and retailer expectations from Kantar and Bridgethorne, and an international keynote address by US leader Niagara Executive Vice President Rali Sanderson.
The afternoon will look at industry policy issues, with contributions from Association of Convenience Stores, British Retail Consortium, Coca-Cola, Co-op and RECOUP.
Nichols and Ugly Drinks will focus on how innovation is evolving and the day will conclude with an entrepreneur shootout involving start-ups Dash Water, JUST Water and Vievė.
New this year is a "Chiller Corner", providing dedicated space for registered delegates on a first come first served basis to showcase their new bottled water products.
The event coincides with the launch of Zenith’s 2018 UK Bottled Water Report with statistics from 2011 through to 2021 forecasts, including packaging, distribution and water types.
The report will also include company and brand volume sales at both full market and segment level, an assessment of challenges and future market trends, and detailed profiles of the leading companies.

In 1854, a London anesthesiologist and amateur sleuth made a history-changing discovery about the link between contaminated water and human disease.
Several years before Louis Pasteur’s groundbreaking experiments that established what came to be called germ theory, Dr. John Snow thought he’d figured out why there were so many cholera cases in a central London neighborhood now known as Soho.
The prevailing belief at the time was that cholera was caused by miasma — bad air.
Snow had another idea.
He persuaded civic officials to remove the handle from the Broad Street pump, a water source for the neighboring businesses and residents.
Over a century and a half later, it appears some in modern society want the Broad Street pump handle back.
The argument: It tastes better.
But while the notion of crystal clear water bubbling up from a pristine spring sounds enticing, in reality there can be risks.
“When water is untreated, there is more uncertainty regarding what’s in it — and it may contain harmful germs,” explained Vincent Hill, chief of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s waterborne disease prevention branch.
Think of them as nature’s additives.

LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Drought-stricken Cape Town could run out of water as soon as April, but South Africa is not alone in its struggle as ever more world cities battle acute water shortages. Water scarcity already affects more than 40 percent of the world’s population and is expected to rise due to global warming, with one in four people projected to face chronic or recurring shortages by 2050, according to the United Nations. Already hosting more than half the world’s people, cities are at the forefront of the problem, as population growth increases pressure on reserves, which are already stretched by too little rain and too much waste. Following are some of the crisis cities: SAO PAULO The reservoir supplying Sao Paulo, Brazil’s largest city and a metropolitan region of 20 million people, nearly dried up in 2015, as the country faced its worst drought in 80 years, depriving many residents of water for 12 hours a day. The city was criticized by U.N. experts for losing 31 percent of its treated water to leaks and theft, compared to an average of…