Is Boxed Water a Solution to Bottled Water?

Photo by bohman via Flickr CC

Might boxed water be a solution to bottled water for those who refuse to give up buying disposable containers of water? Boxed Water designer Benjamin Edgar thinks so.The Boxed Water container is made from responsibly harvested trees. The boxes are shipped flat to the filler, so it takes up about 5% of a truckload, versus 5 truckloads for a similar number of plastic bottles, saving a significant amount of fuel for at least one leg of distribution. And they are recyclable after they're used.

From Circle of Blue

According to a recent paper on bottled water published by the Pacific Institute, the highest bottled water energy cost to the consumer and the environment is actually the production of the plastic container itself. Contrast this with Boxed Water, which is comprised of 90 percent renewable resources and in some cases leaves behind a footprint 80 percent lower than its counterpart.

In addition, the project is giving 20% of its profits back to causes around water and trees.

So, is it an in-between solution for those who refuse to invest in a refillable canteen? We aren't convinced that this is a full solution to bottled water, but it sure sounds more appealing than plastic bottles. So they're right in their tagline - boxed water is better for the earth...but it's still not good for it. We're hoping that soon people go back to thinking that buying small disposable containers of water is simply odd, and instead take back the tap.

At any rate, the product is already available in stores in Michigan and looking to spread elsewhere.

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