Cano Water creates spoof newspaper
Image: Cano Water
Cano Water, UK canned water brand, has been spotted handing out issues of the Pollution Express – a newspaper from 26 years into the future – to unsuspecting members of the public, outside Liverpool Street Station in London.
“Published” in 2050, this futuristic newspaper makes today’s doom-scrolling look like light bedtime reading. The spoof publication has been written and released by Cano Water to highlight “the grim reality we face if plastic pollution is not addressed here in the UK, right now.”
Designed to shock people into taking action, the headline story declares that “England is officially a plastic nation” alongside AI generated images depicting iconic London streets. covered in plastic pollution.
Amidst a year full of health reports on the long-term impacts of microplastics, lacklustre recycling initiatives, and record plastic waste figures, 2024 has shed more light on plastic pollution than ever before – with an estimated 220 million tonnes of plastic waste being created this year alone.
From horoscopes to features, a Help Wanted advert and even an Agony Aunt slot, the Pollution Express provides a humorous yet sobering view of how continued single-use plastic consumption will impact the way we live, if we don’t switch to sustainable alternatives.
Founded in 2015, Cano Water is on a mission to save one billion plastic bottles from landfill by 2030 – and to educate the British public about the importance of recycling and choosing sustainable alternatives along the way.
By 2050, our oceans could contain more plastic than fish — a stark reality that alarming research has brought to light. This grim forecast serves as the catalyst for setting the newspaper in that pivotal year, underscoring the urgent need for immediate action to prevent this environmental catastrophe, the company said.
Through a series of awareness-driving campaigns, the brand has placed itself at the forefront of the UK’s fight against plastic waste, while challenging other brands to take more action and accountability for their plastic consumption. The Cano Water team is always looking for ways to strive towards greater sustainability: in 2024, Cano Water achieved a long-standing business goal of moving their water fulfilment to the UK, cutting the business’s carbon footprint in half.
Josh White, co-founder and CEO of Cano Water, said: “We’re taking a stand against plastic pollution by showing the citizens of London what their beloved cities will look like if plastic waste isn’t taken seriously. Part of this process is encouraging the public to take a reflective look at their reliance on single-use plastic and how their habits are costing the planet – and what better way to spark this thinking than with a sneak peek into our future? The newspaper is another step in our goal to educate Brits about the harmful nature of plastic not just on our health, but on the planet and the lifestyles that we know and love.”
