Originally Posted by
jpdx
You must not have been to a lot of places in Asia/Africa/etc. There are many locations where you absolutely can't assume that "safe drinking water" will come from the tap. I agree that plastic bottles are terrible for the environment, and I have participated in our local campaign to ban retailers from using plastic bags, but there most certainly are locations where I only drink bottled water.
Agreed, but it still makes far more "green" sense for a hotel to offer a filtered or bottled water dispenser for guests to refill their own containers. At best these things are hidden away in the gym, rather than in the lobby or executive lounge.
You mention two parts of the world where indeed you don't want to be drinking from the tap, but also can't rely on the plastic being recycled or treated in a responsible manner.