Recently in Bottled Water Category

In a recent post, we reported that the City of Vancouver had failed to stop bottled water from being the beverage of choice at the Winter Olympics. This was unfortunate because Coke, who is serving drinks at the event, was estimating that they would serve 7 million beverages during the games. That's a lot of bottles!

It is worth noting that Coke has some of its own sustainability plans for the Winter Olympics. The goal is an ambitious net zero carbon impact for the games.

To do this they are first using their new Plantbottle, which is made from 30%  plant based material, for all beverages. Second they are delivering the drinks from their energy efficient coolers with electric carts and hybrid vehicles. Lastly, after the bottles have been used, they will be up-cycled in to clothing such as vests and jackets and given to locals in need. While all this takes a bit of energy, carbon credits will most likely need to be purchased to reach neutrality.

It is important to give Coke credit for this effort. At least they are trying. But they are trying to improve on a pointless practice. The bottom line is that bottling water in any kind of bottle and shipping it around is always going to be unsustainable. Using filtered tap water refill stations serving local water and offering biodegradable cups would cut out the transportation, plastic recycling and a need for massive coolers.  

On January 1st, 2010, Washington D.C. implemented a 5 cent tax on all plastic bags used in the districts grocery stores. Now, when shoppers are checking out, they have to pay 5 cents for each plastic bag they use for their groceries.

While this does not seem like a hefty price to pay, after only a month, shoppers have been going out of their way to avoid those bags. Shoppers all over town are bringing a reusable bag or simply trying to carry all their groceries or takeout in their arms to their car or office. A Safeway in the Northwest area has seen 6,000 less bags being used a week!

By most measures, it has been a huge success. DC's experiment proves that a price on something that was previously free has a huge effect on people's behavior. The downside, of course, is the outrage from some of the public who may be slow to understand the benefits of such a tax and only see it as a scam.

There have been states to implement bottled water taxes, but never with this kind of success. What kind of policy do you think would work to make bottled water less appealing? Ideas?

As part of their effort to become the most sustainable city in the world, the City of Vancouver, BC has made a pledge to work towards ridding the city of bottled water.

In April of last year the City Council voted to do everything they could to discourage it's bottled water consumption. The city actually phased out sales of bottled water in it's sports facilities that would be used for Winter Olympic events.

Unfortunately, the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee has control over the city facilities during the Olympics. The committee also has a relationship with Coca-Cola, purveyor of brands such as Dasani and Vitamin Water. So the rules have changed and Coca-Cola will sell an estimated 7 million drinks at the games.

While Coca-Cola insists they do their part for the environment, the effect of this many plastic bottles in one city will be enormous. An multi-national event like the Olympics needs to have higher standards when it comes to waste. This is especially true right after Copenhagen, where it was widely acknowledged that big environmental actions need to be taken as soon as possible. 

photo credit: Uncleweed via flickr

Bisphenol-A (BPA), the industrial chemical found in many plastic water bottles, some reusable water bottles, plastic forks and the linings of canned goods, is being revisited by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a possible hazardous substance for humans.

In the past, the FDA had concluded that BPA shows little health risk to humans in small doses. This conclusion happened to come from two industry funded studies.

More recently, scientists within and outside of the FDA have been speaking out, pointing to the numerous other studies that did show that BPA poses a risks to human health. There had been literally hundreds of such studies, apparently ignored by the FDA, that indicated various health risks for small dosages of BPA in humans. Canada banned the use of BPA from all products sold in the country as a response.

While the FDA may start asking manufacturers to label containers that contain BPA, there is no signal of a ban yet. Right now, many containers that we often use, contain BPA. Beyond water bottles, BPA is found in the lining of many food cans including some baby formulas.

To make sure the products you buy on a regular basis that contain BPA, visit the Environmental Working Group's guide to avoiding BPA products.

Also, you can tell Congress to pass legislation to ban BPA here.

photo credit: stevendepolo via Flickr.com

Many city governments still buy hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of bottled water for their employees, even though they often offer an equivalent product of their own.

As you can imagine, city governments that don't use their own water, often do a poor job promoting to everyone else.

Faucet Face, a Los Angeles based water bottle start-up company, has made it's mission to promote tap water where the city has not.

Founder Mason Gentry feels that the city government's marketing of tap water has not been effective and that "they don't have the resources to create a campaign that rivals the sophistication of the private bottlers."

So what is Faucet Face bringing to the tap marketing movement? Super cute glass water bottles with artwork on them. Right now there are three designs available for pre-order at $14.99. My favorite is the one with a bird sipping nector but the 'Tap is Terrific' bottle is pretty cool too. 

Forbes site Investopedia predicts that bottled water may be back in 2010. They say it could be a good investment as more and more drinking water quality studies reveal the dark side of tap water. The New York Times and EWG both put out reports last year showing that what comes out of our tap may not always be in line with what the Safe Drinking Water Act calls for.

But at the same time, more Americans are seeing the wastefulness of bottled water and the adverse impact the industry and every bottle has on our planet. So from where we're standing, we have a hard time believing bottled water consumption, which has been declining, is about to go back up.

Beyond betting on Pepsi and Coca Cola for their bottled-water brands, Investopedia suggests investors consider companies that sell infrastructure products and services because drinking water plants stateside and internationally are in need of efficiency updates. The article names Mueller Water Products and Veolia Environment as two to watch, and we think this is a better choice than betting money on bottled water.

Photo by PocketAces via Stock.xchng.

Global Tap, who had its global launch with TapIt in San Francisco last week, is offering a new kind of water fountain specifically for refilling your reusable water bottle.

Designed by IDEO, the legendary design firm behind Microsoft's second mouse and the Palm V PDA, this refill station is very sleek.  The Global Tap plan is to make this water refill fountain the symbol of water in public spaces.

The Global Tap fountain is pretty fun to use. You just place your water bottle on the platform, press the button on the base and a thin stream of water flows down filling your bottle. It is a lot easier than holding your bottle at an odd angle at a regular water fountain.

It would be really nice to have these fountains in parks, where it is often difficult to find a water fountain, let alone use one that is designed for your water bottle.

Ultimately, water fountains need the water bottle refill ability if they are going to compete with bottled water usage. This type of design is a good development for the tap water movement.

FIJI Water recently announced that it is joining 1% for the Planet, an alliance of businesses that pledge 1% of their annual sales to non-profit organizations focused on sustainability.

They say that joining 1% for the Planet underscores their deep commitment to sustainability and to preserving the environment in Fiji, a pacific island with a unique eco-system from which they draw the water for their best selling brand.

I can't help recalling the 'Spin the Bottle' article by Ann Lenzer of Mother Jones who contrasted the clean efficiency of the FIJI water bottling plant with these words '...crumbling pipes, a lack of adequate wells, dysfunctional or flooded water treatment plants, and droughts that are expected to get worse with climate change. Half the country has at times relied on emergency water supplies, with rations as low as four gallons a week per family; dirty water has led to outbreaks of typhoid and parasitic infections. Patients have reportedly had to cart their own water to hospitals, and schoolchildren complain about their pipes spewing shells, leaves, and frogs. Some Fijians have taken to smashing open fire hydrants and bribing water truck drivers for a regular supply.'

Oh, and then there's the Pacific Garbage Patch...  I guess if you ship all those plastic bottles to the U.S. they have a way of finding their way back to you! Good try FIJI.

So, what do you think? FIJI Water - Greenwashing or Green?

Photo:

"We are very happy to welcome Roll International and FIJI Water to the 1% movement," said Terry Kellogg, CEO of 1% for the Planet. "The company and its owners have a long-standing commitment to corporate philanthropy and the environment, and their membership will help us bring awareness of the 1% movement to a broader audience."

FIJI Water, natural artesian water bottled at the source in Viti Levu (Fiji islands), is the number one premium bottled water in the United States and one of the fastest-growing brands worldwide.

The decision to join 1% for the Planet is part of FIJI Water's ongoing effort to help preserve and protect the environment. FIJI is also the only major bottled water brand to make its entire carbon footprint transparent on its website and was the first privately owned company to report its carbon emissions to the UK-based Carbon Disclosure Project Supply Chain Leadership Collaboration. ICF International, a global leader in analyzing emissions inventories and providing advice on climate strategy, independently reviews and verifies FIJI Water's carbon footprint annually. And in November 2007, FIJI Water announced that it would become the first carbon-negative bottled water brand in the world, by offsetting its annual carbon emissions by 120%.

As part of that commitment, FIJI Water joined forces with the people of Fiji and Conservation International, a leading conservation organization, in spearheading a major reforestation project in Fiji. The Nakauvadra Forest Carbon Project is Fiji's first community-owned forest carbon project and is intended to restore degraded grasslands and abandoned sugar cane farms by replacing them with a mix of native species, fruit and spice trees, and timber such as mahogany and teak. Planting of the first 250 acres of the project began in October 2009, and another 1,000 acres will be planted over the coming years to meet FIJI Water's ongoing carbon-negative commitment. FIJI Water is investing at least $3 million USD in the forest restoration projects.

In addition to FIJI's reforestation efforts, the company is also working to preserve and protect the Sovi Basin, the largest remaining lowland rainforest in the South Pacific. Partnering again with Conservation International, FIJI Water has pledged $5 million USD to support this extensive conservation work and endow a trust fund that protects in perpetuity more than 50,000 acres of pristine rainforest. The endowment aims to compensate landowners and offset concessions made to logging companies who harvest timber from the Sovi Basin. The ecological benefits are vast and multifaceted: the Sovi Basin is one of only 34 such unique biodiversity hotspots around the world, hosting over 3,300 unique and often endangered species, which will now be protected; important watersheds will be safeguarded in the region, improving water availability and quality for local communities; and significant amounts of carbon will be sequestered by eliminating logging activities and halting further degradation. A video highlight of the Sovi Basin is available at http://www.youtube.com/fijiwatercompany#p/u/4/USRWBIV3U7g.

Through a partnership with the Rotary Pacific Water for Life Foundation, FIJI Water has also committed to providing technical support and funding necessary to provide the delivery of safe and clean water to 100 Fiji communities each year. To date, the company has supported projects in 13 of Fiji's 14 provinces and helped to deliver clean water to more than 30,000 people in need. With FIJI Water's continued commitment to fund at least 100 new projects each year, hundreds of thousands of Fijians in some of the poorest parts of the country will soon benefit from the company's efforts. Video highlights of FIJI's water projects are available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_G4x6d619EA.

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About 1% for the Planet:

1% for the Planet is a global alliance of businesses that donate at least 1% of their sales directly to non-profit organizations focused on sustainability. To date, its 1,100+ members spread across 38 different countries have donated more than $50M to environmental causes.

Membership in 1% is diverse. It includes icons of the socially responsible business world like Patagonia, Clif Bar and New Belgium Brewing. It also includes publicly traded companies such as Volcom and Diageo.

For more information, please visit: http://www.onepercentfortheplanet.org/en/aboutus/

About FIJI Water

FIJI^® Water, natural artesian water bottled at the source in Viti Levu (Fiji islands), is the number one premium bottled water in the United States and one of the fastest-growing brands worldwide. A product of one of the last virgin ecosystems on the planet, FIJI Water is forced by natural pressure out of its aquifer deep below the earth's surface and into iconic square bottles through a sealed delivery system free of human contact. FIJI Water's unique mineral profile lends to its refreshing taste and soft mouth-feel that have made it a favorite among top chefs and the winner of taste tests by Chicago Magazine, Cook's Illustrated Buying Guide, Men's Health, Every Day with Rachael Ray and others.

The company is committed to sustainable development and is the primary driver of economic development and social welfare in Fiji. FIJI Water reinvests substantial resources to expand access to clean, safe drinking water and to provide quality education and health care for the people in Fiji. As the first net carbon-negative product in its industry, FIJI Water is reducing carbon emissions across the product's entire lifecycle and offsetting at least 120% of remaining emissions through a rainforest restoration project in the Fiji Islands. FIJI Water has also partnered with Conservation International and the people of Fiji to protect and preserve the Sovi Basin, the largest remaining lowland rainforest in the South Pacific.

FIJI Water is widely available at fine restaurants and hotels, all major retail channels including grocery and convenience, and through an innovative home delivery program. Following the success of the flagship U.S. business, FIJI Water has expanded to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Western Europe and Asia Pacific. To learn more, please visit www.fijiwater.com.

As you may know, TapIt launched its' network in San Francisco last week with a press event in Yerba Buena Gardens with the City of San Francisco and Global Tap, a company that installs water bottle refill stations in public spaces.

The launch was part of San Francisco's ongoing campaign to promote local water that started with Mayor Gavin Newsom banning the purchase of bottled water with city funds. The City seeks to educate the community on why bottled water is too expensive, wasteful, and unnecessary when San Francisco's Hetch Hetchy water is some of the cleanest in the country.

It is great to be in a partnership with a city that is committed to practical and sustainable goals. Reducing bottled water use reduces land fill costs, recycling costs and litter.  It also engages communities in their local water system, which in the long run, is essential to protecting these valuable public resources.

We hope more cities take this stance in the future and spread the message that bottled water is against the public interest.

Laurel Hill Creek in Bakersville, Western Pennsylvania was set for protection as a "critical stream" earlier this month. In an encouraging example of the government conserving waterways for the public good, the stream is set to be fully protected by the Pennsylvania DEP.

The stream was not threatened by pollution so much as bulk water extraction. There had been plans for the river to be used by a nearby resort as well as a supply for a bottled water operation.

Two other streams, Connoquenessing and Indian Creek, are also in consideration for the protection as a "critical stream".

In recent days we have seen the New York DEC take a clearly irresponsible position on hydrofrac natural gas drilling in watersheds and have observed the continued failure to enforce the clean water act. Seeing stories like this gives us hope that maybe these blunders are not the overall trend.