Comments on: Can A Company That Produces Bottled Water Be Sustainable?

By: Living La Vida Verde

Living La Vida Verde — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:50:46 +0000

We offer glass water bottles as a safe alternative to bottled water. I personally do not like using plastic and metal water bottles so this is my solution to the problem! Check it out at http://www.livinglavidaverde.net

By: Terry Saul

Terry Saul — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 12:14:30 +0000

Rob, regarding “safe public water sources”, I totally agree. In the United States, you can safely assume that municipal water is healthy, though it’s possible that our standards ought to be upgraded as old pipes and other factors may reduce quality over time. In places like Las Vegas or Phoenix, though the water is technically ok to drink, it tends to taste terrible as it’s been piped for miles through the desert – driving many there to actually buy bottled water at home (kinda mind blowing, but in a materialistic culture people actually do it).
Anyway – I always drink from fountains. That’s why they’re here! Public trust in utilities and public services like clean water are a foundation of a civilized democracy. Doubt, as evidenced by the rise of bottled water, undermines our society.

By: Rob Bryan

Rob Bryan — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 11:30:26 +0000

What does one do when you’re not at home and don’t have any tap water with you? Drink from a fountain? While municipal supplies are “regulated” and bottled water is not formally regulated, don’t most of us trust bottled more than a municipality? I think one reason is that bottled water carries the legal assumption that it is safe. It will cost the business too much to produce a product that will expose them to liability. If municipal water makes you sick, there is very little recourse.
Possibly a solution is certified safe public water sources. RO (Reverse osmosis) is inexpensive (on a drinking water scale)and efficient. “Bring your own bottle” RO water vending machines such as you see in grocery stores, if inspected and maintained, could be a safe source. I’d like to see them in airports for instance.

By: Aaron Fu

Aaron Fu — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 09:09:41 +0000

first off, I think this article does a great job of laying out how ridiculous things have gotten with companies in the US essentially bottling tap water..
sure, the idea of an american consumer paying good money for something that can be easily obtained for close to nothing is comical.
but another perspective is that bottled water by pepsico for example is cannibalising its own sales of soft drinks (pepsi) and between consumers purchasing more pepsi (which has a much higher carbon footprint from its manufacturing process) and bottled water, I’d personally rather see more aquafina on the shelves than pepsi.
Studies point to increasing levels of bottled water consumption but many other studies have shown that this corresponds to a decrease in soft drink consumption.
I’d also really like to see a study that explores if bottled water has truely won over previous consumers of tap water.
Anyway, more on bottled water and greenwashing here: http://evolvingchoice.com/2009/01/12/fiji-water-food-miles-greenwash/