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ALEXANDRIA, VA – The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) applauds Senator Thomas R. Carper (D) of Delaware and Senator Olympia Snowe (R) of Maine, co-Chairs of the Senate Recycling Caucus and others, for their introduction of U.S. Senate Resolution 251, which expresses support for "the improvement of collection, processing and consumption of recyclable materials throughout the United States” and "policies in the United States that establish the equitable treatment of recycled materials."
Metro will allow water on its buses and trains and in stations this weekend as Washington copes with record-breaking heat. Read more at WashingtonPost.com
“From Tap to Bottled Water” traces the many steps taken to produce a safe, healthy, convenient food product
ALEXANDRIA, VA – The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA)’s consumer websitewww.bottledwatermatters.com has released a new YouTube video, “From Tap to Bottled Water,” that dispels a myth repeated by some anti-bottled water activists that bottled water which comes from municipal water sources is just tap water in a bottle. An entertaining and amusing teenager conducts a tour of a bottled water plant that shows viewers the many complex steps necessary to turn municipal tap water into a finished, purified bottled water product. She encourages the viewers to decide for themselves if it’s just tap water in a bottle. To view “From Tap to Bottled Water” click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMMqvkmC7mk&feature=feedlik
“This video takes viewers through the many additional steps undertaken to treat municipal water so that it can packaged and labeled as purified bottled water,” says Tom Lauria, IBWA’s Vice-President of Communications.
“Some anti-bottled activists, politicians, educators and even comedians make various incorrect statements about municipally sourced bottled water, making it sound as if these bottles are filled from a garden hose,” Lauria noted. “This is absolutely not the case. Tap water that is used to make purified bottled water undergoes several treatments, such as being pre-filtered, treated with reverse osmosis, ultra violet light, one-micron filters and ozonation before the water is placed in sanitary, recyclable containers, and factory-sealed for consumer protection and safety.”
The entire bottling process is closely monitored for optimal safety and quality levels, and a final step involves testing the purified bottled water for any residual contaminants after the product is packaged.
“This video clearly rebuts claims by anti-bottled water critics and it plainly shows that municipally sourced bottled water is very different from tap water in a bottle,” says Lauria.
“And I think consumers will be reassured that the product they are drinking has undergone the additional steps, and that they are getting true value for their money spent.”
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Contact: Tom Lauria
703-647-4609 or 703-887-4056 (cell)
The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) is the authoritative source of information about all types of bottled waters. Founded in 1958, IBWA's membership includes U.S. and international bottlers, distributors and suppliers. IBWA is committed to working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates bottled water as a packaged food product, and state governments to set stringent standards for safe, high quality bottled water products. Additionally, IBWA requires member bottlers to adhere to the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice, which mandates additional standards and practices that in some cases are more stringent than federal and state regulations. A key feature of the IBWA Model Code is an annual plant inspection by an independent, third party organization. For more information about IBWA, bottled water and a list of member’s brands, please contact Tom Lauria, IBWA’s Vice President of Communications at 703-647-54609 or tlauria@bottledwater.org.
ALEXANDRIA, VA – The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA)’s consumer website www.bottledwatermatters.com has released a new YouTube video, “Recycling Empty Plastic Bottles,” that gives consumers a good look at how a PET recycling facility converts more than two billion PET plastic bottles each year into useful materials. Most single-serve beverage bottles, food container “clamshells” and thousands of other products are made with PET plastic. To view the “Recycling Empty Plastic Bottles” video click here:
“Most people know that recycling is important, but they may not understand how the process of recycling occurs – how the empty plastic bottles get turned into many other useful objects,” says Tom Lauria, IBWA’s Vice-President of Communications. “This video traces the path that an empty bottles travels, from a bound bale to being made into clean plastic flake that is then heated and converted to make either food-grade rPET (recycled PET) pellets, which are used to make PET containers for food, or rPET fiber which is used in pillows, mattresses and carpeting.”
Filmed at Marglen Industries in Rome, GA, this video demonstrates the value, importance and practicality of recycling.
“In the video a Marglen spokesman says one of the biggest issues his recycling businesses faces is not having enough empty bottles to feed their facility,” says Lauria. “U.S. recycling rates are still too low. This video is a clear message to consumers and municipalities that more needs to be done to capture this valuable material to feed recycled material processing centers rather than feeding landfills. Bottled water containers lead the pack in curbside recycling programs with a recycle rate of 31%, double the rate of bottled water container recycling only five years ago.
Marglen Industries is one of the largest and most sophisticated PET recycling facilities in the United States, using solar energy to help convert 2.5 billion empty bottles each year into many useful products.
“We hope that this video will help promote recycling through a better understanding of the need for more recycled material and the useful products that can be made from empty PET bottles,” says Lauria.
“It’s also important to note that making products from recycled material uses less energy than making products from virgin materials. So using recycled materials help manufacturers lower their carbon footprint,” he added.
The bottled water industry fully supports and promotes the recycling of its 100% recyclable plastic bottles and all other plastic containers used for food, beverages, medicines, household cleaners and personal care products.
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Media Contact:
TOM LAURIA
703-647-4609 office / 703-887-4056 cellphone
The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) is the authoritative source of information about all types of bottled waters. Founded in 1958, IBWA's membership includes U.S. and international bottlers, distributors and suppliers. IBWA is committed to working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates bottled water as a packaged food product, and state governments to set stringent standards for safe, high quality bottled water products. In addition to FDA and state regulations, the Association requires member bottlers to adhere to the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice, which mandates additional standards and practices that in some cases are more stringent than federal and state regulations. A key feature of the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice is an annual plant inspection by an independent, third party organization. Consumers can contact IBWA at 1-800-WATER-11 or log onto IBWA's web site (www.bottledwater.org) for more information about bottled water and a list of members' brands. Media inquiries can be directed to VP of Communications Tom Lauria at 703-647-4609 or tlauria@bottledwater.org.
ALEXANDRIA, VA — The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) today is providing consumers with tips for bottled water and drinking water supplies at the opening of the 2011 Atlantic Ocean hurricane season. IBWA draws upon the many lesson learned from previous hurricanes and disasters to underscore the critical need for clean drinking water for affected communities.
The bottled water industry has, over the years, provided hundreds of millions of servings of bottled water to victims and rescue personnel during natural disasters (e.g., floods, tornados, wild fires, hurricanes, boil alerts) and other emergency situations. IBWA members also delivered tanker trucks of fresh water and 5-gallon water cooler bottles to those in need.
IBWA works with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) and assists in producing the annual National Preparedness Month activities. This national recognition, which is held each September, encourages all Americans to prepare for emergencies in their homes, businesses and communities.
According to DHS guidelines, all households should maintain an emergency supply of water -- at least one gallon per person per day for three days -- for drinking, cooking, and personal hygiene -- in the event that public drinking water service is interrupted or if its safety is compromised during an emergency event.
IBWA provides the following tips to consumers to help ensure the safety and quality of emergency water supplies:
Store bottled water at a constant room temperature or cooler, if possible. Room temperature is defined by the US Pharmacopeia as being between 59-86 degrees Fahrenheit.
Store bottled water out of direct sunlight.
Keep the water containers, as you would any other food products, away from solvents and chemicals such as gasoline, paint thinners, household cleaners and dry cleaning chemicals.
If consumers choose to store tap water in their own containers, select appropriate containers and disinfect them before use. Never use a container that once held toxic substances. Rinse the container with a diluted chlorine bleach solution (one part bleach to ten parts water) before use.
The same bottled water storage recommendations (items 1-3) also apply to tap water stored in containers.
You should replace stored tap water every six months. The American Red Cross and the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency offer tips for treating water at www.redcross.org. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates bottled water as a packaged food product, there is no shelf life for properly stored and safety-sealed bottled water.
The International Bottled Water Association recognizes that consumers must have access to safe, clean drinking water during emergency situations. Smart planning and preparations for one’s water needs can make a big difference in a person’s health and well being and their ability to recover from an emergency situation.
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Media Contact:
TOM LAURIA
703-647-4609 office / 703-887-4056 cellphone
The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) is the authoritative source of information about all types of bottled waters. Founded in 1958, IBWA's membership includes U.S. and international bottlers, distributors and suppliers. IBWA is committed to working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates bottled water as a packaged food product, and state governments to set stringent standards for safe, high quality bottled water products. In addition to FDA and state regulations, the Association requires member bottlers to adhere to the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice, which mandates additional standards and practices that in some cases are more stringent than federal and state regulations. A key feature of the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice is an annual plant inspection by an independent, third party organization. Consumers can contact IBWA at 1-800-WATER-11 or log onto IBWA's web site (www.bottledwater.org) for more information about bottled water and a list of members' brands. Media inquiries can be directed to VP of Communications Tom Lauria at 703-647-4609 or tlauria@bottledwater.org.
File this next story under the header: Why didn’t I think of that?
First, let’s roll back four years.
Lara Hodgson, entrepreneur, board member of the Georgia Regional Transit Authority and brand new mom, is out running errands with her son when of course he gets hungry and of course she doesn’t have fresh, room-temperature water around to mix him some formula, so, of course, the baby throws a fit. This happens often enough that she complains to her husband, repeatedly, that someone should come up with pre-measured bottled water with room enough to add formula. Something just for a baby.
Alexandria, VA -- At an April 26 annual town hall meeting that garnered nationwide attention, the citizens of Concord, Massachusetts, voted down a proposal to ban the sale of single-serve bottled water. “It is good to see common sense and reasonable public policies prevail in the defeat of this unnecessary and over-reaching measure,” said Joe Doss, President and CEO of the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA). “We commend the citizens of Concord for recognizing the importance of bottled water as a safe, healthy, convenient beverage. We also want to thank the Northeast Bottled Water Association (NEBWA) and Concord-based businesses for their tireless efforts in alerting Concord voters to the effects on the local economy of a total prohibition of sale of bottled water.”
IBWA also commends the Retail Association of Massachusetts, who agreed with us that banning bottled water would hurt local merchants and burden Concord taxpayers. In addition, IBWA recognizes the effort made by the Concord Board of Health and Emerson Hospital in Concord, who sent individual letters opposing the ban, citing public health issues if bottled water was not readily available to its citizens.
With this vote, Concord residents have sent a clear message that they care about the availability of bottled water as a matter of consumer choice, health, and safety. IBWA supports the view held by many in Concord that we can and should do more to enhance recycling in the town, particularly public space recycling during warm summer months when packaged beverage sales are high and non-resident tourists play an important role in the local economy.
The Town of Concord faced an influx of attention from anti-bottled water activists seeking total bans on bottled water sales. Among the groups supporting the losing case for prohibition of bottled water were Food and Water Watch and Corporate Accountability International.
A second, non-binding proposal seeking to “educate” Concord voters on the environmental issues surrounding bottled water did pass; unfortunately, the measure does not include language that would address all plastic containers from all beverages and other sources. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, bottled water containers make up just 1/3 of one percent of the entire U.S. waste stream. Therefore, any efforts to reduce the environmental impact of plastic packaging must include all consumer goods.
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Contact: TOM LAURIA
703-647-4609 or 703-887-4056
The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) is the authoritative source of information about all types of bottled waters. Founded in 1958, IBWA's membership includes U.S. and international bottlers, distributors and suppliers. IBWA is committed to working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates bottled water as a packaged food product, and state governments to set stringent standards for safe, high quality bottled water products. Additionally, IBWA requires member bottlers to adhere to the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice, which mandates additional standards and practices that, in some cases, are more stringent than federal and state regulations. A key feature of the IBWA Model Code is an annual plant inspection by an independent, third party organization. For more information about IBWA, bottled water and a list of member’s brands, please contact IBWA Vice President of Communications Tom Lauria at 703-647-4609 or tlauria@bottledwater.org.
Alexandria, VA -- Commemoration of Earth Day 2011, celebrated on April 22, includes good news for those concerned about recycling empty plastic water bottles. PET plastic bottled water containers are again the single most recycled item in nationwide curbside collection programs, and their recycled rate has grown to 31%. According to International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) President and CEO Joe Doss: “We are really proud to have expanded bottled water’s PET plastic recycling leadership position, and want to recognize the millions of thoughtful bottled water consumers for taking an extra second or two to put their empty plastic bottles in the recycle bin.”
This positive news about PET plastic bottle recycling on Earth Day 2011 comes from the National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR), which completed a major bale study last year in 15 locations in 14 states. The 31% recycling rate is up only slightly since last year, which was 30.9% but a welcome continuation of steady annual increases in the recycling trend line since this analysis commenced in 2004, when the recycling rate for PET plastic bottled water containers stood at 16.62%. The latest data indicates that the recycling rate for PET plastic bottled water containers has nearly doubled in six years.
As for making the plastic bottles lighter, analysis performed by the Beverage Marketing Corporation (BMC) for IBWA shows that over the past eight years the gram weight of the 16.9 ounce “single serve” bottled water container has dropped by 32.6%. The average PET bottled water container weighed 18.9 grams in 2000 and by 2009, the average amount of PET resin in each bottle has declined to 12.7 grams. In keeping with this year’s Earth Day theme of “A Billion Acts of Green,” BMC estimated that during this time span, more than 1.3 billion pounds of PET resin has been saved by the bottled water industry through container light-weighting. In 2008 alone, the bottled water industry saved 445 million pounds of PET plastic by reducing the weight of its plastic bottles.
Improved recycling rates and lighter-weight containers are only part of the good news that the bottled water industry includes in its Earth Day 2011 commemoration. Last year, IBWA commissioned a Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) study to determine the environmental footprint of the United States bottled water industry. The results indicate that bottled water has a very small environmental footprint. The study found:
Measurement based on British Thermal Units (BTUs) indicates that the energy consumed to produce small pack water bottled water containers (containers from 8 ounces to 2.5 gallons) amounted to only 0.067 percent of the total energy use in the United States in 2007. Home and Office Delivery (HOD) bottled water (reusable bottles from 2.5 to 5 gallons) energy consumption only amounted to 0.003 percent of the total energy used in the United States in 2007.
The small pack and HOD bottled water industries’ combined greenhouse gas/ CO2 emissions amounted to only 0.08 percent of total United States greenhouse gas emissions.
Bottled water packaging discards accounted for only 0.64 percent of the 169 million tons of total U.S. Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) discards in 2007.
The process and transportation BTU energy use for the bottled water industry was only 0.07 percent of total U.S. BTU primary energy consumption.
Greenhouse gas emissions per half gallon of single serve bottled water came to 426.4 grams CO2 equivalent (eq.), which is 75 percent less CO2 eq. per half gallon than orange juice.
Small pack bottled water generates 46 percent less CO2 eq. when compared to soft drinks also packaged in PET plastic.
Franklin Associates, a division of ERG, produced the LCI and prepared a report that quantified the energy requirements, solid waste generation, and greenhouse gas emissions for the production, packaging, transport, and end-of- life management for bottled water consumed in the United States using final data from calendar year 2007.
The environmentally aware actions of many bottled water companies, such as the use of more recycled PET (rPET) in their bottle production, have positively impacted the environmental footprint of the industry and are expected to lower the bottled water industry’s environmental footprint even more in the years ahead.
The bottled water industry’s momentum toward more recycling and container lightweighting “can be seen as quickly going in the right direction,” says Joe Doss. “These are clear signs of improvement but far more needs to be done with all plastic products and containers,” he said. “Empty water bottles comprise only 1/3 of 1% of the U.S. waste stream according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. So even if bottled water containers were to hit a 100% recycle rate, there would still be far too many plastic containers of all kinds in the landfills unless more is done on all fronts. Let’s hope Earth Day 2011 inspires a more comprehensive approach to product recycling then merely focusing solely on one industry.”
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Contact: TOM LAURIA
703-647-4609 or 703-887-4056
Background on Earth Day:
Earth Day was founded on April 22, 1970 to foster environmental awareness and year-long ecological action worldwide. Through its founding organization, the Earth Day Network, citizens concerned about the environment connect with each to affect change in local, national, and global policies. According to its website, the Earth Day Network includes over 22,000 International organizations in 192 countries, making it the largest civic observance in the world.
Background on IBWA:
Dating back to the early 1800s, the bottled water industry in the United States is a long-standing environmental steward in protecting and preserving both surface water and groundwater resources. As a leader in water resource manaqement, the bottled water industry, through its trade association, the International Bottled Water Association, is the authoritative source of information about all types of bottled waters. Founded in 1958, IBWA's membership includes U.S. and international bottlers, distributors and suppliers. IBWA is committed to working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates bottled water as a packaged food product, and state governments to set stringent standards for safe, high quality bottled water products. In addition to FDA and state regulations, the Association requires member bottlers to adhere to the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice, which mandates additional standards and practices that in some cases are more stringent than federal and state regulations. A key feature of the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice is an annual plant inspection by an independent, third party organization. Consumers can contact IBWA at 1-800-WATER-11 or log onto IBWA's web site (www.bottledwater.org) for more information about bottled water and a list of members' brands. Media inquiries can be directed to IBWA Vice President of Communications Tom Lauria at 703-647-4609 or tlauria@bottledwater.org.
Alexandria, VA – The International Bottled Water Association’s (IBWA) consumer website www.bottledwatermatters.com has launched its twentieth YouTube video, “Every Bottle Counts,” a humorous and informative look at how people recycle when they are out and about in public places. A teenaged consumer explores how, when and where to recycle her empty PET plastic bottled water containers as she moves through her busy day away from home. In this short video, many U.S. communities from coast to coast that currently have public recycling programs in place are cited. Each of these communities listed report that public space recycling programs either make money or save money for their community treasuries as they make it easier for people to fully recycle unwanted bottles, cans and containers while away from home.
“In this lighthearted look at recycling in public places, a consumer finds herself looking for places to properly dispose of her empties. When there is no place in public to recycle, she’s quick to show how she saves the empty containers until she’s home,” said Tom Lauria, IBWA Vice President of Communications. “At no time does she simply throw her empty containers away in regular trash receptacles. As title explains, ‘Every Bottle Counts’ when it comes to thoughtful recycling.”
“IBWA and Bottled Water Matters decided to produce this video because we all have a role to play in expanding, and benefiting from, more public space recycling,” Mr. Lauria said. “Consumers should know they have the ability to make public recycling bins happen in their communities and that their cities and towns can benefit financially from making the effort to capture and recycle PET plastic, glass, aluminum and other recyclable materials.” Besides YouTube, the video will be available on the IBWA website (www.bottledwater.org), the Bottled Water Matters website (www.bottledwatermatters.com) and on the Earth911 recycling mega-site. (www.earth911.com) in the IBWA-sponsored section on plastic bottle recycling.”
Media Contact:
TOM LAURIA
703-647-4609 office / 703-887-4056 cellphone
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The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) is the authoritative source of information about all types of bottled waters. Founded in 1958, IBWA's membership includes U.S. and international bottlers, distributors and suppliers. IBWA is committed to working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates bottled water as a packaged food product, and state governments to set stringent standards for safe, high quality bottled water products. In addition to FDA and state regulations, the Association requires member bottlers to adhere to the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice, which mandates additional standards and practices that in some cases are more stringent than federal and state regulations. A key feature of the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice is an annual plant inspection by an independent, third party organization. Consumers can contact IBWA at 1-800-WATER-11 or log onto IBWA's web site (www.bottledwater.org) for more information about bottled water and a list of members' brands. Media inquiries can be directed to VP of Communications Tom Lauria at 703-647-4609 or tlauria@bottledwater.org.
ALEXANDRIA, VA — This year’s theme for World Water Day 2011, celebrated annually on March 22, is “Water For Cities: Responding to the Urban Challenge.” This United Nations (U.N.) sponsored event is held every year to focus attention on the importance of fresh water, and to advocate the sustainable management of fresh water resources. The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) and the bottled water industry support World Water Day and recognize the importance of a safe and sustainable water supply.
Water – from the tap or bottle – is essential to life. And bottled water is a clean, safe, convenient, and healthy product that consumers find refreshing and use to stay hydrated. “The bottled water industry fully recognizes the importance of protecting the quantity and quality of water. The bottled water industry supports a strong and adequately funded municipal water system,” says Joe Doss, president and CEO of IBWA. “Governments, businesses, communities and individuals must work together to help protect, preserve and provide a clean, safe water supply. Most communities in America, as well as many bottled water companies, depend upon fresh, available surface water for tap water, so protecting municipal water supplies should be one of everyone’s top concerns,” he added.
Bottled water companies that produce purified water often use municipal water sources. Once the municipal source water enters the bottled water plant, several processes are employed to ensure that it meets the purified or sterile standard of U.S. Pharmacopeia, 23rd Revision. Bottled water companies that produce spring water products are entirely dependent upon a safe, fresh supply of constantly recharged and replenished groundwater for their livelihood.
Quality Controls
Bottled water products – whether from groundwater or public water sources – are produced utilizing a multi-barrier approach, which helps prevent possible harmful contamination to the finished product as well as storage, production, and transportation equipment. Measures in a multi-barrier approach may include one or more of the following: source protection, source monitoring, reverse osmosis, distillation, micro-filtration, carbon filtration, ozonation, ultraviolet (UV) light or other safe and effective methods. These steps are considered effective in safeguarding bottled water from microbiological and other contamination.
Over the last several years, the bottled water industry has demonstrated solid environmental leadership when it comes to water conservation and efficiency. Bottled water companies utilize and manage water resources in a responsible manner by 1) investing in broadly accepted science and technology to improve water quality, and 2) strengthening water conservation practices. The industry is also working to bottle and dispose of packaged water products in ways that best serve the environment.
The bottled water industry uses minimal amounts of water to produce an important, healthy and calorie-free consumer product—and does so with great efficiency In the United States, bottled water production accounts for less than 2/100 of a percent (0.02%) of the total ground water withdrawn each year. Even though it is a minimal groundwater user and is only one of among thousands of food, beverage and commercial water users, bottled water companies actively support comprehensive ground water management policies that are science-based, multi-jurisdictional, treat all users equitably, and provide for future needs of this important resource.
In many parts of the world, clean safe water is unavailable or only available in limited quantities, even in stable periods without an over-arching natural disaster. While governments and the private sector work to find permanent solutions to provide clean drinking water in underserved urban communities around the world, bottled water, combined with other solutions such as filtration and bulk filling stations, is an efficient and effective means of delivering clean, sanitary drinking water where insufficient or non-existent water delivery infrastructure poses life-threatening problems. In addition, a growing number of bottled water companies are designating a portion of their income to support global programs, which help create long term solutions for the provision of water for drinking, sanitation and hygiene in underserved and developing communities.
Consumers across the United States choose bottled water because it is a healthy, refreshing beverage. As a manufactured food product, bottled water is similar to thousands of other beverage and food products that are comprehensively regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a food product. Bottled water has its own stringent FDA manufacturing standards governing its safety, purity and labeling. And by law, FDA standards for bottled water must be as protective of public health as U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s tap water regulations.
Bottled Water’s Effective Environmental Actions
Consumers should be aware that bottled water containers are fully recyclable and should be properly recycled through whatever system their local municipality has in place. In fact, all bottled water containers --whether plastic, glass or aluminum—are recyclable. IBWA actively supports comprehensive curbside recycling programs, partners with other beverage and food companies, municipalities, and the recycling industry, as we seek to educate consumers about recycling, and work to increase all recycling to reduce litter. Currently, 31% of all bottled water containers are recycled – a record high result for any PET plastic container.
By using recycled materials, alternative packaging (recycled PET, PLA, biodegradable and compostable materials), and increasing the fuel efficiency in the transportation of their products to market, the bottled water industry is working to reduce its environmental footprint. By developing and using lighter-weight plastics for its containers, in eight years, the average weight of single-serve bottled water has decreased by over 32%. Recent Life Cycle Inventory studies have verified that bottled water products have a very small environmental footprint.
Bottled water containers make up a very small part of the waste stream, accounting for less than one-third of one percent all waste produced in the U.S. Any efforts to reduce the environmental impact of packaging must be comprehensive and focus on all consumer goods.
The larger bottles found on many home and office bottled water coolers can be sanitized and re-used an average of 40 times before the bottled water company removes them from the marketplace and recycles them. That is why the bottled water industry is considered one of the “original recyclers.”
Bottled Water and Emergency Response
Unforeseen natural disasters, such as the recent earthquake and tsunami that struck northern Japan, show how vulnerable l water systems can be. Days after the earthquake struck, Japanese officials were overwhelmed by the scale of the crisis, with millions of people facing days and nights without electricity, water, food or heat in near-freezing temperatures, according to the Associated Press of Japan. British news sources reported 1.5 million people in Japan – mostly in urban areas -- were without water. U.S. bottlers immediately provided several million dollars in cash and product donations, joining in a huge international effort to provided bottled water.
In times of emergency, bottled water is a staple and always there when you need it. Floods, wildfires, hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes, terrorist attacks, boil alerts and other events often compromise municipal water systems. Domestically, IBWA members contribute millions of gallons of water each year to the affected victims and work closely with federal, state and local agencies on a year-round basis to prepare for emergency distribution of water. IBWA’s broad-ranging expertise can help government officials better understand the issues involved as they attempt to create a more workable system.
Bottled water companies are often the first responders to these emergency situations, acting as a backup for compromised public water systems. However, for bottled water to be available in emergency situations there must also be a viable commercial marketplace that supports its production. Reducing the commercial viability of bottled water could seriously threaten its availability during emergency situations, and laws and actions which negatively target bottled water are an ironic disservice to, and poor public policy for, an industry that is called upon every year to provide crucial drinking water throughout the U.S. and the world.
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Contact: TOM LAURIA
703-647-4609 or 703-887-4056
The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) is the authoritative source of information about all types of bottled waters. Founded in 1958, IBWA's membership includes U.S. and international bottlers, distributors and suppliers. IBWA is committed to working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates bottled water as a packaged food product, and state governments to set stringent standards for safe, high quality bottled water products. Additionally, IBWA requires member bottlers to adhere to the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice, which mandates additional standards and practices that, in some cases, are more stringent than federal and state regulations. A key feature of the IBWA Model Code is an annual plant inspection by an independent, third party organization. For more information about IBWA, bottled water and a list of member’s brands, please contact IBWA Vice President of Communications Tom Lauria at 703-647-4609 or tlauria@bottledwater.org.
On February 8, 2011, Corporate Accountability International (CAI) released a report calling upon Congress to stop purchasing and consuming bottled water. The CAI report contains many false and misleading statements about bottled water.
This is not a Tap Water Versus Bottled Water Issue
The report incorrectly and unnecessarily suggests that this is a tap water versus bottled water issue. However, most people who drink bottled water also drink tap water, depending on the circumstances. Consumers choose bottled water for several reasons, including taste, quality, and convenience. Bottled water is also an alternative to other packaged beverages when consumers want to eliminate or moderate calories, caffeine, sugar, artificial flavors or colors, alcohol and other ingredients from their diets. At a time when obesity, diabetes and heart disease are so prevalent, the consumption of water, whether from the bottle or the tap, is a good thing, and any actions, such as CAI’s report, that discourage people from drinking bottled water are not in the public’s interest.
IBWA Supports a Strong Municipal Water System
IBWA supports the maintenance and improvement of a strong and stable U.S. water infrastructure, which is critical for providing citizens with clean and safe drinking water. Primary responsibility for such maintenance and improvement belongs to water utilities and their customers, which should be self sustaining through rates that treat all users equitably. IBWA supports a long-term, sustainable federal commitment to support water infrastructure investments through mechanisms such as the state revolving fund and providing access to low cost or no cost capital for water infrastructure improvements.
Bottled Water is not Just Tap Water in a Bottle
The report suggests that bottled water from a municipal source is just tap water in a bottle. That is not the case. Once the municipal source water enters the bottled water plant several processes are employed to ensure that it meets the purified or sterile standard of the U.S. Pharmacopeia 23rd Revision. These treatments can include reverse osmosis, distillation, or de-ionization. The finished water product is then placed in a bottle under sanitary conditions and sold to the consumer.
An Important Call for Americans to Drink More Water
Only one week before this report was made public, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Health and Human Services issued their 2010 dietary guidelines, which recommend that Americans should drink more water. Despite the public interest that is served by encouraging all citizens to drink more water -- be it tap, bottled or filtered – CAI and other activists continue to make the false assertion that “bottled water is unnecessary” and the consumption of bottled water is somehow responsible for, and incompatible with, a strong municipal water system in the United States.
The Regulation and Safety of Bottled Water
The CAI report falsely states that bottled water “is in fact less regulated than tap water… .” In fact, Bottled water is a safe, healthy, and convenient packaged food product, which is comprehensively regulated at both the federal and state level. At the federal level, bottled water must comply with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) (21 U.S.C. §§ 301 et seq.) and several parts of Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Section 410 of FFDCA requires that the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) bottled water regulations be as protective of the public health as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) tap water standards.
Bottled water products - whether from groundwater or public water sources - are produced utilizing a multi-barrier approach. From source to finished product, a multi-barrier approach helps prevent possible harmful contamination to the finished product as well as storage, production, and transportation equipment. Measures in a multi-barrier approach may include one or more of the following: source protection, source monitoring, reverse osmosis, distillation, micro-filtration, carbon filtration, ozonation, ultraviolet (UV) light or other safe and effective methods. Many of the steps in a multi-barrier system may be effective in safeguarding bottled water from microbiological and other contamination.
IBWA Supports a Consumer’s Right to Know What is in Their Bottled Water
The CAI report calls for a congressional investigation of the bottled water industry to improve transparency and disclosure practices. Bottled water companies are not hiding information or keeping it secret. In fact, IBWA supports a consumer’s right to clear, accurate and comprehensive information about the bottled water products they purchase.
All packaged foods and beverage products, including bottled water, have extensive labeling requirements, including a statement of the type of water that is in the container, compliance with the applicable definitions in the Standards of Identity, ingredient labeling, name and place of business of the manufacturer, packer or distributor and, if required, nutrition labeling. In addition, almost all bottled water products also have a phone number and/or website address on the label. This contact information allows consumers to get any additional information that they may want that might not already be on the label. This might include the source, treatment, and quality information.
Disclosures, such as those required by EPA in Consumer Confidence Reports (CCR) for public water systems, are not required of any food or beverage product. These products must meet the safety standards and must be manufactured according to FDA regulations. However, bottled water companies voluntarily provide consumers with access to information about their products. Consumers have multiple choices in brands of bottled water. That is not the case with their public water system. Consumers cannot make a choice of which municipal water is piped into their homes. If a bottled water company does not satisfy a consumer’s request for more information, that consumer can, and should, choose another brand.
The 2000 FDA Feasibility Study Report (65 Fed. Reg. § 51836 (2000)) looked at various ways that bottled water information could be communicated to consumers, including company contact information on the label, placing specific contaminant and other information on the label, distributing pamphlets at the point of purchase and providing information via the internet. IBWA agrees with the FDA’s conclusion that placing all of the information contained in the CCRs provided by public water systems on bottled water labels is not feasible. FDA concluded that:
“We agree with comments that stated it is not feasible to provide all of the information that is analogous to that contained in a CCR on a bottled water label. Such information would be excessive in limited label space, particularly on the small, single serving bottles. In addition, information that requires frequent changes due to changing test results may result in a misbranded product. Costs of frequent label changes that are necessary to ensure accurate information on the contents of a bottled water product, due to frequently changing information, may present an economic hardship to companies. Moreover, even annual updates that represent the contaminant history would need information to put the history for all such CCR-type information in context for the consumer and would be excessive in limited label space.”
FDA Jurisdiction Over Bottled Water and FDA Recall Authority
The “Tapping Congress” report repeats the completely false claim that “FDA also has little or no jurisdiction over the 60 percent of bottled water bottled and consumed within a single state, nor does the agency have the direct authority to require bottlers to recall products that could be at risk for contamination.”
FDA's jurisdiction over bottled water products (and any other product regulated by FDA) extends not only to those products that move in interstate commerce, but to those products sold within a single state that are enclosed in packaging materials that have moved in interstate commerce. Known as the component theory of FDA jurisdiction, courts have long held that if any component of a food product moves in interstate commerce, FDA has jurisdiction over the finished product, regardless of whether the finished product itself moves in interstate commerce. (E.g., United States v. An Article of Food, 752 F.2d 11 (1st Cir. 1985) In the case of bottled water, if the plastic used in the bottles, the plastic used in the caps, the paper and ink used on the labels, any outer packaging materials, and even the water itself comes from out of state, then FDA has jurisdiction over that product. And in today’s commercial society, that will almost always be the case. Congress has recognized this fact by enacting a law that expressly presumes that all food and beverage products are sold in interstate commerce. (21 U.S.C. § 379 (a))
CAI claims that FDA does not have recall authority over bottled water. The Food Safety and Modernization Act, which was signed into law by President Obama on January 4, 2011, gives FDA direct recall authority for all food products, including bottled water. Under the new law, FDA can issue a mandatory recall for any incident that involves serious adverse health consequences or death (Class I Recall).
Overstating the Use of Oil
The “Tapping Congress” report falsely alleges that producing bottled water consumes “54 million barrels of oil each year.” That statement demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of how plastic containers are made. Most commercial plastic materials in the United States are derived from oil by-products leftover from gasoline production. The sticky solids that remain from oil refining are literally recycled into pellets that are melted and formed into plastic materials. It is misleading to state or imply that virgin barrels of oil are dedicated to making plastic bottles.
The Bottled Water Industry Has a Strong Commitment to Recycling and the Environment
According to the U.S. EPA, bottled water containers amount to only 1/3 of one percent of the U.S. waste stream. Of equal significance, bottled water in PET plastic containers are recycled at a rate of 31 percent, double the rate of only five years ago. Overall, the EPA reports in 2009, only 7 percent of all plastic materials were recycled. Although our recycling rate is not as high as the bottled industry strives for, we are proud to be an industry leader in PET plastic recycling.
Bottled water companies have for many years been taking actions to reduce their environmental footprint. For example, the bottled water industry is using much lighter weight plastics for its containers. Over the past eight years the gram weight of the 16.9 ounce “single serve” PET bottled water container has dropped by 32.6%. (BMC Report, February 2010) The average PET bottled water container weighed 18.9 grams in 2000 and by 2008 the average amount of PET resin in each bottle has declined to 12.7 grams. BMC estimated that during this time span, more than 1.3 billion grams of PET resin has been saved by the bottled water industry through container light-weighting.
The bottled water industry is also developing new technologies in product packaging, such as the use of recycled content, biodegradable and compostable materials, and is utilizing more fuel efficient means of transportation.
Bottled Water Sales Grew in 2010
In its report, CAI claims that its anti-bottled water activities have caused bottled water sales to decrease during the past two years. In 2008 and 2009, the United States endured an unprecedented recession affecting most industries and consumers. During that timeframe, bottled water’s sales did decrease. However, now that the economy is showing signs of improvement, bottled water sales have rebounded. Preliminary figures for 2010 indicates bottled water sales grew by 4.5 percent at the retail level, which demonstrates that is was the recession and not CAI’s activities that was responsible for the temporary drop in bottled water sales.
The Economic Impact of Bottled Water
In addition to producing a safe, healthy packaged beverage, the bottled water industry supports our nation’s economy. In 2009, the bottled water industry was responsible for as much as $130 billion in total economic activity and generated over $12.7 billion in property, income and sales taxes in the U.S. (John Dunham and Associates, New York, 2009). Companies that produce, distribute and sell bottled water products in the U.S. employ as many as 163,000 people and generate an additional 530,000 jobs in supplier and ancillary industries. These include jobs in companies supplying goods and services to bottled water manufacturers, distributors and retailers, as well as those that depend on sales to workers in the bottled water industry. Not only does the manufacture of bottled water create good jobs in the U.S., but the industry also contributes to the economy as a whole.
Furthermore, a healthy percentage of the U.S. bottled water industry is made up of small businesses, with annual sales of $1-10 million and around 10 employees. Many bottlers are local family entrepreneurs with deep roots and strong ties within their community.
Bottled Water is There When We Need It
Bottled water is not only there when you want it, but it is also always there when you need it. The U.S. bottled water industry has a long history in the U.S. of coming to the aid of those in distress during incidents when hurricanes, floods, fires and other events have prevented municipal water systems from providing clean, safe drinking water. We are often the first responders to these events, acting as a backup for compromised public water systems. For bottled water to be available in emergency situations there must also be a viable commercial marketplace that supports its production. Reducing the commercial viability of bottled water could seriously threaten its availability during emergency situations, and laws and actions which negatively target bottled water are an ironic disservice to and poor public policy for an industry that is called upon every year to provide crucial drinking water throughout the U.S.
On January 5, 2011, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) issued a report critiquing -- in scorecard form -- the information on bottled water product labels. Provided below are IBWA’s comments and responses to some of the many false and misleading statements in the report.
* The “grades” assigned to various the bottled water brands are based solely on EWG’s subjective and irrelevant criteria.
* The EWG report found absolutely no violations of any federal labeling laws and regulations. And contrary to EWG’s claim, there is no source labeling requirement in California.
* Bottled water is a safe, healthy, and convenient product that is comprehensively regulated
at both the federal and state level. Federal law requires that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s
(FDA) bottled water regulations be as protective of the public health as the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency’s (EPA) tap water standards.
* Bottled water products - whether from groundwater or public water sources - are produced utilizing a multi-barrier approach. From source to finished product, a multi-barrier approach helps prevent possible harmful contamination to the finished product as well as storage, production, and transportation equipment. Measures in a multi-barrier approach may include one or more of the following: source protection, source monitoring, reverse osmosis, distillation, micro-filtration, carbon filtration, ozonation, ultraviolet (UV) light or other safe and effective methods. Many of the steps in a multi-barrier system may be effective in safeguarding bottled water from microbiological and other contamination.
* The FDA has strict bottled water Standards of Identity providing uniform requirements and definitions for the following bottled water classifications: bottled, drinking, artesian, groundwater, distilled, deionized, reverse osmosis, mineral, purified, sparkling, spring, sterile and well water.
* FDA has established Standards of Quality for more than 90 substances. Most FDA bottled water quality standards are the same as EPA’s maximum contaminant levels (MCL) for public water systems. The few differences are usually the result of the substance not being found in bottled water or the substance is regulated under another provision of law such as FDA’s food additives program.
* IBWA believes that consumers have a right to know what is in their bottled water products.
All packaged foods and beverage products, including bottled water, have extensive labeling requirements, including a statement of identity, compliance with the applicable definitions in the Standards of Identity, ingredient labeling, name and place of business of the manufacturer, packer or distributor and if required, nutrition labeling. In addition, most bottled water products also have a phone number and/or website address on the label. This contact information allows consumers to get any additional information that they may want that is not already on the label.
* If a consumer contacts a bottled water company about his or her bottled water brand and doesn’t get the information that he or she needs, the consumer can and should choose a brand of bottled water that provides the requested information. However, a consumer cannot choose what tap water comes into his or her home, which is why the Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) requirement is in place for tap water but is not necessary for bottled water.
* IBWA agrees with the FDA’s conclusion that placing all of the information contained in the Consumer Confidence Reports (CCRs) provided by public water systems on bottled water labels is not feasible for many reasons, including limited available space.
* If a bottled water product’s source is a municipal water system and the finished bottled water product does not meet the FDA Standard of Identity for purified or sterile water, it must indicate on the label that it comes from a public water system source.
* IBWA is proud of the bottled water industry’s many efforts to reduce its environmental footprint. The total weight of half-liter PET bottled water has declined by 32% over the past eight years. During this time span, more than 1.3 billion pounds of PET resin has been saved by the bottled water industry through container light-weighting.
* According to the U.S. EPA, PET plastic bottled water containers make-up just 1/3 of 1 percent of the U.S. waste stream.
* The bottled water industry has also improved the recycling rate of its containers, now at 31%, the highest rate for any plastic bottle container in single-stream curbside recycling programs. The rate of recycling for bottled water containers has doubled in the past five years.
* Bottled water companies’ efforts at attaining a lighter environmental footprint also include using more recycled PET plastic (rPET) in its bottles; using biodegradable and compostable containers, and introducing hybrid trucks to delivery fleets.
* Bottled water containers, as with all food packaging materials, must be made from FDA-approved food contact substances. Thus, the plastic and glass containers that are used for bottled water products have undergone FDA scrutiny prior to being available for use in the market place. FDA has determined that the containers used by the bottled water industry are safe for use with food and beverage products, including bottled water, and that they do not pose a health risk to consumers.
* Bottled water’s popularity with consumers for everyday personal hydration and its leading role in emergency preparedness gives it an important place in society. Given the high rates of diabetes, heart disease and obesity in the United States, any efforts to discourage consumers from drinking water – either bottled water or tap – are not in the public interest.
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Contact: TOM LAURIA
703-647-4609 or 703-887-4056 (cell)
The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) is the authoritative source of information about all types of bottled waters. Founded in 1958, IBWA's membership includes U.S. and international bottlers, distributors and suppliers. IBWA is committed to working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates bottled water as a packaged food product, and state governments to set stringent standards for safe, high quality bottled water products. Additionally, IBWA requires member bottlers to adhere to the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice, which mandates additional standards and practices that, in some cases, are more stringent than federal and state regulations. A key feature of the IBWA Model Code is an annual plant inspection by an independent, third party organization. For more information about IBWA, bottled water and a list of member’s brands, please contact IBWA Vice President of Communications Tom Lauria at 703-647-4609 or tlauria@bottledwater.org.
Alexandria, VA. – The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) applauds the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives for passing the “Food Safety Modernization Act.” The bill, which was enrolled on December 21, 2010, authorizes the largest overhaul of the federal food safety laws since the enactment of the “Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906.”
IBWA supports this legislation as part of a large coalition that includes other food and beverage producers, manufacturers, and associations. We look forward to President Obama signing the bill into law as soon as possible. IBWA stands ready to work with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to implement the new law.
Key provisions of the new law will include:
* More frequent FDA inspections. Domestic facilities will be inspected based on risk: high risk facilities at least once every 3 years, and low risk facilities at least once every 5 years.
* Provides FDA with mandatory recall authority for those incidents that involve serious adverse health consequences or death (Class I Recall)
* Hazard analysis and identification of preventive controls. Each registered facility will be required to conduct a hazard analysis of reasonably foreseeable hazards and put into place preventive controls designed to significantly minimize or prevent those hazards. (IBWA members have been required to develop and implement a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) program since 2002.)
* Records maintenance and access. Each registered facility will be required to document its hazard analysis and preventive controls system, including corrective actions and product/environmental testing, and to make those records available to FDA upon request.
IBWA is committed to working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates bottled water as a packaged food product, and state governments to set stringent standards for safe, high quality bottled water products.
Contact: TOM LAURIA on 703-887-4056
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The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) is the authoritative source of information about all types of bottled waters. Founded in 1958, IBWA's membership includes U.S. and international bottlers, distributors and suppliers. IBWA is committed to working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates bottled water as a packaged food product, and state governments to set stringent standards for safe, high quality bottled water products. Additionally, IBWA requires member bottlers to adhere to the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice, which mandates additional standards and practices that, in some cases, are more stringent than federal and state regulations. A key feature of the IBWA Model Code is an annual plant inspection by an independent, third party organization. For more information about IBWA, bottled water and a list of member’s brands, please contact IBWA Vice President of Communications Tom Lauria at 703-647-4609 or tlauria@bottledwater.org.
RICHMOND, VA— On Tuesday, November 23, Virginia’s First Lady Maureen McDonnell kicked off the Thanksgiving holiday by accepting donations to the Central Virginia Food Bank from IBWA Member Diamond Springs and Walmart. The contributions of the day totaled 9,392 pounds of food and water.
Katie Terry, Marketing Director of Diamond Springs stood next to Mrs. McDonnell and presented a contribution of $1,000 along with two pallets of water, part of an initiative to raise charitable donation levels. Diamond Springs has also begun working to increase awareness of the Virginia Food Banks across the state by offering billboard advertising on the back of Diamond Spring delivery trucks which feature the Food Banks’ campaign to “Turn hunger into hope.”
“Diamond Springs is a proud member of the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) and is celebrating 50 years of doing business in Richmond. Virginia is home to 16 bottled water companies, including distributors and suppliers which total 14,800 jobs,” said Terry. “Our bottled water companies continue to generate jobs and revenue and we are pleased to give back the food banks across our state. Diamond Springs is proud to partner with the Central Virginia Food Bank and give additional water and a monetary contribution this Thanksgiving Holiday.”
Kimberly Albright, Regional General Manager of Walmart, presented Walmart’s donation to the First Lady, stating, “We believe we have a responsibility to our associates and customers to support organizations that make meaningful contributions and help address pertinent issues in their communities. We are proud to be able to give locally throughout the state of Virginia and to help Virginians live better.”
Bottled water’s tax contributions to the Commonwealth totaled $249 million in 2009, with consumer sales taxes on the product adding another $21.3 million to the Commonwealth’s coffers. Both IBWA and Diamond Springs hope to continue to work together to battle hunger in Virginia. Economists have noted that our industry’s total contribution to the Virginia economy at $2.61 billion in 2009.
Consumers across the United States choose bottled water because it is a healthy, refreshing beverage. As a manufactured food product, bottled water is similar to thousands of other beverage and food products that are comprehensively regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a food product. Bottled water has its own stringent FDA manufacturing standards governing its safety, purity and labeling. And by law, FDA standards for bottled water must be as protective of public health as U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s tap water regulations.
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Contact: TOM LAURIA
703-647-4609 or 703-887-4056
BEA MCDOUGLE
804-938-8080
The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) is the authoritative source of information about all types of bottled waters. Founded in 1958, IBWA's membership includes U.S. and international bottlers, distributors and suppliers. IBWA is committed to working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates bottled water as a packaged food product, and state governments to set stringent standards for safe, high quality bottled water products. Additionally, IBWA requires member bottlers to adhere to the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice, which mandates additional standards and practices that, in some cases, are more stringent than federal and state regulations. A key feature of the IBWA Model Code is an annual plant inspection by an independent, third party organization. For more information about IBWA, bottled water and a list of member’s brands, please contact IBWA Vice President of Communications Tom Lauria at 703-647-4609 or tlauria@bottledwater.org.
Bottled water and its role on campuses has become a topic of great interest—and sometimes, heated debate. The Crimson’s Oct. 13, 2010, editorial “Bottle It Up,” which advocated for a ban of this healthful beverage choice, showed that Harvard University is no exception. I hope to provide some much needed clarification on the issue from a viewpoint you may not have heard yet.
In an age when American adults consume 450 calories a day from beverages and 68 percent of those 20 years old and older are classified as overweight or obese, bottled water provides a healthy choice when tap water is not accessible, preferred, or convenient. But if bottled water is not available, consumer research shows that more than one-half of people would choose soda instead. This means a ban on bottled water would have the unintended consequence of driving people to consume more unhealthy beverages that add calories and sugar to their diets.
The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) and Earth911.com have formed a sponsored partnership to encourage increased and more extensive recycling of all empty plastic bottles.
For the next year, IBWA will sponsor Earth911.com’s Plastic Bottle Section http://earth911.com/recycling/plastic/plastic-bottles/. IBWA’s sponsorship includes contribution of research findings, video presentations and related information to help consumers better understand how to recycle these valuable materials.
Charlotte, NC — NoFizz Charlotte, Inc. and Diamond Springs of the Carolinas are pleased to announce a corporate partnership between the two organizations, effective immediately.
Beginning in the month of October, Diamond Springs will donate $25.00 from every new service order to NoFizz Charlotte, when the customer mentions this partnership. Simply include NoFizz Charlotte when your business signs up for service with a sales representative for the donation to take effect.
Diamond Springs offers a variety of solutions for their clients, at both office and home, including recyclable water coolers & dispensers, filter coolers and filtration systems, bottled water, break room equipment, water by the case, and more.
NoFizz Charlotte, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, advocates for proper hydration and nutrition education for students and families throughout the Carolinas.
“We are fortunate to benefit from the vision and community spirit of this great organization,” said Kate Kincaid, NoFizz Charlotte’s Director of Development, in a statement Friday. “The outreach, name recognition, storied history, and environmental conscious of Diamond Springs is second to none in the region, and we are proud to partner with them.”
Diamond Springs of the Carolinas is a locally-owned and operated business with a 50-year history of serving businesses in the Carolinas with various water-related products.
Furthermore, addressing concerns of the environmental impact of water bottles and coolers, Diamond Springs has taken unique steps to “go green,” and ensure that reusing and recycling coolers and bottles is a top priority.
“Environmental concerns about water usage and recycling are a major focal point in our organization,” said Executive Director Bobby DeMuro. “So when Diamond Springs came to us with the combination of a great partnership proposal and environmentally-conscious attitude, the chips fell into place. We are proud to work with them!”
For more information on Diamond Springs of the Carolinas, please click here.
About NoFizz Charlotte:
NoFizz Charlotte, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to promoting healthy hydration in the Carolinas through community outreach events, social media health initiatives, and student health education programs.
Press Contact:
Bobby DeMuro
Executive Director
(704) 787-3019 www.nofizzclt.org
New IBWA video shines a light on actions taken by bottled water companies to produce a safe, healthy, high quality product and improve their products, protect the environment, stand by sound science, and safeguard water as a resource for future generations. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIeR6SoQ84A
Joe Doss appears on the Katie Couric show to explain the facts about bottled water. Joining him was "Tapped" filmmaker Stephanie Soechtig. Click here to watch the full episode.
Alexandria, VA – Three recent actions – the nullification of an attempt by a town to ban bottled water sales; the reversal of a state government’s anti-bottled water purchasing policy; and an abrupt end to a controversial proposal to ban the sale of bottled water at outdoor venues controlled by a large city -- all point to the Summer of 2010’s ‘shift in momentum’ away from bottled water bans and toward more public support for this safe, healthy, convenient product, according to the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA.)
The Massachusetts Attorney General’s office on July 8, 2010, voided a decision made last spring at an annual Town Meeting in Concord that would have completely banned the sale of bottled water within the town limits. The AG’s decision declaring Concord’s vote to be null and void due to procedural errors may be sign that the days of easy “wins” could be over for anti-bottled water activists, who face increasing legal, economic and health policy scrutiny from government officials. After the initial decision to ban the sale of bottled water, the Concord selectmen (Board) voted to support the motivation of the ban, but also voted not to attempt to enforce the ban unless they heard otherwise from the AG’s office, which they did last week. Concord’s legions of summer tourists will have no problem finding safe, healthy convenient bottled water as they stroll through the historic town. Concord’s attempted sales ban came only a few days before nearby Boston, MA, endured a major boil alert leaving 2 million people without clean tap water over a 3 day period. Bottled water companies worked around the clock to provide consumers with safe drinking water during the emergency.
The Commonwealth of Virginia’s newly elected Governor, Bob McDonnell (R), on July 11, 2010, took a second look at his predecessor’s “green” initiatives, which prohibited commonwealth agencies from purchasing single-serve bottled water for official functions and meetings, and by executive order deleted the anti-bottled water directive. According to the Governor’s spokesperson, “This governor is not going to put in place mandates that hurt Virginia industries.” Data from the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) indicate Virginia has a strong bottled water market, with a direct economic impact to the Commonwealth in 2009 of 3,719 jobs in bottling, wholesale and retail sales, and more than $145 million in wages and salaries, and $865 million in product sales. Last year Virginia earned nearly $95 million in business taxes from bottled water companies and over $21 million in consumer taxes on the purchase of bottled water. When the economic impact of related industries, such as trucking, store clerk salaries, label-producers and other induced economic spending, bottled water’s overall contribution to Virginia in 2009 was $2.6 billion.
The San Francisco Examiner reported on July 9, 2010, that officials in Mayor Gavin Newsom’s office wanted to review a city official’s report that would prohibit the sale of bottled water at parades, fairs, festivals, ball games and any outdoor event on city property. Commenting at the time, IBWA pointed out the potential unhealthiness of the proposal since people attending these outdoor events need to stay well-hydrated, particularly during the hot summer months.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle city officials admitted that keeping people hydrated in bottled water free outdoor environments could be a challenge.
The San Francisco Chronicle also reported no further actions were taken on this proposal. “There was no public comment and the subcommittee couldn't reach quorum and couldn't take any action, even though there was no action to take: The report was never intended to be anything more than a brief, cursory answer to (the Commissioner’s) question. For now, the discussion is over. The hot topic in City Hall is just another story that may never resurface,” writes the Chronicle.
“These recent actions clearly demonstrate a shift in momentum for consumers. This July, we saw three major anti-bottled water initiatives fizzle out. Will they be back? Of course, but there’s a lot less wind at their back now that government leaders are giving way to common sense,” said Tom Lauria, IBWA’s Vice President of Communications.
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Contact: TOM LAURIA
703-647-4609 or 703-887-4056 (cell)
The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) is the authoritative source of information about all types of bottled waters. Founded in 1958, IBWA's membership includes U.S. and international bottlers, distributors and suppliers. IBWA is committed to working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates bottled water as a packaged food product, and state governments to set stringent standards for safe, high quality bottled water products. Additionally, IBWA requires member bottlers to adhere to the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice, which mandates additional standards and practices that, in some cases, are more stringent than federal and state regulations. A key feature of the IBWA Model Code is an annual plant inspection by an independent, third party organization. For more information about IBWA, bottled water and a list of member’s brands, please contact IBWA Vice President of Communications Tom Lauria at 703-647-4609 or tlauria@bottledwater.org.
Alexandria, VA – The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) today applauded Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell (R) for reversing the recently imposed ban on single-serve bottled water at official functions and meetings. Governor McDonnell’s reversal of a directive by the previous Governor is effective immediately. According to Governor McDonnell’s Communications office, “This governor is not going to put in place mandates that hurt Virginia industries.” Data from IBWA indicate Virginia has a strong bottled water market with a direct economic impact to the Commonwealth in 2009 of 3,719 jobs in bottling, wholesale and retail sales and more than $145 million in wages and salaries and $865 million in product sales. Last year Virginia earned nearly $95 million in business taxes from bottled water companies and over $21 million in consumer taxes on the purchase of bottled water. When the economic impact of related industries, such as trucking, store clerk salaries, label-producers and other induced economic spending, bottled water’s overall contribution to Virginia in 2009 was $2.6 billion.
“We are grateful to Governor Mc Donnell for recognizing the value of bottled water companies to Virginia’s economy,” said Joseph K. Doss, president and CEO of IBWA. “We note that with the exception of the ill-advised bottled water prohibition, Governor McDonnell is carrying over most of the ‘green’ policies to conserve resources and energy that were put in place by the previous Administration. This means Virginia may put added emphasis on the need to recycle all consumer product containers and IBWA will be on the front line to assist in that important effort.”
IBWA and its members are also continuing to work with the Governor's office on initiatives to further promote sustainability and the bottled water industry in Virginia.
Last month, the IBWA Board of Directors endorsed an innovative framework for a “Material Recovery Program” that can serve as the blueprint for local communities to increase recycling through the support and participation of all stakeholders. “The Material Recovery Program” framework will assist in developing new, comprehensive solutions to help manage solid waste in communities throughout Virginia and the nation by having all consumer product companies work together with state and local governments to improve recycling and waste collection efforts. Organizational efforts to establish public/private corporations to improve community recycling efforts are currently underway.
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Contact: TOM LAURIA
703-647-4609 or 703-887-4056 (cell)
The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) is the authoritative source of information about all types of bottled waters. Founded in 1958, IBWA's membership includes U.S. and international bottlers, distributors and suppliers. IBWA is committed to working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates bottled water as a packaged food product, and state governments to set stringent standards for safe, high quality bottled water products. Additionally, IBWA requires member bottlers to adhere to the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice, which mandates additional standards and practices that, in some cases, are more stringent than federal and state regulations. A key feature of the IBWA Model Code is an annual plant inspection by an independent, third party organization. For more information about IBWA, bottled water and a list of member’s brands, please contact IBWA Vice President of Communications Tom Lauria at 703-647-4609 or tlauria@bottledwater.org.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Gov. Bob McDonnell has reversed his predecessor's ban on state agencies' and institutions' purchase of individual-sized plastic water bottles.
Then-Gov. Timothy Kaine issued the directive that the state shouldn't buy plastic-bottled water, unless there's an emergency or health reason, as part of an overall government resource-conservation plan. Plastic water bottles are a huge waste source worldwide, and their continued use has been criticized as adding to overall pollution.
But McDonnell scrubbed Kaine's plastic-water-bottle ban, which he thought would harm state bottled-water manufacturers. It's unclear what financial impact, if any, the ban had on such companies.
Chris Saxman, a former Republican member of the House of Delegates, works for his family business, Shenandoah Valley Water Co. The company distributes drinks, including water, and Saxman questioned whether Kaine's ban helped the environment.
The governor did carry over many elements from Kaine's plan, including asking state employees to recycle, turn off lights, and carpool. He also kept a directive that certain building and renovation projects meet water- and energy-conservation standards.
J.R. Tolbert, assistant director for the Sierra Club's Virginia chapter, applauded McDonnell for keeping the building standards as well as the goal of reducing annual energy use by fiscal year 2012.
But he strongly criticized the reversal of the bottled-water ban, and said it runs counter to the conservation plan's emphasis on reducing, reusing and recycling waste.
"Plastic water bottles are a major source of waste, not just in Virginia but across the country and across the world," he said. "What we should be doing is looking at ways to save money and utilize resources and not add new waste to the stream."
Bottled water is making a Capitol Square comeback.
Gov. Bob McDonnell is scrubbing his predecessor's directive telling state government agencies and institutions not to buy individual-sized water bottles unless there's an emergency or health reason.
Students at P.S. 20 in Queens will be drinking bottled water in class today, one day after dozens became ill after drinking contaminated water from a fountain.
The Department of Education says 74 students complained of nausea after drinking the pink-colored water at the Flushing elementary school yesterday; 71 of those students were taken to the hospital.
Sources say the water was contaminated by propylene glycol, a chemical used in coolant. The chemical, which is non toxic in small doses, likely came from an air conditioning system being installed in a new wing of the school.
Propylene glycol is sweet tasting, which could explain why students continued to drink the water.
Officials say the contamination was limited to the school's water supply.
It is agreat to see E, a environmental magazine, covering bottled water in such a fair way.
They did a nice story on the lightweighting of the bottled water industry. Thanks to Kristin Bender for her reporting.
In the bottled water industry, they call the new bottles “water balloons.” A recent analysis of plastic bottles by the Beverage Marketing Corporation (BMC) for the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) shows that between 2000 and 2008, the gram weight of the 16.9-ounce single-serve bottled water container dropped by nearly one third.
“Most people can tell the difference,’’ says Tom Lauria, IBWA spokesperson. “They squeeze easily, but they are droppable, shippable and strong.”
In 2000, the average polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottled water container weighed 18.9 grams. By 2008, that number had dropped to 12.7 grams, according to IBWA. The BMC estimated that during those eight years more than 1.3 billion pounds of PET resin was eliminated.
IBWA President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph K. Doss says his association gives credit to the plastic resin manufacturers who worked hard to find new ways to strengthen PET plastic resin so that less plastic goes further in maintaining the structural integrity of the thinner bottle. “Less can be used with equal results,’’ says Lauria.
Good news for Earth Day 2010: A recent analysis performed by the Beverage Marketing Corporation shows that over the past eight years the average gram weight of the 16.9 ounce “single serve” bottled water container has dropped by 32.6%.
The average PET bottled water container weighed 18.9 grams in 2000 and by 2008, the average amount of PET resin in each bottle has declined to 12.7 grams. BMC estimated that during this time span, more than 1.3 billion pounds of PET resin has been saved by the bottled water industry through container light-weighting. In 2008 alone, the bottled water industry saved 445 million pounds of PET plastic by reducing the weight of its plastic bottles.
As president of Lodi Water Company, a small water bottler in Eastern Washington, I am concerned about the taxes in the state budget package.
Included is a temporary tax increase on products that contribute to diabetes, obesity and alcoholism but only for the large players; the small players are exempt. OK. But why permanently tax a product — bottled water — that does not contribute to disease, and then tax all companies, large and small? We should not punish those who choose to live healthy lifestyles and make it easy for those who choose not to.
Whether we agree or disagree that bottled water is or is not a discretionary purchase, consumers will continue to drive the demand for healthy alternatives to other soft drink choices. This sales tax on bottled water is in poor judgment and a bad policy that discourages Washington residents from making healthy lifestyle choices.
By exempting the small players in the beer and soda industries and not the bottled water industries is plain discrimination.
At the least, the same policy for the beer and soda industries should be extended to the bottled water industry to protect small Washington businesses.
Bottled Water Matters has released a new YouTube video that looks at actions taken by bottled water companies to protect the environment for future generations.
The Good Stewards of the Environment video highlights specific initiatives that bottled water companies have taken to protect natural resources. Areas covered include groundwater management, reusing packaging resources, reducing waste and giving back to communities by helping with tree planting and cleanups.
“All of these initiatives demonstrate efforts by bottled water companies to protect the environment,” said Tom Lauria, IBWA Vice-President Communications. “We decided to release this short video on World Water Day 2010 to set the facts straight that the bottled water companies are good stewards of the environment.”
In the video, bottled water executives from CG Roxanne, Nestle Waters North America, Mountain Valley Spring Water and Roaring Spring Bottling are interviewed by a teenager regarding their environmental initiatives.
“These represent only a small slice of what the bottled water industry is doing. Each IBWA member has a good steward story to tell – we produced this video as just a small sampling of their initiatives,” said Mr. Lauria.
We have launched a new YouTube video on the bottled water industry’s corporate social responsibility on environmental issues. The video can be seen here.
Titled “Bottled Water’s Environmental Corporate Social Responsibility,” an intrepid teenage reporter asks bottled water industry executives about their concern for the environment and what their companies are doing to specifically meet their social responsibility as corporations. Her probing questions reveal a young teen’s desire to make Earth a better place. And the answers she receives from representatives from Sparkletts, Nestle Waters North America, Absopure Water Co. and Eastman Chemical Co. reveal a wide range of corporate initiatives, including conversion to hybrid trucks, light-weighting of plastic bottles, building LEED-certified bottling facilities, extensive efforts to recycle on a large scale, and adoption of new technologies that make producing PET plastics more energy efficiency.
“In conversational discussions, IBWA members explain their companies’ environmental initiatives in a way that we all can understand how the bottled water industry is making a difference,” said Tom Lauria, International Bottled Water Association Vice President of Communications. “In fact, many U.S. companies are doing a number of the same things. Here, the important, diverse and simultaneous environmental initiatives being conducted by IBWA members, seen as a total package, are intended to achieve significant and measureable results.”
Yesterday, the International Bottled Water Association filed a lawsuit against Zero Water Technologies, LLC, the seller of at-home water filtration devices, for repeatedly engaging in false, misleading and unsubstantiated advertising designed to confuse consumers about its products and about how they compare to bottled water products.
IBWA’s complaint, which was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, notes that Zero Water has improperly disparaged the quality, safety, and cost effectiveness of bottled water in comparison with its own products and has made false and unsubstantiated claims about the capabilities of its products. For more information, please see the IBWA's Web site.
Not that you had to tell us this, but a new study commissioned by the International Bottled Water Association has found that bottled water has a very small environmental footprint.
The Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) study to determine the environmental footprint of the United States bottled water industry. The results indicate that bottled water has a very small environmental footprint. The study found
• Measurement based on British Thermal Units (BTUs) indicates that the energy consumed to produce small pack water bottled water containers water (containers from 8 ounces to 2.5 gallons) amounted to only 0.067 percent of the total energy use in the United States in 2007. Home and Office Delivery (HOD) bottled water (reusable bottles from 2.5 to 5 gallons) energy consumption only amounted to 0.003 percent of the total energy used in the United States in 2007.
• The small pack and HOD bottled water industries’ combined greenhouse gas/ CO2 emissions amounted to only 0.08 percent of total United States greenhouse gas emissions.
• Bottled water packaging discards accounted for only 0.64 percent of the 169 million tons of total U.S. Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) discards in 2007.
• The process and transportation BTU energy use for the bottled water industry was only 0.07 percent of total U.S. BTU primary energy consumption.
• Greenhouse gas emissions per half gallon of single serve bottled water came to 426.4 grams CO2 equivalent (eq.), which is 75 percent less CO2 eq. per half gallon than orange juice.
• Small pack bottled water generates 46 percent less CO2 eq. when compared to soft drinks also packaged in PET plastic.
Franklin Associates, a division of ERG, produced the LCI and prepared a report that quantified the energy requirements, solid waste generation, and greenhouse gas emissions for the production, packaging, transport, and end-of- life management for bottled water consumed in the United States in 2007. According to a 2008 Beverage Marketing Corporation report, total consumption of bottled water in the U.S. in 2007 was 8.8 billion gallons.
A new study released last week finds that water, in all its forms, has the least environmental impact of any beverage choice. When compared to other packaged beverages, including soft drinks, sports drinks, enhanced waters and juices, bottled water has the lightest environmental footprint.
Commissioned by Nestle Waters North America, the life-cycle analysis study is believed to be the first peer-reviewed, comprehensive analysis of the environmental impact of water and alternative beverage options, including filtered and un-filtered tap water consumed from reusable plastic, steel and aluminum containers.
According to the report, packaging and distribution are key contributors to a beverage’s carbon footprint. Key findings from the study include the fact that water is the least environmentally impactful beverage option. Water of all types accounts for 41 percent of a consumer’s total beverage consumption, but represents just 12 percent of a consumer’s climate change impact.
Bottled water is the most environmentally responsible packaged drink choice. Sports drinks, enhanced waters and soda produce nearly 50 percent more carbon dioxide emissions per serving than bottled water. Juice, beer and milk produce nearly three times as many carbon dioxide emissions per serving as bottled water.
“Water is the hero in this story. If people have access to good quality tap water, we’ve always felt they should use it,” said Kim Jeffery, president and CEO of Nestle Waters North America, in a press release. “And, from a health perspective, choosing bottled water — with no calories, sweeteners or additives — is about the smartest choice one can make among packaged beverages.”
Bottled water's purpose serves no greater call than now. As we write this, members of the International Bottled Water Association are springing into action to donate what will undoubtedly amount to hundreds of thousands of bottled water servings to earthquake victims in Haiti, whose potable water sources have been devastated in the wake of this tragedy.
How can you help?
CONSUMERS: The quickest way to make a donation of $10 to the American Red Cross is by texting “Haiti” to 90999 on your cell phone. It requires no credit card or payment information and takes a matter of seconds (your phone bill is billed directly). This texting effort is backed by the U.S. State Department, and those funds will go directly to support American Red Cross relief efforts in Haiti. You can also make an unrestricted donation to the International Response Fund at www.redcross.org or by calling 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767).
INTERNATIONAL BOTTLED WATER ASSOCIATION MEMBERS OR OTHER BOTTLED WATER COMPANIES: The International Bottled Water Association and Bottled Water Matters have been in touch with the American Red Cross (ARC) throughout today about how members of the International Bottled Water Association may be able to assist with bottled water donations. ARC staff indicated to us within the past hour that relief efforts are still very much focused on search and rescue, and that the relief effort is going to be a long one. They appreciate Bottled Water Matters' support, but are still trying to determine exact needs in regards to product donations. We are hoping for further word from the ARC very soon about if and how IBWA members may be able to assist with bottled water donations, and we will let you know as soon as we have more information to share with you.
Thank you again for your philanthropy, and please do not hesitate to contact IBWA with any related concerns or questions.
We recently saw a graphic floating around Twitter (we won't link to it because it's so incredibly misleading) that claimed numerous, inaccurate what-it-called "facts" about bottled water. Of course, anything tabloidy or salacious-sounding certainly gets picked up and passed around, so the graphic went from person to person around the Twittersphere (and likely beyond).
This week, however, Bottled Water Matters presented its own graphic, similar to the misleading one, but filled with facts and sources about bottled water. People have been spreading it throughout the Twittersphere, so much that it even ended up on an Earth blog on Amazon.com.
Bottled water sales had experienced rapid growth for more than a decade, as consumers embraced water over soda and other high-calorie beverages. Growth rates have slowed in recent years, due to market saturation, and have taken a more recent tumble on environmental concerns that millions of plastic bottles enter landfills every day, as only a small proportion of them ever reach recycling bins. Plus, why ship water across the globe when it can be affordable when consumed from a local tap?
Concerns About Tap Water
A shift back to bottled water may take place soon, because a recent New York Times study detailed that "more than 20% of the nation's water treatment systems have violated key provisions of the Safe Drinking Water Act over the last five years." It also relayed that "since 2004, the water provided to more than 49 million people has contained illegal concentrations of chemicals like arsenic or radioactive substances like uranium, as well as dangerous bacteria often found in sewage."
In order to provide consumers with the facts about the regulation and safety of bottled water and tap water, the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA)'s and BottledWatermatters.com, today released a new, two-and a half minute YouTube video, entitled "How Safe is Bottled Water?," which highlights the key similarities and differences between bottled water and tap water regulations.
"We are hearing misinformation about the regulation and safety of bottled water and we produced this video to set the record straight," said Tom Lauria, IBWA’s Vice President of Communications. "Activists want you to think that bottled water is not as regulated as tap water, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, bottled water is one of the most stringently regulated of all foods and beverages on U.S. shelves."
It’s a chemical that has been used in everyday plastic products like eyeglasses, medical equipment, bottles, and food can linings for over fifty years. But the compound Bisphenol A (BPA) has been the target of scare campaigns over the last few years. On one hand critics contend that BPA at low doses can affect endocrine systems and reproduction, and cause birth or developmental effects, as well as cancer. On the other hand, a search of the literature finds no single case of illness or death related to BPA.
Most recently, BPA came under attack November 2 when Consumers Union, the parent organization of the respected Consumer Reports, sent out a press release announcing the results of its lab tests that purportedly showed high levels of the suspect compound in 19 food products. The authors of the Consumers Report article did not claim that they had found any harmful effects in anyone, just that BPA had been detected. Read more in Andrew Breitbart's BIG GOVERNMENT.
It was clear that Philp didn't want to spend an hour listening to the monotonous debate over banning water bottles. Neither did council members, apparently: The idea was tossed last night.
The columnist, writing prior to the meeting, made a few points of why choosing tap over bottled makes sense in some cases. We agree at Bottled Water Matters and drink tap water sometimes too. His points are fair (though the numbers can be debated and are all over the board throughout the media world), yet we appreciate Mr. Philp for looking at bottled water in a reasonable light, examining why it should remain a choice for all people - public workers or not.
...there are a lot of products that the city uses that are not environmentally friendly. We still use diesel and gasoline for fuel, we have too many streetlights wasting energy shining into the sky. Even the amount of paper that city hall generates each year would probably denude a large forest. Why pick on water?
One thing that is not mentioned is that bottled water is portable and the containers do not need to be cleaned. The motion speaks to drinking fountains at city hall being available for the public. I don't know about you, but with H1N1 and other nasty viruses going around, I am loathe to drink from a public fountain. Bottled water, being single use, eliminates that concern. Come to think about it, I don't ever recall a city councillor taking a drink from the drinking fountains at city hall in the 15 years I have been watching council. Is there a message in that behaviour?
Whether bottled water is "environmentally friendly" is a matter of perspective. Yes, it uses plastics, however, it is one of thousands of products that use plastics, and it's using less and less to make the container. Does it cost more than tap? Well, yes, but is a buck or two really a lot to ask for a refreshing, healthy (and H1N1-free) product?
The point is this: Let's tackle more pressing issues than bottled water, shall we?
Well now isn't this interesting. Bottled water: Healthy? Who knew!?!?
We of course mean that rather cynically. And Atlanta commuters on the MARTA trains understand just as we do: That bottled water is a healthy, convenient option when you're thirsty.
From the Atlanta Business Chronicle, in a story headlined, "MARTA concessions survey shows preference for healthy foods":
An internal survey of more than 1,100 passengers conducted in late August and early September found that bottled water would be the most popular food or beverage if the transit agency decides to sell concessions at MARTA rail stations.
Nearly 80 percent of the respondents said they would buy bottled water from MARTA if it were available.
Get the full article and other stats at the ABC's Web site.
The numbers are starting to roll in for bottled water donation to the Atlanta floods.
5,000 gallons is what we've seen from Nestlé Waters North America. The water was delivered to the American Red Cross’ relief operation warehouse in Forest Park, Georgia, for distribution to communities. From a press release:
“Deer Park strives to be there in times of emergency,” said Alex McIntosh, director of corporate citizenship. “In 2008, Nestlé Waters delivered more than 2.7 million bottles of water to citizens and relief workers affected by natural disasters and emergencies, and our 8,500 employees are proud to donate their time and bottled water products when communities are in need.”
“We’re thankful for the support of Nestlé Waters North America,” said Lauri Rhinehart, vice president of development operations for the American Red Cross. “Through their donation of water, the American Red Cross will be able to meet the needs of the community.”
Beverage Spectrum's Barry Nathanson pens a spectacular beverage-industry point of view, taking issue with the non-issue that is the vocal minority's problem with bottled water.
Why are the “issues” around bottled water even issues at all? It boggles my mind that the only undisputedly healthy beverage offering is being attacked on so many fronts. Of all the consumer products out there, why are politicians and public officials making this particular beverage category public enemy #1? They’re banning the purchase of bottled water by municipalities, attacking PET bottles and their impact on the environment, proposing taxes and state initiatives for separate bar coding. I am here to call it all what it is: sheer nonsense. This legislative posturing must stop. Deal with real issues, not this.
We can debate the merits of many different products in food and beverage groups, but no one can claim that drinking water isn’t at the top of the list for a healthy lifestyle. The bottled water industry has made more strides than other categories to reduce its carbon footprint. Drinking water and its portability should be encouraged, not legislated against.
I lead a pretty active lifestyle. I run, play tennis, ski, and manage to walk about six miles a day. I also pack a bottle of water with me on almost all occasions. To imply that it is bad for these bottles to be out there doesn’t reflect reality. We live in a mobile society, and having the option of bringing water and other packaged goods with you is our right. I’d rather have people toting water, because it means they’re out and about pursuing an active lifestyle, that have them inside watching inane TV or playing mindless video games. Hopefully, people will make the correct choices in what they ingest, but to single out the one product that personifies good nutrition is insanity.
Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the water cooler...it's gone?
Citing budgetary concerns, some corporations are opting to shed contracts with water cooler-delivery companies, the Toronto Star reports. Surely, a dime or two is saved in the process - we can't argue with that.
But consider the expenses: the health and refreshment benefits of chilled clean water, particularly if the tap has that sometimes funky taste (or you don't have ice).
And productivity. Yes, productivity. Huddling "around the water cooler," the iconic symbol of the workplace and birthplace of so many creative and innovative ideas, is taken away when water coolers are cut from budgets. Reporter Diana Zlomislic quotes Tina Dacin, director of the Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility at Queen's University School of Business:
"People forget that the water cooler is more than a cold drink. Nowadays, organizations deal with problems that are complex, multi-dimensional. You need lots of people to come together and chat and share good ideas. And where you get these ideas shared is in these sacred spaces – like mailrooms, bathrooms, parking lots, coffee rooms and around the water cooler. When you take away the water cooler, where do people come together?"
Now, we're not going as far as to say water coolers are essential to the workplace, but is saving a few bucks a month worth it for what it does to employee morale and in-office discussions? When employees see the water cooler go, it's a symbol that times are getting a bit too tough. Notes Dacin: "It's a symbol of goodwill from the organization that they care about their people. What's the goodwill cost?"
Plus, as Michelle De Los Santos, a business consultant who brings her own half-liter glass pitcher to work to fill up at the water cooler:
"It's pretty basic," she says, grateful the corporation hasn't scrapped its water delivery service. "Nobody wants to go to the bathroom and fill their Thermoses with tap water."
Seems we can't escape the bottled water backlash even in the movies.
In the new romantic comedy The Ugly Truth, there's two scenes where the discussion touches on how tap water 'is just like bottled water, except that it is regulated and bottled water isn’t.'
This movie should have been called Bald Faced Lies.
Though they were attempting to get across the message that tap and bottled are "all the same," that's an inaccurate statement that we've heard time and again. Here's The Real Truth: many bottled waters come from a municipal source, that is certain. But they're further purified and treated than tap water.
Ever heard of tap water having a taste? Bottled water opponents will tell you that you never will have a taste in tap water. You'll never taste anything in bottled water, and there's a reason for that: because it's pure, clean, safe and refreshing. And it's also just as regulated, if not moreso, than tap water.
If there's one takeaway from The Ugly Truth, it's this: don't believe anything you see in the movies.
You'd think that a publication like Men's Health and its editor-in-chief, David Zinczenko, would be slick enough to call out those few groups that disparage bottled water.
Yesterday, the bottled water industry faced a Congressional hearing that, primarily, suggested that bottled water companies provide stricter labeling on their products.
What came out of the hearing was a barrage of misinformation about bottled water, providing the nightly news with a bunch of scary
Listen to whatever you please, but know this: everything about bottled water is safe. From packaging to the product. Bottled water is convenient to have around, and is an alternative - not necessarily a substitute - to tap water. Tap water, in most cases, is also safe and perfect for drinking. There is no debate.
In his column today, Dana Milbank digs a little deeper than what Congressman Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), chairman of the House commerce subcommittee that held yesterday's hearing, had to say on the issue:
This much is clear, crisp and refreshing: Bottled water has not killed anybody, and it's not even clear that it has made anybody sick. And, as the committee learned, it is already regulated more strictly than other foods.
...
It soon emerged from the witnesses that there was no evidence bottled water is any dirtier than tap water -- and in some cases, such as lead, the bottled water standards are more stringent. The main difference is one of disclosure: Municipal water, regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency, has to make public its test results; bottled water, regulated by the FDA, does not.
With his commentary, Milbank correctly points out that consumers should not be afraid of what's inside their water bottle. He cites many legislators referring to the bottled water issue as a "secondary" debate - or one that shouldn't even be on the radar.
Rep. Joe Barton (R-Tex.) joined in the complaint that "today's hearing doesn't rank on the top of the list" of serious issues. "It shows when you look on your side how much support there is," Barton said, beckoning to the Democrats' seats, empty except for Stupak's.
Chuck Fager may be no David Letterman, but he sure as heck can put together a Top 10 list. (Plus three more, as he notes).
Fager, writing for the Friends Journal, rattles off 13 top-notch points as to why bottled water is a blessing, not a curse. His reasons run the gamut of healthfulness to convenience to importance in emergency response.
I am not clear how or why the anti-bottled water crusaders selected [it] as the symbol for water problems; my guess is that its high visibility was a key factor. But that is a marketing ploy, not a representation of truth about water issues and their solutions...If bottled water disappeared, the real water problems would remain unaffected.
...
I hope Friends will consider these points before continuing to ride the bandwagon to nowhere represented by the anti-bottled water propaganda campaign. Water issues are too real and important to be thus diverted and trivialized.
The product inside is still "bottled water." The difference is the packaging.
So says the article:
The boxes have a smaller carbon footprint than bottles because they're made mostly from trees from sustainably managed forests, can be shipped flat when empty, and can, in theory, be recycled. (The plastic screw caps on top make them refillable.)
Nice, but plastic water bottles are completely recyclable, too. Both the box and the plastic use natural resources. The article also references a post over at Shefzilla, which recognizes how bottled water compares to other industries in terms of water and natural resources consumption. Notes that blog:
The World Wildlife Fund created a two-minute video recently that explains how a single latte requires 53 gallons (or 848 cups) of water to grow the beans and feed the cows that produce the milk to make the drink. Slightly different numbers according to the Water Footprint Network:
Glass of beer = 19.8 gallons Glass of wine = 31.7 gallons Cup of coffee = 37 gallons Hamburger = 634 gallons Cotton T-shirt = 713 gallons Sheet of paper = 2.6 gallons
Obviously no one likes plastic, but it’s cherry picking to argue that bottling water is unethical.
Boxed, bottled: whichever way you pack it, bottled water is a minimal user of natural resources and a convenient, healthy beverage option. And it will continue to be there when you need it.
At Bottled Water Matters, we respect everyone’s opinion on bottled water. But we prefer the opinion be made out of having the right information. Sustainablog.org doesn’t do so this week.
As you probably know, [the convenience of bottled water] comes at an environmental and social price: documentaries such asFLOW and Thirst, organizations such as the Sierra Club and Environmental Defense Fund, and even a few of us lowly bloggers, have reported on the costs created by water’s transformation from a freely-available resource to a multi-billion dollar commodity. That bottle of water you buy now contributes to the world’s third-largest industry.
Just as in any industry, there are costs involved in creating bottled water, both financially and in terms of natural resources. But consider how much so, in the grand scheme of things. Plastic bottles - which have an array of uses, not just in bottled water - make up one-third of 1 percent of the municipal waste stream in the U.S. That is, pardon the pun, a drop in the bucket when you look at the big picture. In other words, getting rid of bottled water or banning it will do next-to-nothing to save the environment.
Water is also not freely available. You pay for tap just as you pay for bottled water. Bottled water costs a bit more because of the packaging and the processes that go into filtering and purifying the water, not to mention the payroll costs of the many small businesses that create these products.
And bottled water is the world’s third-largest industry, the post claims? That would be news to us. Bottled water is nowhere near the top of the world’s largest industries. Wholesale dollar sales for bottled water exceeded $11.7 billion in 2007. An “industry” is generally counted in the trillions of dollars.
For matters of comparison:
Fortune recently ranked “beverages” as the 12th largest industry in the world. Which makes sense, because hydration and drinks are essential to sustain human life.
Walmart, the largest company in the world, had sales of $378 billion in 2007.
In that same year, no Fortune 500 company had sales less than $16 billion.
Opinions are fine, and we respect Mr. McIntire-Strasburg’s. We just wish he’d dug a bit deeper.
For now, there will be no expansion on New York state’s recycling laws to include a deposit on bottles of water. It’ll cost the state tens of millions of dollars that it needed to balance the budget.
But it would have done so in a rather unconstitutional manner.
Federal Judge Thomas P. Griesa of United States District Court in Manhattan ordered state officials to wait until next April 1 before requiring retailers to collect a 5-cent deposit on bottled water. Griesa also struck down a provision that would have required bottlers to affix a New York-specific universal product code to bottles sold in the state, and prohibited them from selling those bottles outside the state.
This is an extremely unconstitutional law. It would require bottled water distributors - not any other users of plastic bottles - to collect a 5-cent deposit per bottle of water, which can in turn be redeemed by consumers, provisions designed to encourage New Yorkers to recycle the billions of water bottles now thrown away each year. The UPC labeling requirement violates the Constitution’s equal protection clause, the New York Times notes, as the the language of the bill excludes any drink to which sugar has been added, such as sports drinks.
Water bottlers have filed suit, including environmental activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s bottled water company, Keeper Springs.
Staunch bottled water opponents should heed the mission statement of Kennedy’s company, which donates all its after-tax profits to the environment:
While our company encourages investment in public water supplies and minimizing the use of plastic bottles - and of course, maximizing recycling - we believe that bottled water is a permanent fact of our society.
Kennedy is in favor of a deposit bill so long as it impacts ALL users of plastics and doesn’t just single out one industry. At Bottled Water Matters, we’re typically not in favor of bottle bills, but if lawmakers are gonna do it, the law ought to be fair for all.
The nephew of the nation’s 35th president writes, (emphasis added):
A good new deposit bill could encourage recycling of new classes of beverage bottles and also provide financing for curbside programs that capture other kinds of recyclable waste, like juice cartons, ketchup bottles and mayonnaise jars. These are all made from the same plastic and glass as soda, beer and water bottles, yet fewer than one in five of them are being recycled. Since such containers are not subject to deposit laws, their recycling is driven only by moral imperative or local ordinances, and these incentives function best when supported by robust curbside recycling programs or other easy recycling options.
Unfortunately, the New York Legislature passed a bottle law last month that not only fails to accomplish these goals but will actually harm the recycling programs New York has. It is an ugly sausage that was cooked up by lobbyists for makers of sugared drinks and their allies in the Legislature. Instead of requiring deposits for all the new beverage categories, as Gov. David Paterson originally proposed, New York’s new bottle law covers bottled water only - unless that water contains added sugar.
Profits from bottled water sales provide income that the park board can’t afford to lose, considering the city cut the park board’s budget by $1.95 million this year.
News1130 Radio said bottled water sales amount to $250,000 in revenue.
Additionally, though, bottled water is good to have around in times when there isn’t a water fountain nearby. And if your only choices are sodas or other beverages that contain, you know, “stuff”…it’s nice to have a refreshing alternative on a hot sunny day.
Washington University got a taste of the inconvenience a bottled water ban causes during its graduation ceremony on Friday.
The school has a ban on bottled water sales and distribution on campus, which was temporarily lifted for commencement, the St. Louis Post Dispatch said. WashU spokeswoman Sue McGinn told reporter Kavita Kumar that the school typically has 15,000 bottles of water on hand for graduation day. For graduation this year, though, the school only had 4,000 bottles on hand, and only for guests.
“We will have limited amounts of bottled water available for our guests from around the world who may not be aware of our commitment to decreasing bottled water usage,” a note sent to students and faculty said.
Students were still encouraged to bring their own water if they thought they would be thirsty.
Our take: If the school wants to send a message to students that a ban is necessary because of plastic’s impact on the environment, though we don’t agree with that move, either ban bottled water or do not. Bringing back a healthy beverage - one of thousands of food products packaged in plastics - only in times when it is convenient sends the wrong message. Bottled water has a place in the beverage industry, and sometimes it takes a ban to recognize that.
Woman’s Day magazine doesn’t buy the bottled water backlash. It does, however, buy bottled water, just like the millions of others around the globe who do so. Health or fashion sense, bottled water is the trend these days, the magazine says.
Florida legislators took the right course of action by voting down a tax increase on bottled water, which would have unfairly singled out one of many industries that use plastic packaging. Bottled Water Matters applauds lawmakers for striking this potentally damaging legislation.
Seems you can’t be the world’s most popular guy and get away with anything these days.
President Obama was “caught,” as the Huffington Post makes it seem, drinking bottled water at the G20 summit in London this week. Let’s say he was drinking a sugar-heavy beverage: would the online newspaper think Obama was saying he didn’t care about childhood obesity?
See for yourself. Seems pretty innocent and, actually, responsible to us.
Was it too difficult? Did it make life more inconvenient? Possibly that too, but the reasons for Lawrence, Mass. schools cutting back its ban on bottled beverages, including water, were worse, according to WBZ-TV:
The [school] committee decided to allow bottled water after a pregnant teacher had to be treated at a hospital for dehydration on the first day of the ban.
Superintendent Wilfredo Laboy banned the bottles this week after students drank alcohol at two separate parties at Lawrence High School’s International Academy on March 13. One student needed medical attention.
Bottled aren’t an inconvenience. The beverages they hold can be a life saver and an alternative to less healthy drinks.
This week, the United Nations Children’s Fund, or UNICEF, is encouraging people to pay $1 for tap water at restaurants around the world. Each dollar donated to the project will provide 40 liters of drinking water, or enough to supply clean water for one child for a month - or 40 kids a day.
And you’d better believe that some of that drinking water given to needy children will be in the form of a bottle - a clean, safe method of consuming Earth’s most vital resource.
A Letter to the Editor, from the Recorder & Times in Ontario, Canada:
We are being told to ban bottled water because large companies make huge profits, use energy to produce bottles and only about 15 per cent of bottles get recycled, the balance end up in landfills.
Municipalities, school boards and other public buildings should make water fountains available. The way I see it, bottled water is a convenience item sold only to those willing to pay for it.
I would bet the majority of bottled water is bought in case lots on sale at almost every grocer or the seemingly much hated big-box stores for anywhere between nine and 15 cents a bottle.
When you buy it as a single unit at convenience stores, you should expect to pay more for it. Convenience stores pay delivery costs, energy costs to cool the water, wages and somewhere in there is a profit.
I don’t see a saving in energy use if water bottles are banned. The plastic for soft drinks/juices and water is already manufactured before it is shaped into a container.
Water fountains became a thing of the past years ago mostly because of health and sanitary concerns. If you are old enough to remember, you will know you had no idea what you might see floating in the bottom or who or what touched the nozzle last. Warm water is not very refreshing on a hot day so cooling units requiring electrical energy were eventually added. Tap water or fountains at soccer/baseball or other outdoor activities don’t seem like an option.
Sure, you can fill your own container at home and put it in your energy-consuming refrigerator or buy ice to pack it in.
I should mention that ice is the result of using energy to freeze water. Ice is sold in “plastic” bags by companies making huge profits. Should we ban ice?
We are told only 15 to 20 per cent of water bottles go to recycling. I guess that means 100 per cent of all other bottles get recycled.
I place 100 per cent of all plastic bottles in my recycling container and on occasion watch as it is dumped into the recycling truck. Is recycling not working? Should we ban recycling?
A bottled water ban, if successful, would put more people out of work at a time when the economy is bad and jobs scarce.
Let’s start LATBB (Local Association To Ban Banning).
“To the industry they condemn: bottled water,” this video from the Competitive Enterprise Institute states.
We particularly enjoy the moment at 0:07 where former Salt Lake City mayor Rocky Anderson calls bottled water “wasteful” and “reckless,” followed by a picture of him holding bottled water.
Is banning bottled water really in the best interests, if jobs are lost and more money is spent to do so? From the Toronto Sun:
Banning bottled water in Toronto’s public schools would force school trustees to spend $2 million on new fountains and to cut five cafeteria jobs, according to a new school board report.
But two Toronto District School Board trustees, who are pushing the bottle bank, insist they’re not washed up yet.
The long-awaited staff report going to the board’s administration, finance and accountability committee tomorrow recommends trustees stick with bottled water — keeping it on cafeteria shelves and in school vending machines.
“They are only looking at the financial bottom line and they’re not looking at the health of our children and the health of our planet,” Trustee Josh Matlow told the Sun yesterday. “That needs to be a part of our deliberation and I don’t believe it will be as harmful to our financial bottom line as they might suggest.
Daniel Hamermesh, a writer for the Freakonomics blog at the New York Times, writes this month about the foolishness of banning bottled water on a university campus.
Presumably, they figure that bottled-water consumers will switch to tap water, as tap water is bottled water’s closest substitute. I wonder — aren’t bottled soft drinks a closer substitute? Don’t people want the convenience of a container at their desk rather than an occasional drink at the water cooler (or a cup to be filled at the water cooler)?
This ban may well simply lead to substitution from bottled water to bottled soft drinks, with no reduction in pollution. Worse still, people will be substituting caloric soft drinks for zero-calorie water, so that the ban will help increase obesity among students and staff.
Be sure to read the comments, too. Apparently, most consumers are not drinking the Kool-Aid being poured by bottled water’s misinformed opponents.
Alarming new statistics from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) indicate that 34% of Americans are obese, just under 6% are extremely or morbidly obese, and another 32.7% are considered overweight, according to data from a report released January 9, 2009, by CDCP’s National Center for Health Statistics in Rockville, MD.
The International Bottled Water Association would therefore remind Americans that drinking water - be it bottled or tap - is an important part of a healthy diet.
The data in the report indicates almost three-quarters (or 72.7%) of all Americans weigh more than is healthy for their individual body types. According to the CDCP, “The prevalence of obesity in America has doubled in the past two decades.”
As the CDCP report further notes: “A high prevalence of overweight and obesity is of great public health concern because excess body fat leads to a higher risk for premature death, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular disease, stroke, gall bladder disease, respiratory dysfunction, gout, osteoarthritis, and certain kinds of cancers.”
“Good hydration - with plenty of calorie-free water -has got to part of the solution to this alarming and preventable problem,” said IBWA President and CEO Joe Doss. “We recommend that everyone drink more water every day. And bottled water is a safe, healthy beverage choice, whether at home or office or on the go. During emergencies, we see how critical bottled water is for disaster-stricken communities and the importance of a coordinated, effective response to get drinking water to people in need. Obesity is now a public health emergency, but for this problem, tap water has as large a role to play as bottled water. “
Water is an excellent choice for consumers who wish to avoid or moderate calories, caffeine, sugar or the various ingredients found in other beverages. “Any actions by legislators or activist groups that would discourage the consumption of water because it happens to be a container (as nearly all beverages are) are not in the public’s best interest,” said Doss. “We should all work together to encourage consumption of water.”
In order to help individuals determine their personal hydration goals, IBWA features Hydration Calculator on its website. It is an interactive tool based on expert resources and the most current findings of the National Academy of Sciences, as reported in its February 2004 report, “Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) for Water, Potassium, Sodium, Chloride, and Sulfate.” IBWA’s Hydration Calculator provides helpful suggestions about an individual’s total fluid intake derived from both beverages and food, and other information about water’s vital role in refreshment, health and hydration.
If Obama does it, it’s gotta be cool. From the Orlando Sentinel:
Bottled water and bottled iced tea are often seen in the hand of President-elect Barack Obama. Bottled water is a natural hydrator and makes sense for the First-Exerciser.
From Bottled Water Matters, we wish the President-elect our best as he soon drops the “-elect” from his title.
In August, the city of St. Louis joined one of a very few others around the country to ban bottled water in government offices. But according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:
Four months later…bottled water is hardly a scarce commodity at City Hall. Just visit one of the building’s vending machines. Or even the cafeteria.
So where’s it coming from? Out of the pockets of some city employees - and, oddly, with city funds. The reason?
Unlike city tap water, the mayor’s control over other city departments is a tad murky. St. Louis’ fractured government structure means that many City Hall departments are out of the mayor’s reach, including the Board of Aldermen and the Police Department.
In some cases, his “order” is more a suggestion.
Take the police department. It spent $795 for bottled water, for a good and obvious cause: to give officers something to refresh themselves as they stand in fixed positions for hours at a time. “The least we can do is give them something to drink,” a police spokesperson told Post-Dispatch reporter Jake Wagman.
Moral of this story? Ban it, tax it, do whatever you want to it. But when consumers want a healthy beverage option, they’re still going to find a way to drink bottled water.
In a state looking to protect its waters, Michigan Senator Patty Birkholz steps up to defend those who say bottled water harms the environment. In response to a column by Mike Delp, Birkholz writes in the Traverse City Record-Eagle:
Michigan citizens must study issues concerning water protection thoroughly. Otherwise, they will lose sight of our main goal, which is to protect Michigan’s natural resources.
Mr. Delp’s column focused on bottled water usage. If he had studied current usage in Michigan, he would have learned that bottled water is a small percentage of overall use and not a significant threat, any more than agribusinesses or other commonly accepted water users.
The senator then goes on to outline the real challenges to the mitten-shaped state’s water systems, “while keeping [water] available for reasonable use at the same time.”
At a school in northern Indiana, it’s bottled water in lieu of drinking fountains, and bottled water for food prep. Why? Because municipal water samples tested positive for an unspecified type of bacteria.
It’s times like these that go to show you: if cities continue to ban bottled water or create a market where bottled water companies cannot fairly do business, where will the water come from during times you need it?
Sometimes, government actions are misinformed and misplaced, notes Donald A. Mounce, the senior editor of Water Conditioning & Purification Magazine. (Not quite as well known as Newsweek, but still…)
Yet Mounce knows firsthand about wrong government actions, as a former elected - and currently appointed - local official. “In some cases, the egregious nature of government priorities is very clear and becomes quite unbearable,” he writes.
And Mounce continues:
This is where we find ourselves on the argument of banning bottled water. It is unconscionable that any level of government or any bureaucratic unit would in any way find this a good idea.
It is simply ridiculous.
Somehow the bottled water industry is targeted as the reason for rising oil prices, improper waste management, the lack of complete plastic recycling, global warming and probably, for some, the lack of world peace…this is another case of unecessary government social engineering for the wrong reasons and in the wrong way.
And as Mounce puts succinctly, in regard to tap, filtered, or bottled waters:
“Any way to get potable water in the hands of anyone who needs it is an excellent method; there is no best, better, or worse way. It is all good and it all has value to our health and to our global societies, whether for convenience of individual s or necessary use in times of global dsiaster.”
One of the nation’s leading microbiologists today strongly the Environmental Working Group’s study on bottled water quality, citing the study’s flawed methodology and lack of sound science.
Says Dr. Stephen Edberg, professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Internal Medicine at the Yale University School of Medicine, and the director of the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory at the Yale-New Haven Hospital:
“The Environmental Working Group’s study on bottled water is troubling for both its lack of acknowledgement of scientifically based history and for failing to conduct controlled scientific experiments. Its conclusions unduly confuse consumers through faulty methodologies and unsubstantiated findings.”
Dr. Edberg highlights two egregious examples, among the study’s many flawed conclusions:
Heterotropic Plate Count (HPC) as a measure of overall bacterial contamination:“HPC is a naturally occurring bacteria. In 1992, the US Environmental Protection Agency considered using an HPC in its new total coliform rule. It found no association between these naturally occurring bacteria and human health. While in 2002, the World Health Organization concluded that HPC were natural and did not result in an adverse health effect.”
Assays for breast cancer cell proliferation: “The study’s ‘breast cancer’ allegation is an egregious example of specious science. The test uses cells in the test tube, indicating that breast cancer cells grew less in tap than bottled water. The reason is obvious, tap water contains chlorine, which inhibits cell growth. No valid research would use tap water to examine cells in culture.”
Recognizing the growing need to scientifically examine the quality and safety facts concerning the country’s drinking water - both municipal and bottled - Dr. Edberg and Professor Menachem Elimelech, Ph.D., Chairman of the Yale University Department of Chemical Engineering, will co-host a drinking water symposium, “Your Drinking Water,” in March 2009, co-sponsored by the non-profit 501(c) 3 organization, the Drinking Water Research Foundation. The symposium will host leading experts to examine a range of water quality and safety issues.
“We believe that the symposium can be a needed catalyst to restore scientific rigor to a subject that has become overly emotional and characterized by pseudo science,” according to Dr. Edberg.
A variety of scientists, academics and government regulatory officials will be invited to present a full spectrum of scientific research. Dr. Edberg serves as a consultant to a range of organizations including the International Bottled Water Association and Nestle Waters North America. He has also served as a consultant for the American Water Works Association, Environmental Protection Agency and the World Health Organization.
Dr. Edberg developed the standard drinking water test that is used worldwide to ascertain microbial contamination and ensure the safety of drinking water.
A report that will be released today by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) contains false claims and exaggerations about bottled water products, according to the International Bottled Water Association.
“The testing results show that only two didn’t meet a California state standard for one regulated substance,” said IBWA President Joe Doss. There are many hundreds of brands sold in the United States that are not involved in this study.
“While bottled water products should always comply with all established regulatory standards, the California requirement for this substance is eight times lower than the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standard of quality for bottled water and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maximum contaminant level for tap water,” Mr. Doss said.
The report provides results from of a market basket testing program that the EWG conducted on ten brands of bottled water in nine states and the District of Columbia. “This is certainly not a representative sample of bottled water products, which the report acknowledges,” he said.
In the report, the EWG frequently mischaracterizes substances found in the tested bottled water products and discusses them out of context with accepted scientific determinations, he said.
“In general, the report is based on the faulty premise that if any substance is present in a bottled water product, even if it does not exceed the established regulatory limit or no standard has been set, then it’s a health concern.”
For example, EWG was critical of the bottled water brands found to contain fluoride. However, fluoride can prevent tooth decay and the American Dental Association has stated that “Whether you drink fluoridated water from the tap or buy it in a bottle, you’re doing the right thing for your oral health.” Moreover, the levels of fluoride found in the bottled water tested by the EWG were all in compliance with the applicable FDA standards.
Mr. Doss said the EWG repeatedly fails to draw any correlation between levels of substances found in the bottled water brands tested and the actual levels at which health effects would be evident.
“In another example of the EWG’s alarmist tactics, what they call “fertilizer pollution” are actually organic components that are a natural constituent in all water. Moreover, none of these substances was found to exceed any state or federal standard. The EWG also criticized the tested bottled water for alleged “bacterial contamination.” EWG mistakenly and erroneously alleges the presence of HPC bacteria as a contaminant. Again, the levels of HPC found in the bottled water didn’t exceed any state or federal standard. In fact, HPC is commonly found at these same levels in many foods including fruits, meats, produce, and dairy products and has no adverse health consequences,” he said.
The EWG also criticizes bottled water companies “who unscrupulously use taxpayer-supported tap water supplies” without recognizing that bottled water companies who use public water systems as their source pay city taxes and monthly water fees. In no way is the water “free”, said Mr. Doss.
“In another unusual twisting of science, the EWG incorrectly labels “total dissolved solids” as “pollutants.” While total dissolved solids are not permitted in distilled bottled water, they are important for the taste and character of spring and mineral water. In fact they are such an intrinsic part of what makes a mineral water that FDA has set a minimum level of 250 parts per million for these products.”
The IBWA Code of Practice limit for the reported substance in question is the same as the California standard. However, neither of the two brands mentioned by the EWG were made by IBWA members. The decision to set the IBWA standard at this level was made to ensure that IBWA members who complied with our Code of Practice requirements would meet all state and federal bottled water regulations.
Furthermore, contrary to EWGs claim, the bottled water industry is a good steward of the environment, Mr. Doss said.
“The bottled water industry uses minimal amounts of groundwater to produce this important consumer product and does so with great efficiency. According to a report issued by the Drinking Water Research Foundation, annual bottled water production accounts for less than 2/100 of a percent of the total groundwater withdrawn in the United States each year. ”
In addition, bottled water companies have been taking actions to reduce their environmental footprint. For example, the bottled water industry is using much lighter weight plastics for its containers, utilizing more fuel efficient means of transportation, and developing new technologies in product packaging, such as the use of recycled content. All bottled water containers are one-hundred percent recyclable.While the bottled water industry supports effective environmental conservation policies, we strongly believe that any efforts to reduce the environmental impact of packaging must focus on all consumer goods and not target any one industry. Because bottled water containers make up just one-third of one percent of the entire waste stream, any proposed solutions must cover all consumer products or they will be ineffective in dealing with the environmental issue.
EWG also raised the issue of providing consumers with information about what substances are in their bottled water.
“IBWA supports a consumer’s right to clear, accurate and comprehensive information about the bottled water products they purchase,” he said. “All packaged foods and beverages, including bottled water, are subject to extensive FDA labeling requirements that provide consumers with a great deal of product quality information. In addition, virtually all bottled water products include a phone number on the label that consumers can use to contact the company.”
IBWA believes that the most feasible mechanism for consumers to obtain information not already on the label is through a request to the bottler. Consumers have many options when deciding which bottled water brand to drink. If a bottled water company does not provide the information that a consumer requests, he or she can choose another brand, he said.
Consumers should also consider these additional measures, which help ensure the safety and quality of all bottled water products:
Bottled water is fully regulated as a packaged food product by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and bound by FDA’s quality, safety, inspection and labeling requirements.
FDA and state governments recognize both groundwater and municipal water systems as legitimate and valid sources for bottled water production. There are specific labeling and other standards to help ensure consumers are aware of the type of bottled water they choose.
Bottled water is not simply tap water in a bottle. Bottled water companies that use municipal source water often treat and purify the water employing processes such as reverse osmosis and distillation before it is bottled and delivered to consumers as a packaged food product. The product will be labeled as “purified water,” or alternatively, “reverse osmosis water” if it is treated by reverse osmosis or “distilled water” if it treated by distillation.
If bottled water is sourced from a municipal water system and has not been further treated, FDA requires the label to state that it is from a municipal or community water system.
Natural bottled water products, such as mineral water, spring water or artesian water, come from well-protected, underground water sources not under the direct influence of surface water.
Bottled water products are required to comply at all times with FDA Standards of Quality. As with other food products, bottled water is subject to the food adulteration requirements of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and is also subject recall and the full array of FDA enforcement actions, including warning letters, civil (seizure and/or injunction) and criminal penalties.
In addition to federal and state regulations, members of the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) are required to adhere to standards in the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice that, in several cases, are stricter than FDA and state bottled water regulations. The IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice is enforced through a mandatory, annual, unannounced plant inspection by an independent, third-party organization.
The following measures are employed by IBWA member bottlers to help ensure the safety of the bottled water brands they produce:
A MULTI-BARRIER APPROACH - Bottled water products are produced utilizing a multi-barrier approach, from source to finished product, that helps prevent possible harmful microorganisms from contaminating the finished product as well as storage, production, and transportation equipment. Measures in a multi-barrier approach may include source protection, source monitoring, reverse osmosis, distillation, filtration, ozonation or ultraviolet (UV) light. Many of the steps in a multi-barrier system may be effective in safeguarding bottled water from microbiological, chemical, and other contamination. Piping in and out of plants, as well as storage silos and water tankers are also maintained through daily sanitation procedures. In addition, bottled water products are bottled in a controlled, sanitary environment to prevent contamination during the filling operation.
ROUTINE TESTING - Water used to produce bottled water is tested both as it enters the plant, during production and as finished product. Multiple tests and regular screening are performed by trained quality control technicians to evaluate microbial, physical and chemical quality. Such screening can be used to detect the presence of agents that may be an indicator of product contamination. These protection measures and other quality control programs help ensure that substandard products do not reach the market.
HAACP CONTROLS -IBWA members are required to employ a HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) approach to quality assurance. This practice scrutinizes every step of the production process - from source to finished product - that are critically important to the safety of the product and puts in place systems to help ensure that all safety and quality control processes are functioning effectively. Identification of risk and severity of health effects and control measures for specific biological, chemical and physical agents are included. Widely used in the food and pharmaceutical industries, the FDA considers HACCP a comprehensive method for assuring product safety.
SOURCES AND FACILITIES ARE SECURE AND MONITORED - Natural bottled water products, such as spring water or artesian water, come from well-protected, underground water sources that are required by FDA regulations to be free of direct influence of surface water contamination. The water is collected at sites and bottled at facilities with security systems that may include controlled access to the plant and critical production areas, gating, motion sensors, electronic contact security alarms, and tamper-proof locks. Water intake systems are sanitary and sealed.For brands that utilize community water systems as their source, bottlers work in concert with community water authorities to ensure the security and safety of the system’s source and the community’s water and employ equivalent security measures at the bottling plant.
The only presidential and veep debates the International Bottled Water Association didn’t sponsor this year were the ones held on Saturday Night Live.
Besides that, you could find IBWA’s private-label water - available for free - at the debates in Mississippi, St. Louis, Nashville and New York.
For companies that sponsor the debates - Anheuser-Busch, EDS, and IBWA - it’s a great way to reach out and be a corporate citizen. There’s no public recognition, there’s no access to candidates and names aren’t mentioned on the air - it’s just good practice.
Joe Doss, president of the International Bottled Water Association, tells the New York Times that the Alexandra, Va.-based group - along with about 1,500 bottles of water - donates the services of its government affairs director, who works at the debates. Adds Doss:
“The debates are a great cause and a good opportunity for us…It gives us visibility having our name as a sponsor, and it’s good for us to be associated with something so visible.”
A recent radio advertisement in Miami-Dade, Fla. claimed the public water supply was cheaper, purer and safer than bottled water. Now, Nestle Waters North America is rightfully striking back: it’s considering legal options against the county and testing municipal taps, according to the Miami Herald.
What’s the testing show so far? According to the story:
…initial results exceed federal standards for fecal coliform, often an indicator of exposure to animal or human waste.
”When you make a statement and say your water is better than our water, we want to find out,” said Kevin Mathews, director of health and environmental affairs for Nestle, which is based in Greenwich, Conn.
Bottled water companies have never claimed their product should be a replacement for tap water - and they certainly aren’t taking out radio advertising saying otherwise. Bottled water is an alternative to tap, and a rightful consumer choice. What are Miami-Dade residents to drink if their tap ever tastes funny one day? What if, Heaven forbid, a hurricane blows through and prevents access to potable water? Consumers will need to turn to bottled water.
People who drink bottled water should know they are getting a strictly-regulated, healthy beverage, packaged in a 100 percent safe - and 100 percent recyclable - container.
“Gallons” are “litres” and “while” is “whilst,” but the message at the United Kingdom’s Natural Hydration Council is the same as ours: consumers deserve to have unrestricted access to a healthy, safe, and convenient beverage choice, bottled water.
Unfortunately, the misinformation about the bottled water and the government and consumer actions against the industry that we see in the United States are as prevalent, if not more so, in the UK. Here is the Natural Hydration Council’s mission statement:
The objectives of the Council are to research and promote the environmental, health and other sustainable benefits of natural bottled water. This will ensure that consumers are able to make an informed choice about natural bottled water and hydration in their diet.
Read more about the Natural Hydration Council here.
Like Howard Beale in Network, owners of bottled water companies are mad, and they’re not going to take it anymore.
You’d probably be upset too if people were saying incorrect, inflammatory stuff about your products - especially if your products are a healthy, safe, and convenient option for consumers.
Breck Speed, CEO of Mountain Valley Spring, a bottled-water company based in Hot Springs, spoke up to the Arkansas Times this week after the Sustainability Council at the state’s namesake university announced that it is starting “an education program aimed at reducing, and ultimately eliminating, the use of bottled water on campus.”
Speed tells Arkansas Times reporter Doug Smith:
“There are lots of useful things they could do to promote sustainability…Instead, they’re going after an Arkansas industry. There’s no milk bottled here, it’s all shipped out of state. There’s no soda pop bottled here. We [water bottlers] are the only Arkansas-based beverage industry. And we employ a lot of people.”
The Sustainability Council’s intention is clear: reduce the amount of plastics thrown away, and protect the environment while doing so. It’s a great idea, and one the bottled water industry supports.
However.
Trying to rid the campus of bottled water won’t help the cause. Most every industry uses natural resources to make a product, and bottled water is one of many food and beverage products that use plastics.
Should the Sustainability Council also push for students to not drink beverages containing sugar, calories, or other generally unhealthy ingredients, since they come in plastic bottles too?
Should the Sustainability Council ask students to stop showering, since shampoo, conditioner and body wash come in plastic containers?
Should the Sustainability Council tell students to stop eating microwaveable dinners, since they use plastic trays?
(Thankfully, beer is contained in aluminum or glass.)
Of course, the response to those questions is that “unlike bottled water, you can’t get soda out of your tap.” Well, you can’t get bottled water out of it, either. Some bottled water comes from natural groundwater springs that never touches a municipal water system, while other types fo bottled water do, in fact, come from a public, tap source. However, in any case, bottled water goes through a number of filtering and purification processes, and is strictly regulated by the U.S. government and other groups. It is as safe, if not safer than, tap water.
Bottom line: the answer to the environmental crisis is not found in banning bottled water, but in finding comprehensive solutions that consider all the industries that use plastics in containers.
Speed, at Mountain Spring, understands that the Sustainability Council doesn’t want to ban bottled water outright, but that doesn’t satisfy him. And he’s not done fighting, as the Sustainability Council is:
“…raising money to run ads,” [Speed] said. “If they’re going to enter a marketing campaign against bottled water, we’ll have to respond. I’ll run ads. I’ll talk to the UA’s head honchos. I’ll do whatever it takes.”
Speed has already crossed swords with Fayetteville Mayor Dan Coody, another bottled-water foe. Speed said in an Arkansas Times article Aug. 14 that bottled water is under attack nationally from three groups — public-water officials, environmentalists, and companies that sell home water-filtration systems.
On September 30, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill introduced by Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes (D-Arleta) that would have mandated California bottled water companies to report to the California Department of Public Health the quantity of water used for bottling. In addition, it would have required the CDPH to make those reports publicly available.
IBWA and the California Bottled Water Association objected to this bill because it singled out the bottled water industry to report its water withdrawals and disclose publicly the location of water sources. IBWA and CBWA attempted to work with Assemblyman Fuentes to amend the legislation to permit total bottled water withdrawal reporting without site-specific information, but the final version did not incorporate the changes that both associations could support.
In his veto message, Gov. Schwarzenegger indicated this bill was not a priority for the state; therefore, he vetoed it.
Water Softener Bill
In addition, Gov. Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill that would have required the Department of Water Resources to establish statewide water-recycling targets every five years. It would have enabled local governments to exert greater control over salinity discharges into their sewer systems, including those from water softeners. If a local agency adopted an ordinance requiring the removal of a water softener, the local agency would have been required to provide a program to compensate owners, as determined by a local agency.
In his veto message, the Governor stated, “…current law already includes provisions that allow local agencies to regulate water softeners. The provisions of this bill create a system that could unduly limit choices for consumers and small water systems, with potentially little positive impact given the relatively limited contribution of water softeners to our salinity problems.”
The Water Quality Association and the Pacific Water Quality Association has lobbied against the measure and had urged the Governor to veto it.
Water in the Great Lakes was preserved this week by the U.S. House of Representatives when it passed the Great Lakes – St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact, or Annex 2001, by a vote of 309 to 25. Earlier this year, the U.S. Senate approved the measure, which now is headed into a likely signing by President Bush.
The Compact means that the United States has banned states outside the Great Lakes region, or in other countries, from tapping into the lakes and thus depleting or doing long-term damage to the natural environment and economy over time.
From the beginning, the Compact permitted bottled water companies to use the Great Lakes water basin and its nearby aquifers to bottle water in containers of 5 gallons or less. As the Compact went before Congress, certain activist groups lobbied hard at the last minute for the use of water for bottling to be reclassified as a diversion, thus preventing any future products containing water from leaving the region. This could have affected many products in addition to bottled water, which is a product like any other that should be permitted to be sold outside the Great Lakes basin.
Overall, Annex 2001 represents a big win for consumers and water bottlers, as several smaller, family-run operations might have been put out of business had the Compact included language that prevented the industry from using the lakes or the water basin around them. Had the activists prevailed, it would have only hurt consumers by regulating their access to a safe, healthy beverage choice.
The win was in part thanks to the efforts of International Bottled Water Association’s members, who flooded their elected officials with more than 250 letters concerning Annex 2001, asking lawmakers to support the industry.
While he was to hang upside down, high in the air, for 60 hours straight, magician David Blaine appears to have taken a break during his “Dive of Death” stunt to get checked by a doctor and drink bottled water. Thanks for the endorsement, David!
You can read more on Entertainment Weekly’s Web site here.
International Bottled Water Association members have so far donated more than 1 million bottled water servings to assist with Hurricane Ike relief efforts in Texas and Louisiana. This number is expected to grow this week as IBWA bottlers, many of which are small mom and pop businesses, continue to dispatch their product to fulfill the growing demand for safe drinking water in storm ravaged coastal areas.
IBWA President and CEO Joe Doss said that truckloads of donated bottled water began heading to Coastal Texas in advance of the storm to ensure the water was in place the moment it was needed.
“Taking the initiative prior to the storm making landfall, IBWA and the bottled water industry continue to produce, coordinate, and distribute critical bottled water supplies. The donated bottled water is being sent directly to affected communities throughout the region and through official relief agencies and organizations such as FEMA, the American Red Cross and others,” Doss said.
“Hurricane Katrina was a tremendous eye-opener for government officials, emergency response professionals, communities, and industry, alike. We saw how critical bottled water is for disaster-stricken communities and the importance of a coordinated, effective response to get drinking water to people in need.”
“In the past week, IBWA members have donated at least one million bottled water servings–and counting–ranging from small half-liter bottles to five gallon bottled water cooler containers. This is in addition to the unreported quantities of bottled water from other IBWA members and non-members who are taking action.”
The IBWA donations are in addition to 800,000 gallons of bottled water distributed by FEMA since hurricane Ike hit the gulf coast on the weekend.
These donations follow similar efforts when hurricanes Hanna and Gustav slammed the US coast earlier this month. IBWA members gave almost one million bottled water servings to residents in affected areas.
The bottled water industry has, over the years, provided many millions of servings of bottled water to survivors and rescue personnel during natural disasters such as hurricanes and the Tsunami in Asia, and in other emergency situations such as September 11. IBWA members have also delivered tanker trucks of fresh water and 5-gallon water cooler bottles to those in need. IBWA has developed an online IBWA Emergency Response Directory (ERD), which contains a list of organizations and government agencies responsible for emergency and disaster response activities.
IBWA members and other interested parties can successfully navigate the proper channels and help provide bottled water and other resources to those in need by downloading the ERD at http://www.bottledwater.org/public/downloads/erd.pdf.
International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) President and CEO Joe Doss today presented testimony to the U.S. Senate, Environment and Public Works Committee, Subcommittee on Transportation Safety, Infrastructure Security and Water Quality’s hearing on Quality and Environmental Impacts of Bottled Water.
Addressing these issues, Mr. Doss stated: “Bottled water is a safe, convenient, healthful packaged beverage product that consumers find refreshing and use to stay hydrated. In many instances, consumers choose bottled water because it does not have the calories, caffeine, or other ingredients that they may wish to eliminate or moderate in their diets. And with the rise in obesity and diabetes in the United States, any actions that discourage the consumption of bottled water are not in the public interest.”
Among the issues:
Bottled Water Safety
Bottled water is comprehensively and stringently regulated in the United States at both the federal and state levels, which helps ensure its safety and quality. At the federal level, bottled water is regulated as a packaged food product by the FDA under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA). It must meet FDA’s general food regulations as well as standards of identity, standards of quality, good manufacturing practices and labeling requirements specifically promulgated for bottled water.
According or Mr. Doss: “All food and beverage products are regulated under the same statutory regime and bottled water is no different in this respect than juice, carbonated soda, or energy drinks. Bottled water is subject to the same general prohibitions against adulteration and misbranding as other beverage products, and is subject to the same general requirements for ingredient labeling, nutrition labeling, and product claims as other beverage products, as well as good manufacturing practices.” Mr. Doss added: “From a market and legal perspective, bottled water is the same as other beverages such as soft drinks, teas, and juices, which also have water as their primary ingredient.”
Mr. Doss told the Senate hearing: “FDA has determined that the containers used by the bottled water industry to be safe for use with food products, including bottled water, must be made from FDA approved food contact substances.” The plastic and glass containers used by the bottled water industry have undergone FDA scrutiny prior to being available for use in the market place.
To ensure across-the-board bottled water safety, in 1995 the FDA established standard of identity regulations for bottled water, determining uniform definitions for the following bottled water classifications: bottled, drinking, artesian, groundwater, distilled, deionized, reverse osmosis, mineral, purified, sparkling, spring, sterile and well water.
“A bottled water product must meet the appropriate Standard of Identity and bear the required name on its label or it may be deemed misbranded under the FFDCA,” said Joe Doss. “By law, FDA’s standards of identity regulations pre-empt state laws that are different from the FDA regulations. If a bottled water product’s source is a municipal water system and it does not meet the FDA Standard of Identity for purified or sterile water, it must indicate the public water system source on the label.”
The current system of federal labeling laws and regulations protects the public health (including providing consumers with useful product information) and permits bottled water companies to sell their products in an efficient and cost effective manner in interstate commerce. All packaged foods and beverage products, including bottled water, have extensive labeling requirements,
Consumers Right to Know
“IBWA supports a consumer’s right to clear accurate and comprehensive information about the bottled water products they purchase,” said Joe Doss. “IBWA agrees with the FDA’s conclusion that placing this information is not feasible for many reasons including limited space available. We believe the most feasible mechanism for consumers to obtain this information is through a request to the bottler or distributor.”
IBWA believes that consumers should have timely and easy access to information about their bottled water products. To help ensure that consumers have access to useful and meaningful bottled water product information, the IBWA Code of Practice requires all members to comply with the following:
All proprietary brand products must include a telephone number on their labels so consumers can easily contact the company and request product information.
IBWA maintains an online member database, which also contains a specific link to a member company’s water quality information and/or contact information that may be used to secure a company’s water quality report.
A visit to IBWA’s website: www.bottledwater.org will provide consumers with Water Quality Information for every IBWA member, with a web link to the company or with posted data provided by the company.
The bottled water industry is also strongly committed to stewardship of the environment. Whether it is developing groundwater protection areas, supporting state groundwater management programs or developing new technology to reduce the plastic needed for its containers, the bottled water industry has been on the forefront of innovation in the food and beverage industry in developing policies and technology to promote environmental stewardship.
Packaging
Bottled water is one of thousands of food and beverage products that are packaged in plastic containers. “Any debate about the post-consumer use or re-use of plastic bottled water containers must include how we, as a nation, increase the recycling rates and capture more of the plastic packaging for reuse,” Mr. Doss commented.
To put the issue in perspective, in 2006 a total of 244 billion units of ready-to-drink beverages were sold, and only 33% of those units were packaged in plastic. A total of 36 billion units of bottled water were sold in 2006, amounting to only 15% of all beverage units sold. That means that 85% of all the beverage units sold in 2006 were for products other than bottled water. With regard to the lack of recycling of beverage units, bottled water critics claim that our products are filling up municipal landfills. Beverage containers are recycled at an overall rate of approximately 25%, a much higher rate than other food containers, and that rate continues to increase. Bottled water containers, as a subset of all beverage containers, has a recycling rate of approximately 21%. However, bottled water containers make up only 0.3% of the entire municipal waste stream in the United States. Clearly, bottled water containers are not significantly contributing to municipal landfills. Significant overall progress with recycling and the management of municipal waste streams cannot be made unless the public policy net is cast much more broadly than just bottled water. Efficiently capturing and recycling of all plastic products should be a priority.
Light-weighting bottled water containers is a top priority for the bottled water industry. These new bottles use far less plastic than they did 10 years ago. The gram weight of plastic in a PET bottled water container is one of the lowest in the food industry, with less than 12.5 grams for a 500 ml container. This has resulted in substantial decrease in plastic per container in the industry. “This innovation is readily apparent to consumers as they can actually feel the difference in their bottled water container,” Mr. Doss pointed out.
Bottled Water’s Role in Disaster Response
Bottled water plays a vital role in disaster response. Clean, safe water is a critical need for citizens and first responders immediately following a natural disaster or other catastrophic event. Unfortunately, the availability of water from public water systems is often compromised in the aftermath of such an event. During these times, bottled water is the best option to deliver clean safe drinking water quickly into affected areas.
The bottled water industry has always been at the forefront of relief efforts during natural disasters and other catastrophic events. Throughout the years, bottled water companies have immediately responded to the need for clean water after natural disasters, such as Hurricanes Andrew, Charlie, and Katrina, or the terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center. More recently, our member companies provided bottled water to those in need in the aftermath of the spring flooding in the Midwest and just two weeks ago to the victims of Hurricanes Gustav and Hanna. The bottled water industry looks to IBWA to help coordinate activities with state and federal government agencies and organizations, such as the American Red Cross and Salvation Army. Working together, we determine the quickest and most effective way to deliver safe bottled water into affected areas to augment other relief efforts. Realistically, it takes vibrant, commercial bottled water industry to produce the much-needed bottled water that is made available for disaster assistance.
Overview of the Bottled Water Industry
According to the Beverage Marketing Corporation, in 2007, the total volume of bottled water consumed in the United States surpassed 8.8 billion gallons, a 6.9% advance over the 2006 volume level. That translates into an average of 29.3 gallons per person, which means U.S. residents now drink more bottled water annually than any other beverage except carbonated soft drinks.
”Yet, even at these levels, bottled water accounts for less than 0.02% percent of all groundwater withdrawals annually,” Mr. Doss stated.
“The U.S. bottled water market is truly a consumer driven market, in which consumers are making healthier choices in the beverage category,” Mr. Doss said. “The strength of consumer self-generated demand is illustrated by the relatively modest amount spent on advertising. The 2006 bottled water advertising expenses totaled only $52 million. For comparison purposes, $637 million was spent on advertising for carbonated soft drinks (over ten times that for bottled water) and advertising expenses for beer totaled $1 billion (approximately 20 times that for bottled water.)”
IBWA membership statistics indicate that bottled water companies in the United States are primarily family owned and operated small businesses. Over 60% of the IBWA membership has sales less than $1 million and 90% have sales less than $10 million. Almost all bottled water brands are sold on a local or regional basis with the exception of imports and purified waters. Thus, the purchase of most bottled water brands allows consumers to “buy local.”
When hurricane season strikes, bottled water is at the top of the list for basic supplies. And during emergencies, the bottled water industry steps in to help. Take the case of Nestle Waters North America, which donated 302,568 half-liter bottles of Ozarka and Ice Mountain Brand Natural Spring Water to citizens and disaster relief workers affected by Category 2 Hurricane Gustav.
The problem…is that the arguments of those who would ban bottled water only seem to make sense until we actually think about the likely consequences of a ban.
A tax on bottled water does not eliminate demand for the bottles themselves…To be truly effective in reducing the demand for water bottles, the government would have to tax all beverages sold in plastic bottles.
Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio has no plans to follow some U.S. mayors in the ban-the-bottle movement, according to this article in the Tampa Tribune.
From the story:
“The trend toward bottled water has been very healthy for our country,” Iorio said. “It doesn’t make sense to be down on bottled water. We should be encouraging people to drink more water.”
The US Conference of Mayors (USCM) today passed Resolution 70, misleadingly titled “Supporting Municipal Water Systems,” at its annual meeting in Miami, Florida. The resolution is riddled with erroneous statements and errors about bottled water regarding its comprehensive regulation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), varied product costs and the industry’s minimal use of natural resources. The USCM resolution also ignores the bottle water industry’s long history of environmental stewardship, its light-weighting of plastic containers, the fact that every bottled water container is 100 percent recyclable and the industry’s support for broad-based, single-stream community recycling efforts.
The resolution is not in the public interest and could discourage consumers from drinking bottled water, which is a safe, healthy, conveniently-available food product.
Mayor Don Robart of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, who chairs the USCM Environmental Committee, and several other mayors expressed their concern that the resolution went too far in suggesting a phase out of bottled water purchases by municipal governments and did not sufficiently recognize the necessity, practicality and health benefits of the product. Mayor William J. Healy II of Canton, Ohio called the resolution “absurd.” Addressing those mayors and activists who cited the costs associated with bottled water, Mayor Robart noted that, “There is a whole aisle in the store I go to with a wide variety of bottled waters. I assure you, consumers know exactly what they are they are buying and they like it.”
Several mayors said that there are many serious problems facing U.S. cities, and found the resolution itself to be trivial and unnecessary. Atlanta, Georgia, Mayor Shirley Franklin expressed concern that even a non-binding resolution might hamper public comfort at civic events such as marathons, concerts and other public gatherings.
The USCM resolution also ignores federal law, which mandates that FDA regulation of bottled water must be as protective of public health and safety as the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) standards for tap water. The resolution also fails to point out that bottled water produced from municipal water sources is subjected to extensive treatment to further purify the water to meet the FDA’s specific definitions and standards.
IBWA notes that transportation of bottled water is fundamentally no different than the transportation of any other food product. Moreover, 60 percent of IBWA’s membership is made up of small businesses serving regional or local markets. According to the EPA, the production of plastic containers for bottled water contributes only 0.04 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions. And PET bottled water containers make up only one-third of 1 percent of the waste stream in the United States.
IBWA supports comprehensive environmental conservation policies but strongly believes that any efforts to reduce the environmental impact of packaging must focus on all consumer goods, and not just one industry.
The non-binding resolution states: “The U.S. Conference of Mayors recognizes the importance of bottled water in times of emergencies and when municipal water is not available.” However, this fails to recognize that production of this healthy and safe product only for emergency distribution is not commercially possible. In order for companies to produce bottled water, there must be a vibrant and fully functional commercial market. The chair of the USCM Environmental Committee did express his gratitude for the 250,000 bottles of water donated by just one IBWA member to the Midwest flood victims a week before the USCM meeting. Many other IBWA companies also recently contributed bottled water to aid the citizens of these states.
The Northwest Bottled Water Association responded to by Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels’ recent action to try and curb the use of bottled water, in an op/ed carried today by the the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Click here to read it.
An excerpt:
The mayor’s “drinking-up” campaign infringes upon consumer choice and harms hard-working Seattle bottled water production, support and retail businesses. More than half of the U.S. bottled water industry is made up of small businesses with annual sales of less than $1 million and just a few employees. The overwhelming majority has sales of less than $10 million.
Much of this translates to the local Seattle bottled water industry and the related retail and other businesses have deep roots and strong ties in the community. Seattle needs to be a place where people can enjoy the safety, refreshment and convenience of bottled water and where they can rely on the city to provide people with a good public water supply and objective information on the products they choose.
A new book, “Bottlemania,” used the bottled water industry as a launch-point for what could have been an instructive view on the importance of drinking water and environmental protection and sustainability. Rather, the book presents a misinformed, slanted view of the bottled water industry that will only confuse consumers who choose the healthy benefits of bottled water and misdirect what should be an all-encompassing, science-based approach to environmental policy.
The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) stands ready to assist journalists prepare their bottled coverage. As the authoritative voice on all issues concerning the bottled water industry, IBWA is the leading resource for bottled water information and facts and can provide access to staff experts in a variety of areas, as well as independent third-party experts for interviews and expertise on water related topics, including:
bottled water industry leadership in environmental stewardship including resource usage (e.g., ground water, recycling)
hydration, health and nutrition;
bottled water’s role as a consumer beverage-of-choice
bottled water and drinking water regulatory, safety and quality issues.
Consider this…
People recognize the importance of water consumption for hydration and refreshment and that should be encouraged. Many consumers likely drink both bottled water and tap water depending on the circumstances; it does not always amount to a tap water versus bottled water choice.
Bottled water is growing in popularity because people appreciate its consistent quality, taste, and convenience and choose bottled water over the other beverages because it does not contain calories, caffeine, sugar, artificial flavors or colors, alcohol and other ingredients.
The bottled water industry supports improvements to our nation’s water infrastructure. The fact is that bottled water companies that utilize municipal water systems are rate-payers; their production and sales have no relationship to water infrastructure challenges. And, just as local governments invest in providing safe municipal drinking water, bottled water companies invest many millions of dollars in developing water sources, production plants, packaging, and safety and quality measures. Yet, bottled water is available at a variety of price points, with an average per-gallon cost of $1.64, according to A.C. Nielsen.
The bottled water industry is a leader in the food and beverage industry in reducing its environmental footprint while, at the same time, delivering the healthful value of bottled water. All bottled water containers are recyclable packaging and use lighter-weight materials than other beverages.
The bottled water industry is working with other beverage and food producers, municipalities, and recycling advocacy groups to continually increase recycling. Further, the bottled water industry is considered one of the original recyclers as the larger containers used on bottled water coolers may be used repeatedly and recycled at the end of their useful service.
Solely focusing on bottled water is not the right approach to implement effective environmental policies; broad ranging, comprehensive solutions that cover all consumer goods are.
Annual bottled water production accounts for less than 2/100 of a percent (0.02%) of the total ground water withdrawn in the United States each year. The bottled water industry uses minimal amounts of groundwater to produce this important consumer product-and does so with great efficiency. Visit the web site of the Drinking Water Research Foundation (www.dwrf.info) for a study summary of the report, “Bottled Water Production in the United States: How Much Ground Water is Actually Being Used?”
Even though it is a minimal groundwater user and is one of among thousands of food, beverage and commercial water users, bottled water companies actively support comprehensive ground water management practices that are science-based, treat all users equitably, multi-jurisdictional, and provide for future needs of this important resource.
Bottled water is comprehensively regulated as a packaged food product by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which mandates stringent standards to help ensure bottled water’s consistent safety, quality and good taste. By law, FDA bottled water standards must be at least as stringent and protective of public health as U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards for municipal drinking water systems.
All plastics (and other materials) intended for contact with foods or beverages, including bottled water, are regulated by FDA to help assure their safety. The materials used in all bottled water containers are shown to be safe through extensive laboratory testing.
FDA comprehensively regulates the safety of food, including bottled water, by carefully reviewing food and beverage packaging materials before allowing them on the market. As part of its review, FDA assesses the migration potential of plastics and the substances with which they are made.
FDA allows food-contact plastics for their intended use based on safety data. The process includes stringent requirements for estimating the levels at which such materials may transfer to the diet. FDA’s safety criteria require extensive toxicity testing for any substance that may be ingested at more than negligible levels. This means FDA has affirmatively determined that, when plastics are used as intended in food-contact applications, the nature and amount of substances that may migrate, if any, are safe.
Bottled water companies respond with efficiency and speed with regard to provide bottled water in coordination with emergency relief operations. The bottled water industry provides millions of bottled water servings in response to natural and man-made disasters each year.
More than 60 percent of the International Bottled Water Association’s membership is made up of small businesses with annual sales of less than $1 million and a few employees. The overwhelming majority have sales of less than $10 million.
When opponents of bottled water such as Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels attempt to stop its consumption, where does it end?
The question is asked by Knute Berger at Crosscut.com in Seattle, who appears to be one of many local residents fed up with the crackdowns in the city, home of Starbucks and a large chunk of Boeing:
The city has tried to control what types of alcohol can be sold where, it’s cracked down on loud music, smoking, it wants to start charging you for using the “wrong” type of grocery bags, it wants to eliminate fast food from the city, it has employees inspecting your garbage to see if you’re obeying recycling laws, and our elected leaders are just chomping at the bit to start tracking where you drive and when so they can charge you by the mile. Big Nanny is watching.
As Berger puts it: if drinking bottled water is bad, how can Nickels feel OK about “exporting Boeing aircraft and war machines”?
Which do you think has a bigger impact on greenhouse gases? Which uses more oil?
And lest we forget the one thing most Americans can’t live without: Starbucks.
How much carbon is burned and how much greenhouse gas emitted getting those beans here?
The truth here is, like it or not, the creation of anything bought by a consumer is going to burn some greenhouse gases or make its own negative impact on the environment: planes, coffee, bottled water.
But responsible companies like Boeing, Starbucks and a host businesses in the bottled water industry are doing their best to mitigate those impacts with eco-friendly production and obeying federal regulations.
So when naysayers such as Mayor Nickels begin picking and choosing what we can and cannot buy or consume, the questions put forth by Crosscut make sense: When does it end?
INTERNATIONAL BOTTLED WATER ASSOCIATION SUPPORTS FDA FUNDING INCREASES IN FY 2008 EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL LEGISLATION
The Bottled Water Industry is a Model of Successful FDA Food Safety Regulation
The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) supports the inclusion of a proposed $275 million increase for funding the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As part of Sen. Robert C. Byrd’s (D-WV) FY 2008 Emergency Supplemental, consumers would benefit from an FDA funding increase to enhance food safety programs. Bottled water is a packaged food product regulated by FDA, which mandates standards for production, health, packaging, and labeling.
IBWA President and CEO Joe Doss said, “Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI) and Sen. Byrd have shown great foresight in increasing FDA funding to give the Agency the power it needs to help maintain the world’s safest and most reliable food supply. A vote ‘yes’ to increased FDA funding is a vote for the future of safe food in America.”
In a June 2007 industry presentation, FDA Assistant Commissioner for Food Protection David Acheson, M.D. said, “IBWA… demonstrated a successful model of partnership between FDA and a regulated food industry to address vulnerabilities. One of the lessons learned from these food defense efforts is the importance of active involvement by the industry’s trade association.”
For an overview of bottled water regulations and standards, environmental facts, and other bottled water information, visit the IBWA web site at www.bottledwater.org.
Automatic Merchandiser (amonline.com) this week considers the opposition against bottled water and recommends vendors retailers of bottled water and other items educate themselves on the facts.
For years, soda and other beverages have been bottled in plastic, but once water in PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles came on the scene, the war began between environmentalists and plastics.
Interestingly enough, the concern about plastic packaging does not extend to soda, energy drinks or other products.
The article delves into a number of topics surrounding bottled water, and is well worth reading - but only if you want to know the facts about this responsible, convenient and healthy beverage choice.
The Washington Post yesterday outlined “some things to consider” if you are worried about trace amounts of pharmaceuticals found in the tap water supply. One of the most egregiously false “tips” mentioned:
Don’t switch to bottled water. “Since our bottled water comes from the same aquifers and municipal water systems as our tap water, and since [most] bottled water is not even tested for these chemicals, switching to bottled water makes no sense,” says Colin Beavan, who writes the eco-blog No Impact Man. Besides, residue from the bottles themselves may be worse than whatever lurks in tap water, not to mention the carbon footprint and plastic waste created in their manufacturing.
So if they say tap water is unsafe and bottled water is too, are we supposed to just not drink any water at all?
Of course not.
It should first be mentioned that the “source” the Post uses is an individual who takes extreme measures to cut back on his personal carbon footprint. Fair enough, but taking his viewpoints as facts while ignoring the science is inappropriate, particularly for a publication such as the Post.
Here are the facts:
Not all bottled water comes from the same source as tap water. And that which does is not just tap water in a bottle. Some water does come from the same aquifers and systems as your tap, however, bottled water companies use a multi-barrier approach to furtherhelp ensuresafety of their products.
Consumers can remain confident in choosing bottled water as companies that produce it go to great lengths to protect and monitor the source and put the water through treatments such as reverse osmosis, distillation, filtration and other purification techniques, and ozonation or ultraviolet (UV) light.
The combination of FDA and state regulations, along with a multi-barrier approach and other protective measures ensures safety of the products.
Perhaps the following quote should have been contained in the article beside Mr. Beavan’s. From Yale University School of Medicine Stephen C. Edberg, Ph.D., ABMM:
“The technical and safety measures used to produce and process bottled water are extremely effective in protecting the product from these and other substances that were reported in the [original March Associated Press article on pharmaceuticals in the national drinking water supply], should they be present in source water to begin with. This report raises no concern for the safety of bottled water.”
Despite the best efforts of bottled water industry opponents, subsequent negative press and a slowing economy, bottled water sales in restaurants continued to grow last year, according to the NPD Group.
The Port Washington, NY-based research firm said in the April 14 issue of Restaurant News that quick-service restaurants reported the most growth in bottled water servings.
An NPD analyst told the trade publication that bottled water’s portability, healthfulness, and a growing variety of flavors are keeping the product a popular menu item.
Bottled water is ranked as one of the top three beverages in terms of incremental-servings growth, with 134 million more servings of bottled water than in 2006, NPD said. Only iced tea and specialty coffee performed better.
BOTTLED WATER INDUSTRY RESPONSE TO U.S. CONFERENCE OF MAYORS’ WATER COUNCIL MEETING
The US Conference of Mayors (USCM) on May 1, 2008 convened in New York City a joint meeting of the USCM Mayors Water Council and the Municipal Waste Management Association, an environmental affiliate of USCM, to examine new information on the economic and public health benefits of local government investment in municipal water and sewer infrastructure and services. The meeting was a follow-up to directives in the USCM Resolution No. 90, which encouraged the compilation of information regarding the importance of municipal water and the alleged “impact of bottled water on municipal waste.”
The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) has been-and will continue to be–supportive of the USCM initiative by participating in the USCM fact-finding process and sharing detailed information that demonstrates the important role of bottled water as a healthy beverage-of-choice; the industry’s outstanding commitment to recycling, environmental stewardship, and protection and sustainability of natural resources; and the comprehensive US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and state regulations and industry standards that help ensure bottled water safety and quality. IBWA Chairman Chris Saxman (Shenandoah Valley Water Co.) addressed the USCM Mayors Water Council at its May 1st meeting and has committed IBWA expertise to help ensure that bottled water facts are fully available to the mayors.
IBWA supports improvements to our nation’s water infrastructure and, in the event user fees or other funding mechanisms are put in place, would consider supporting funding of those improvements via rate increases that treat all rate payers equally. The fact is that bottled water companies that utilize municipal water systems are rate-payers; their production and sales have no relationship to water infrastructure challenges. And, just as local governments invest in providing safe municipal drinking water, bottled water companies invest many millions of dollars in developing water sources, production plants, packaging, and safety and quality measures. Yet, bottled water is available at a variety of price points, with an average per-gallon cost of $1.64, according to A.C. Nielsen.
Stringent Regulation:
FDA mandates stringent standards to help ensure bottled water’s safety, quality, and good taste.
By law, FDA bottled water standards must be at least as stringent and protective of public health as U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards for municipal drinking water systems.
Bottled water is sourced from both natural groundwater as well as municipal sources. FDA and state governments recognize municipal water systems as a legitimate and valid source for bottled water production and have specific labeling and other standards to help ensure consumers are aware of the type of bottled water they choose.
It’s About Choice, Not Bottled Water Versus Tap Water:
IBWA is concerned as the USCM report frames the issue as a “bottled water versus tap water” debate, possibly causing confusion and discouraging consumer choice of this important bottled beverage.
Studies have shown that 75 percent of consumers drink both bottled water and tap water depending on the circumstances; it does not always amount to a tap water versus bottled water choice as people are not uniformly replacing municipal drinking water with bottled water.
Consumers choose bottled water as an alternative to other packaged beverages because it does not contain calories, caffeine, sugar, artificial flavors or colors, alcohol and other ingredients and provides convenient refreshment and hydration.
Bottled Water Part of the Recycling Solution:
Plastic beverage bottles are among the most recycled packaging in this country and all bottled water containers are recyclable, where facilities exist.
Rather than focusing on one beverage product, it would make more sense for government officials to focus on improving recycling rates for all consumer packaging.
Packaging is a critical part of the network that delivers products to consumers and is an essential feature of public health and modern life, including bottled water.
IBWA members are focused on improving the environmental performance of beverage containers. Overall, the bottled water industry, like many others in the food and beverage industry, works to reduce its environmental footprint, including the use of lighter-weight plastics for its containers and increasingly fuel efficient means of transporting product to market.
As with other food and beverage products, consumers demand a variety of choices and types of bottled water, some of which may be produced in other states or overseas.
Bottled Water and Emergency Relief:
In times of water emergencies or disasters, bottled water companiesrespond with efficiency and speed with regard to provide bottled water in coordination with emergency relief operations.
The bottled water industry provides millions of bottled water servings in response to natural and man-made disasters each year.
Conclusion:
IBWA stands ready to continue its work with the USCM Conference, mayors, and other civic leaders across the country to address the need for safe drinking water and to help promote comprehensive environmental conservation and stewardship policies.
After recent news spread questioning the safety of plastics that containing the chemical Bisephenol A, or BPA, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has said it will review ”current research and new information on BPA” for all products regulated by the agency, including bottled water.
We believe there is a large body of evidence that indicates that FDA-regulated products containing BPA currently on the market are safe and that exposure levels to BPA from food contact materials, including for infants and children, are below those that may cause health effects. However, we will continue to consider new research and information as they become available.
The site above also includes what should be a relieving message to any consumer who had concerns about the media reports:
At this time, FDA is not recommending that anyone discontinue using products that contain BPA while we continue our risk assessment process. However, concerned consumers should know that several alternatives to polycarbonate baby bottles exist, including glass baby bottles.
Elizabeth M. Whelan, president of the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH.org), moonlit a column in the New York Post that cuts through the hysteria and presents the facts regarding plastic packaging use in our everyday products.
After noting that the questioning the safety of plastic packaging lacks hard research and merit, Whelan further explains:
Psychiatrists tell us that chemicals like BPA and phthalates - unfamiliar to us, and invisible - are the perfect focus for fear. Add claims that they may harm children, and you create the perfect storm of fear and outrage. Decision-making grows irrational, with consumers willing to purge the suspect substance without even considering the safety profile of the alternative chemicals (which may well be less tested).
Scientists largely remain mute while the risks are being hyped and science distorted. Reporters typically don’t call experts who won’t give the desired scare quote - while officials at the FDA and CSPC have to worry about backlash from their political masters. (Neither agency, though on record that BPA and phthalates are safe, has issued updated statements to calm fears.)
Corporations end up caving, abandoning perfectly safe products, because it’s just not worth the money to fight the hysteria. The withdrawals and product-reformulations are extremely costly, leading to higher prices but not an iota of improved safety. Each time it happens, another useful product of technology vanishes.
It all recalls a cartoon I saw years ago: A naked man gazes at his empty closet, exclaiming, “Oh, my - they banned everything.”
“FLOW: For the Love of Water,” is a film that rightfully draws attention to the need for sustainable stewardship of our national and global water resources.
The 93-minute movie documentary presents to the audience a need for more responsible, science-based policies to govern community use, personal use, and industrial and commercial water use, while protecting and conserving Earth’s most critical resource.
The film, however, unfairly places blame on the bottled water industry. Agreeing with the allegations in “FLOW,” Knoxville News Sentinel movie critic Betsy Pickle said in her recent blog post:
[Bottled water companies] build their plants and pump water to sell for big profits, meanwhile wriggling out of paying taxes, polluting the nearby environment and pricing potable water out of the range of locals.
First off, the bottled water industry pays taxes just like any other. No “wriggling out” there.
Next, it should be noted that all consumer products use water as an ingredient or in production, including foods and beverages. Furthermore, all industries that create a product cause some form of pollution during production and transportation - and the bottled water industry is on the low end of this lengthy list. (Get detailed facts here.)
Of all the users of water in America, bottled water production accounts for less than 2/100 of a percent (0.02%) of the total ground water withdrawn in the U.S. annually. While some bottled water companies use groundwater as the source, those companies further treat the water in a variety of ways - reverse osmosis, distillation, to name a few - before being bottled and sold to consumers.
What is also unclear in “FLOW” is the fact that bottled water companies are active in developing sound water management policies.
The industry actively supports comprehensive groundwater management practices that are science-based, treat all users equitably, are multi-jurisdictional and provide for future needs of this important resource.
And even though bottlers are a small ground water user, the industry has been instrumental in pushing states to develop comprehensive, science-based ground water management and sustainability regulations.
When there are times of drought or other water supply challenges, bottlers can adjust their water withdrawal to mitigate adverse impacts on a water resource. However, the industry is just one small piece of the puzzle and other water users must adopt the same protective measures to help ensure adequate resources for all.
Only then do we find the true answer to the problems addressed in “FLOW.”
Several recent media stories and a statement issued by the National Toxicology Program have raised questions about the safety of polycarbonate plastic bottles due to the presence of a substance known as bisphenol A, or BPA.
Many consumer products use polycarbonate plastic, including many types of food and drink containers.
As for bottled water, you will find many three and five-gallon bottled water containers made from polycarbonate plastic, and you can remain confident about the safety of these products.
Bottled water is comprehensively regulated as a food product by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In addition, plastic food and beverage containers - including polycarbonate plastic made with BPA - must meet or exceed all FDA requirements.
Polycarbonate plastic has been the material of choice for food and beverage product containers for nearly 50 years because it is lightweight, highly shatter-resistant, and transparent. Many studies and comprehensive safety evaluations have been conducted by government bodies worldwide to assess the potential for trace levels of BPA to migrate from plastic bottles into foods or beverages.
The conclusions? That polycarbonate bottles are safe for consumer use.
An April 14, 2008 National Toxicology Program Draft Brief on BPA confirms that there are no serious or high level concerns for adverse effects of the chemical on human reproduction and development.
Steven G. Hentges, Ph.D., of the American Chemistry Council’s Polycarbonate/BPA Global Group, states:
“…findings in NTP’s draft report provide reassurance that consumers can continue to use products made from bisphenol A. Importantly, this conclusion has been affirmed by scientific and government bodies worldwide.”
In addition, this brief confirms that human exposure to BPA is extremely low, and noted there is no direct evidence in humans that exposure to BPA adversely affects reproduction or development.
Lastly, the limited evidence for effects in laboratory animals at low doses primarily highlights opportunities for additional research to better understand whether these findings are of any significance to human health.
Restaurants in the Gateway to the West, St. Louis, have joined a few other restaurants nationwide that have stopped selling bottled water to customers. About 30 restaurants across the U.S. have done this, out of the 945,000 eateries the National Restaurant Association has on record.
And starting this spring, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, City Hall will no longer buy bottled water for employees, planning to cancel about $20,000 in contracts with local vendors.
However, these bans don’t come down to a bottled water versus tap water issue. This is a consumer choice issue. Many people preferred bottled water over tap. Bottles are a great alternative. Some people prefer bottled water for its good taste, convenience and health aspects over more unhealthy beverage choices. By banning bottled water in restaurants, those places could end up hurting business more than they think they are helping it.
Take the example of Tony’s, a AAA five-diamond Italian restaurant in downtown St. Louis:
“A lot of people want bottled water,” said Vincent J. Bommarito, owner of Tony’s in St. Louis. “It’s the first thing we say: Good evening, do you want tap or bottled water?”
Bommarito says his sales of bottled water have shot up in the past decade, though he hesitated to sell it at first.
“It sounded like a hustle — to sell them water when they can get it for free,” he added. “But customers want it.”
Indeed, you can get some water for free. But some people choose to pay for the additional benefits of the bottle.
Last Thursday, work by a contractor on a water main replacement project in south Salem was stopped when odors were detected at several residences after they were hooked up to the new water main…
…Twenty-four homes had been hooked up to the new water main when the project was stopped. The affected residences were notified of the concern and bottled water was provided to each residence. No other homes were affected.
For a day, those homes had no source of municipal water before the homes were reconnected to the old water main. Bottled water helped fill that 24-hour or so gap.
Bottled water is typically just an alternative to tap water. But sometimes, as we’ve seen in Oregon, it’s an essential substitute.
In Hamilton, Ohio, a water main broke. It’s all repaired now, but up until then, according to The Journal-News:
The city issued the advisory following a water main break off Symmes Road about midnight on Tuesday, April 1. Advisories are issued as a precaution following a loss of pressure. It warns residents and businesses to use bottled water or boiled water for cooking, drinking or teeth brushing.
And in Southern Oregon, lead was found in an elementary school at levels almost double what was seen in 2006. Bottles of water were also given to children.
Not to say that tap water isn’t safe - in most cases, it is.
But these scenarios surely make you wonder: if some places are banning the purchase of bottled water by local governments, what happens when that government needs to rely on it?
Despite many of the inaccuracies perpetuated into the media about bottled water, consumers know better when it comes to the facts about this valued product: people appreciate the convenience, the healthfulness, and good taste of bottled water brands.
They drink it on-the-go, during exercise, at restaurants or meetings, and at home or the office.
How much bottled water do Americans consume? To the tune of 8.8 billion gallons in 2007, up 6.9 percent from last year. Per capita, that’s 29.3 gallons, up about two gallons from last year (nice to see we’re staying hydrated).
Additionally, the wholesale dollar revenue for bottled water exceeded $11.7 billion in 2007, up 7.8 percent over the year prior.
Take note, too: bottled water safety and quality result from multiple layers of regulation and standards at the federal, state and industry levels.
Taken together, these numbers show that U.S. bottled water sales and consumption continue to rise as consumers increasingly choose bottled water over other beverages.
More than 300 of Alamosa’s 8,500 people have been sickened since the first victims showed symptoms on March 7. Some 73 cases have been confirmed, with 11 people requiring hospitalization. Half the victims have been under age 11.
Quoting the Centers for Disease Control, the article added that there have been 15 salmonella outbreaks in municipal water systems between 1971 and 2004.
When people sign on to unfair pledges to stop buying bottled water, when governments put burdensome taxes on the product (as we’ve seen in Chicago), or local officials enact bans for bottles in city offices (as we’ve seen in San Francisco), these actions make it harder for bottled water companies to do their job, and, can put these honest businesses out of business.
These companies are being hurt by such actions, and they must be preserved. Because as we’ve seen in Alamosa, bottled water isn’t always just a choice: it’s a necessity.
The bottled water tax in Chicago isn’t giving the city its expected returns.
In Chicago tonight, CBS2 called the tax “a bust” that has added 40 percent less revenue than projected to the city’s coffers.
What’s more, the tax - as tax opponents warned - has been bad for businesses in the city that sell bottled water: CBS said that citizens are simply buying the healthy product in the suburbs, bypassing the city tax altogether.
The news today is yet more proof that people deserve to have a fair choice - and they’ll go out of their way to have it their way.
The Denver Post’s Marcia Darnell lives in a community that is experiencing a need for bottled water following a salmonella outbreak in her local tap water system.
While bottled water is typically enjoyed as a packaged beverage-of-choice, sometimes it is needed by communities faced with tap water service interruptions.
In her town, bottled water companies responded with donations to help ensure residents had clean water for drinking and other personal uses. Darnell was about to give up bottled water, as she’d heard about the “global uprising against it.” However, as she puts it, the reporter “dodged a bullet.”
I live in Alamosa, which is currently designated a Third World country, thanks to an infiltration of what may be salmonella in the city water supply. Now, I’m required to use bottled water - not just for drinking, but for cooking, washing dishes, and brushing teeth. Alamossans are supposed to use hand sanitizer after washing as well, and officials say it may take two weeks to get our taps back to normal.
Citizens in the San Luis Valley were buying bottles by the liter to stay hydrated, cook, clean and even feed their pets.
Learn more facts about bottled water by clicking here.
The city of Hartford, Conn. will introduce a new pilot program called “Go Green Use Blue.”
The program will include using single-stream recycling project, and will work in conjunction with RecycleBank’s incentive program. Single stream means houses get one one collection container for all paper, glass, metal and plastic recyclables. The materials then get separated and sold to buyers.
To begin in May, the project will be open to around 5,000 households in the city. These residents will receive a 64-gallon cart, where all the recyclables will be deposited.
Hartford will be the first community in the nation to benefit from the National Recycling Partnership’s grant program, and you can read more about it here.
On March 22, World Water Day 2008 will call attention to the critical need to protect and sustain water resources.
The day “highlights the significance of cooperation and importance of an integrated approach to water resource management of water at both international and local levels,” according to the World Water Day Web site.
A key point of this global appreciation for water recognizes that all consumer products use water as an ingredient, or in production - including foods and beverages, of course.
Bottled water companies have an outstanding commitment to environmental stewardship and responsible use of resources to produce a healthy packaged beverage. And, recognizing that water is necessary for life, the industry brings to people bottled water with consistent safety, quality, good taste, and convenience.
To clear up the misconceptions and get more information on bottled water, see our facts page.
A recent article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution addresses aquifer and well depletion in Fannin County, Georgia. Unfortunately, blame is placed on the shoulders of the bottled water componaies that do honest business in the county.
A focus on bottled water singles out the bottled water industry from among the thousands of industrial water users. This scrutiny does nothing to protect and preserve renewable groundwater resources, nor does it help to arrive at an effective water policy.
Of note in the story:
Fannin County Commission Chairman Howie Bruce said complaints about dry wells and springs don’t seem to be concentrated around the water companies. But no one has mapped them.
“It’s spotted and sporadic, and it’s not something we can tie a direct cause to,” he said.
Furthermore:
The companies don’t draw enough to need permits that would subject them to greater state control.
And to add to that: Scientific studies show that the bottled water industry uses only 2/100 of 1 percent of the total groundwater withdrawals in the U.S. Consider, however, the billions of gallons of water used for other industrial, agricultural or commercial businesses. This comes from Bottled Water Production in the United States: How Much Ground Water is Actually Being Used?” from the Drinking Water Research Foundation.
There is a gross misunderstanding in the story as well related to the costs incurred by bottled water companies:
Five spring water bottlers or suppliers have set up shop in Fannin near the Tennessee border, perhaps more than in any other Georgia county. The companies pay nothing for the millions of gallons they draw and sell.
Groundwater resources and usage are not “free” to the bottled water industry.
Significant costs are incurred by bottlers to develop, protect and sustain water sources and the surrounding environment. On top of this, bottled water producers employ costly technologies and other measures to help ensure the product’s consistent quality, safety, good taste and convenience.
Much of the AJC’s article focuses on speculation that bottled water companies are depleting Fannin’s aquifers, despite the fact that there is no data to demonstrate such an event.
The bottled water industry is dwarfed by other commercial uses that often return the water to the environment in a polluted form. The article focused narrow attention on the bottled water industry whose groundwater usage is equivalent to a drop in the bucket compared to other industries.
As both a matter of civic responsibility and smart business sense, bottled water companies utilize all scientific and technological means available to protect and sustain source waters. Across the U.S., bottlers work closely with state and local authorities to site and develop bottled water sources to help ensure withdrawals do not have a negative impact on the source or nearby water resources.
This is achieved through intensive hydrogeological testing and monitoring prior to the permitting and operation of a site and great care, stewardship and continued monitoring of the water source, including those utilized by the surrounding community. Bottlers aren’t irresponsible consumers of our groundwater. Far from it.
From the point of view of the International Bottled Water Association - whcih was not quoted in the story - water management policies must be comprehensive, science-based, consider current uses and future needs, treat all water users equitably, and be multi-jurisdictional.
To conclude, it is evident that there is a need for more and better data on the aquifers in Fannin County, the state of Georgia, and the rest of the America in order to assist state authorities in managing available water resources. But unless we are ready to declare that all products that use groundwater as an ingredient or in production are abusing water resources, a focus on the bottled water industry is misguided and just plain wrong.
BOTTLED WATER IS A SAFE, HEALTHY PACKAGED BEVERAGE CHOICE
Experts and Bottled Water Industry Confident that Technical and Safety Measures Used to Produce and Process Bottled Water are Effective in Protecting From Pharmaceutical Contamination
US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Standards Provide Tough Protection
Bottled Water is NOT Simply Tap Water in a Bottle
A recent Associated Press article reports that trace amounts of pharmaceuticals have been found in some U.S. municipal drinking water systems. The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) would like to remind consumers that bottled water is not simply tap water in a bottle and that the safety and quality of bottled water produced in accordance with US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards do not pose a health risk due to pharmaceuticals or other substances. Bottled water is comprehensively regulated as a packaged food product by FDA. Bottled water companies use a multi-barrier approach to bottled water safety, which includes source protection, source monitoring, reverse osmosis, distillation, filtration and other purification techniques, ozonation or ultraviolet (UV) light. The combination of FDA and state regulations, along with a multi-barrier approach and other protective measures, means that consumers can remain confident in choosing bottled water.
Stephen C. Edberg, Ph.D., ABMM, Yale University School of Medicine (www.yale.edu/labmed/edberg), stated that consumers should be confident in bottled water as a safe beverage choice. Dr. Edberg stated, “The technical and safety measures used to produce and process bottled water are extremely effective in protecting the product from these and other substances that were reported in the article, should they be present in source water to begin with. This report raises no concern for the safety of bottled water.”
Consumers should also consider these additional measures, which help ensure the safety and quality of bottled water:
Bottled water is fully regulated as a packaged food product by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and bound by FDA’s quality, safety, inspection, and labeling requirements.
Bottled water is not simply tap water in a bottle. FDA and state governments recognize both groundwater and municipal water systems as legitimate and valid sources for bottled water production. There are specific labeling and other standards to help ensure that consumers are aware of the type of bottled water they choose.
Bottled water companies that use municipal source water treat and purify the water by employing processes such as reverse osmosis and distillation before it is bottled and delivered to consumers as a packaged food product. The product will be labeled as “purified water,” or alternatively, “reverse osmosis water” if it is treated by reverse osmosis or “distilled water” if it treated by distillation. These processes are effective in removing pharmaceuticals and other substances, if they are present in the source water to begin with.
If bottled water is sourced from a municipal water system and has not been further treated, FDA requires the label to state that it is from a municipal or community water system.
Bottled water products, such as mineral water, spring water or artesian water, come from well-protected, underground water sources that are not under the direct influence of surface water such as rivers or lakes, which are the source for many community water systems.
Bottled water products are required to comply at all times with FDA Standards of Quality. As with other food products, bottled water is subject to the food adulteration requirements of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and is also subject recall and the full array of FDA enforcement actions, including warning letters, civil (seizure and/or injunction) and criminal penalties.
In addition to federal and state regulations, members of the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) are required to adhere to standards in the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice that, in several cases, are stricter than FDA and state bottled water regulations. The IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice is enforced through a mandatory, annual, unannounced plant inspection by an independent, third-party organization.
The following measures are employed by IBWA member bottlers to help ensure the safety of the bottled water brands they produce:
§ A MULTI-BARRIER APPROACH - Bottled water products are produced utilizing a multi-barrier approach, from source to finished product, that helps prevent possible harmful microorganisms or chemicals, such as pharmaceuticals, from contaminating the finished product as well as storage, production, and transportation equipment. Measures in a multi-barrier approach may include source protection, source monitoring, reverse osmosis, distillation, filtration, ozonation or ultraviolet (UV) light. Many of the steps in a multi-barrier system may be effective in safeguarding bottled water from microbiological, chemical, and other contamination. Piping in and out of plants, as well as storage silos and water tankers are also maintained through daily sanitation procedures. In addition, bottled water products are bottled in a controlled, sanitary environment to prevent contamination during the filling operation.
§ HAACP CONTROLS -IBWA members are required to employ a HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) approach to quality assurance. This practice scrutinizes every step of the production process - from source to finished product - that are critically important to the safety of the product and puts in place systems to help ensure that all safety and quality control processes are functioning effectively. Identification of risk and severity of health effects and control measures for specific biological, chemical and physical agents are included. FDA considers HACCP a comprehensive method for assuring product safety.
§ SOURCES AND FACILITIES ARE SECURE AND MONITORED -Bottled water products from groundwater sources, such as spring water or artesian water, come from well-protected, underground water sources that are required by FDA regulations to be free of direct influence of surface water contamination. The water is collected at sites and bottled at facilities with security systems that may include controlled access to the plant and critical production areas, gating, motion sensors, electronic contact security alarms, and tamper-proof locks. Water intake systems are sanitary and sealed.For brands that utilize community water systems as their source, bottlers work in concert with community water authorities to ensure the security and safety of the system’s source and the community’s water and employ equivalent security measures at the bottling plant.
In his blog yesterday, Connecticut Post Capitol reporter Ken Dixon took a critical look at legislation introduced in that state’s General Assembly that would ban bottled water purchase and bottled water cooler contracts by state government agencies. He’s a little upset, and:
In fact, in 14 years covering state government, I can’t think of too many things that have the potential to be a bigger waste of time, than the idea floated this morning to eliminate the water coolers in the Capitol complex and install seven water fountains.
This is a reporter who did his homework.
You can’t make the schools better and our kids competitive, so you might as well eliminate the water coolers in the Capitol and Legislative Office Building and call it a money-saving and environmentally conscious effort.
…there [are] the phony facts. Yes, we have good drinking water. But her charges of exorbitant expense and environmental impact are half baked, or at least overblown.
He went to a news conference held by the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Beth Bye, D-West Hartford.
She said that in the Legislative Office Building, bottled water costs $11,600 a year “when we have good tap water piped in,” while it costs $460,000 a year in all state office buildings. “This seems silly,” she said. “We have such good water to be trucking it in from far away.”
But before he went to the news conference, he called a facilities administrator for the Office of Legislative Management, which runs the Capitol complex.
He said the contract with Poland Spring is in the first year of a three-year, $32,000-a-year deal, which does not have a cancellation clause.
And Dixon finishes his piece:
Don’t you hate it when the truth gets in the way of political agendas?
As Americans, we may be more cognizant of the need to recycle, and an article in The (Raleigh) News & Observer demonstrates the success of comprehensive curbside recycling programs in the city.
Americans produce tons of garbage, and more and more if it is being recycled. The article this week by Wade Rawlins explains how the volume of curbside recycling has increased significantly in North Carolina - up 12.5 percent last year from the previous. Cities like the Carolina capital have expanded their programs to serve more households, and private recycling facilities are being built to handle more materials, such as plastic milk jugs, soda and water bottles.
The program has…
“…made a big difference,” said Scott Mouw, the state recycling coordinator. “If we weren’t recycling, there would be another 1.3 million tons going into landfills. We would be using that much more virgin material to make products we’re buying every day — more petroleum for plastic, more trees for paper and more ground chewed up to get metals out.”
More and more people in this country are bypassing the water fountain and opting to drink bottled water instead. This growing trend has been responsible for an explosion of bottled water varieties available on the market today. Many people have even stopped drinking the water from their kitchen faucets and have installed bottled water home coolers. Is this just another crazy fad, or there actually a good reason to switch from tap water to bottled water?
The tap water vs. bottled water debate has been around for years, and for many people it all boils down to taste. They insist that they prefer bottled water because it just tastes better. They believe that it not only tastes sweeter and cleaner than tap water, but is much more refreshing too. While some swear by a particular brand and refuse to drink anything else, other people are not as particular and will drink any brand of bottled water.
It is certainly true that tap water does often have a peculiar taste or aroma, and depending upon where you live it can be downright unpleasant. This is because chemicals like chlorine are added to the water in order to lower bacteria levels. Geographic factors like high concentrations of iron or sulfur also contribute to foul smelling and bad tasting drinking water.
For other people, chemicals are the major issue in the tap water vs. bottled water debate. These people feel the chemicals that are added to tap water create significant health risks for certain people, especially pregnant and nursing women. Then there are those that are even more concerned, warning that the chemicals used to treat public water supplies will be responsible for serious health problems in the future.
Fear of contamination is another reason that so many families have turned their back on tap water and have had bottled water home coolers installed. While local drinking water is strictly regulated, outbreaks of contamination still occur. Many people simply do not want to risk becoming sick from drinking tap water that is contaminated with high levels of bacteria.
Tap water is generally clean and safe, as it is subject to strict regulations. But bottled water is subject to much more rigorous standards and regulations. That’s because it is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), while tap water is regulated by local authorities.
The convenience of home delivery service is another reason for the surge in bottled water consumption. Many manufacturers offer this service, and some companies offer a wide variety of brands, so you can have your favorite brand of water delivered right to you door.
For those of you concerned about contributing more plastic to our overflowing landfills, don’t worry. Whenever water is delivered to your home, the delivery service picks up the empty plastic coolers and takes them to be recycled.
Keeping your body properly hydrated is essential to your health. So if concerns about your local tap water are keeping you from drinking enough water every day, you might want to think about installing a bottled water home cooler.
More and more people in this country are bypassing the water fountain and opting to drink bottled water instead. This growing trend has been responsible for an explosion of bottled water varieties available on the market today. Many people have even stopped drinking the water from their kitchen faucets and have installed bottled water home coolers. Is this just another crazy fad, or there actually a good reason to switch from tap water to bottled water?
Last year, Chicago imposed a 5-cents per-bottle tax to help ease a nearly $200 million budget gap.
Not only is this tax discriminatory against bottled water, but the effects of the extra cost can really hurt business in the city, as we see in Eric Zorn’s column in the Chicago Tribune.
Not wanting to pay for bottles in the Windy City, he crossed the line into the suburbs.
A tax on bottled water has been proposed in Hawaii, similar to one that was implemented last year in Chicago.
These taxes single out an industry that is healthy, safe and provides consumers with a choice over many unhealthy beverages.
Hawaii calls its proposed tax a 5-cents-per-container “surcharge” on bottled water produced or distributed in-state.
The tax will add $1.20 to every case of bottled water sold on the islands, resulting in a cost increase of 30 percent on a $3.99 case. This tax is regressive and will place an unfair burden on those who can least afford it: the state’s low and fixed-income citizens, including the elderly.
Food products in the State, including bottled water, are already taxed at least 4 percent under state’s general excise tax. Hawaii State law also allows localities to apply a “tax on tax” beyond the four percent rate. The bottled water tax proposed in HB 3445 further burdens consumers already subjected to Hawaii’s broad-based general excise tax.
This narrowly focused, punitive tax will make it more difficult for consumers to drink bottled water, and that is not in the public interest.
Levying a special tax on a healthy beverage such as bottled water could cause consumers to purchase other, less healthful, alternatives. Consumers must be able to choose the healthful benefits of bottled water consumption without added cost and measures that penalize smart beverage choices.
The discriminatory bottled water tax unfairly targets the bottled water industry, which is already paying its fair share of business and other taxes in Hawaii. Kenneth Simon, president of Menehune Water Co. Inc., nicely summarizes the points against a tax in his column at HawaiiReporter.com.
Production and distribution of bottled water plays an integral role in Hawaii’s economy, and this tax will harm the ability of local companies to compete on a level playing field in a highly competitive industry. It will harm local businesses, their employees, their suppliers and their retail customers. In the long run, a bottled water tax will increase the price of groceries, which could cause an overall decline in retail sales. That could ultimately lead to a reduction in jobs as production demands decrease.
Specific to Hawaii, the bottled water tax is also discriminatory in that it would require the bottled water industry to foot the entire bill for new state funds to pay for wetlands protection and programs to fight invasive species.
While the bottled water industry supports these initiatives in concept, it should not be held solely responsible for funding efforts to alleviate problems that it has not caused directly.
In reference to HB 3445’s preamble, the bottled water industry does not disparage municipal water supplies. In fact, approximately 25 percent of bottled water initially comes from municipal water supplies before it is further purified and then bottled. The bottled water industry therefore actively supports and is involved in maintenance of those municipal water supplies and their related infrastructures.
To single out bottled water from other food products – not to mention thousands of other consumer products that use water as an ingredient or in production – will not further the sustainability of water resources and is not in the best interest of consumers.
Locally, the bottled water industry supports the efforts of Hawaii-based recycling organizations such as Recycle Hawaii, Earth-Friendly Schools Hawaii, and Oahu Community Recycling, and welcomes opportunities to be involved with those organizations. These efforts are good for the environment, and good for business.
The Oakland Press published an opinion piece by Gordon McEvoy outlining the differences between tap and bottled water, along with the differences between bottled products themselves.
Tap water is argued as safer because of stricter imposed health-based regulations in comparison with the bottled water industry.
However, the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit public advocacy, has revealed that — despite overwhelming utility compliance to established potable water regulations — tap water in the U.S. is nevertheless loaded with unregulated contaminants (tagged as “emerging” because these pollutants currently fly completely off the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s or EPA-regulatory radar screen.
McEvoy, a licensed potable waterworks operator with 10 years’ professional water quality experience at the municipal and state levels, further explains how bottled water - even if its source is the tap - is still different from regular tap water.
Rather than clouding issues with irrelevant accusations of political morality, we should rationally outline important distinctions (such as differences between types of bottled water and qualities of tap water and sources), thus paving the way for better-educated personal consumer decisions.
Cool Chicago is becoming a rather hot spot in the debate – or lack thereof – between bottled water and tap water.
The Windy City has put a 5-cent tax on each container of bottled water sold there. Whether this tax will actually hold water is another story, as the move will likely be challenged in court.
In addition, the Chicago Sun-Times reports, City Hall plans to promote the use of tap over bottled and give away or sell blue, red and green stainless steel containers emblazoned with messages about conserving water and hydrating to maintain good health.
First, let’s look at the tax, as water isn’t the only product levied in Chi-town.
According to the Chicago Tribune, consumers pay a 3-percent soft-drink tax on top of the standard 9 percent sales tax on soda. Like most other groceries, the newspaper said, bottled water was taxed at 2 percent prior to the 5-cents-per-bottle tax approved this month by city council.
Water isn’t necessarily a substitute to the tap, and most consumers don’t use bottled water that way.
Bottled water is considered a healthy alternative to sodas and other beverages that contain sugar or calories or artificial flavors and are, generally, unhealthy. People buy bottled water for convenience, not to substitute their perfectly fine tap water.
NBC says Green is Universal. We hope so, and it’s plain to see Americans are making strides.
Twenty years ago, the National Recycling Coalition says, there were just 1,000 curbside recycling programs in the U.S. Today, we count more than 10,000. Citizens recycle 33 percent of their waste, a figure that has nearly doubled in the past 15 years.
Where does the bottle fit in to all this? Containers big and small are increasingly becoming lighter weight, and while the majority of consumers do not recycle – most estimates indicate between 70 and 90 percent – the bottled water industry uses 100 percent recyclable containers.
Nov. 15 is America Recycles Day, and the National Recycling Coalition and others will be conducting one of the most comprehensive recycling awareness campaigns in the nation. Participants will also be encouraged to sign a personal pledge to recycle.
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ill include using single-stream recycling project, and will work in conjunction with RecycleBank’s incentive program. Single stream means houses get one one collection container for all paper, glass, metal and plastic recyclables. The materials then get separated and sold to buyers. 
esources, nor does it help to arrive at an effective water policy.
