One Redditor got a big reaction when they posted a photo of the unwise and possibly unsafe place where their local Safeway stored its bottled water.
The post appeared in the r/mildlyinfuriating subreddit, which occasionally sees posts about wasteful and polluting practices. Redditors have caught local businesses throwing away food, mixing recyclables with trash, and using way too much plastic packaging.
This time, the problem was where Safeway put huge pallets of bottled water waiting to be sold. In the photo shared with Reddit, the bottles were stacked in front of the store, in full sunlight despite June's hot temperatures.
"Safeway stores their cheap plastic water bottles in direct sunlight outside," the original poster complained.
According to recent studies, plastic and some of the chemicals it contains are a huge threat to human health, raising the risk of miscarriage, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.
It's bad enough to be constantly exposed to plastic in daily life, but drinking straight from a plastic container that's been heated up by the sunlight is even worse. Heat releases harmful chemicals from many kinds of plastic — and in this photo, any toxic substances leaking out of the bottles would have gone directly into the water that Safeway planned to sell.
Commenters were disgusted with the irresponsible practice. "Mmm, sun-heated marked-up tap water in disintegrating flimsy plastic containers," said one user. "What's not to love?"
"I can taste this picture," said another user, sharing that it reminded them of their military service in Afghanistan. Many other users agreed.
A third commenter joked, "Well that doesn't seem like a 'safe way' of doing that."
Thankfully, shoppers looking for a safer alternative have options. Reusable water bottles come in a wide range of materials, and they save users money in the long run.
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