White Paper: Bottled Water in Oregon

Here is a publication on bottled water from the Institute for Water and Watersheds:

Download Bottled_water_v5

The introduction:

Bottled water is a big and controversial business. Over the past two decades it has grown and become a powerful economic force. Bottlers say it is a healthy alternative to coffee, soft and energy drinks. Also they state that bottled water provides customers with clean and great tasting water. Opponents on the other hand say there is no significant difference between bottled and tap water. They note that almost half bottled water is in fact tap water. In addition, they note the immense amount of plastic in the bottles, and the environmental impact derived from fabrication to disposal.

 

Here is a graphic (click on it to enlarge):

Enjoy! The report, that is.

“It is interesting that people spend a lot of time looking at organic food, organic vegetables, reading the labels of what they’re going to eat. But when they choose to ingest a liquid bever- age, whether it be bottled water or a carbonated soft drink or an energy drink they are not exploring the source. Yet that is the one thing that they are going to drink that is going to touch every single organ of their body.” - Steve Emery, CEO of EARTH2O

Comments

[Jane Lazgin]

Hi there, my name is Jane Lazgin, director of corporate communications for Nestlé Waters North America. I’d like to weigh in on the suggestions made in this report about bottled and tap water being the same, as well as bottled water’s environmental impact:

1. Tap water and bottled water are different. For one, with bottled water you’re getting a beverage in a sealed package. While a purified water, like our Nestlé Pure Life brand, may begin as municipal water, it also goes through treatments like reverse osmosis, not typically used for municipal water supplies. Our regional brands, like Deer Park and Poland Spring, are 100% natural spring water, captured at the source and continually tested to ensure the highest quality. All of our bottled waters state their source right on the label.

2. Like all consumer goods, bottled water has environmental impact. But, we’re committed to reducing the plastic content of our bottles and seeking ways to make recycling our bottles—and all packaging—more effective and comprehensive.

I encourage you to learn more about our environmental commitments at http://citizenshipreport.nestle-watersna.com/.

Thank you!
Jane Lazgin
Director of Corporate Communications
Nestlé Waters North America