Drink Water to Help Others
by Bonnie Alter, London on 05.30.06
Drinking bottled water is a controversial topic (see Treehugger) but here is an English company that has developed a biodegradable bottle for its water AND donates its profits to projects with WaterAid in India and Africa. First the bottle: this is the first biodegradable bottle on sale in Britain. It is made of corn and breaks down by commercial composting methods in 12 weeks, and by home composting in about a year. The corn is grown in 100 days and can return to the soil in 100 days. The water is from deep wells in Shropshire and is sold in some major supermarket chains. Belu is a small company founded with a goal to finance clean-water projects around the world. They are part of a growing group of ethical entrepreneurs who are turning their businesses and profits towards having an impact on the world’s problems. Their intention is to generate one million £ profit and spend it on water projects. The first is in India where they are building wells and hand pumps and sanitation facilities. The second is in Mali Africa where they are providing clean water and sanitation to a community of 10,000 people. :: Belu via :: Independent
Would that be GM corn they use?
I understand that Biota use GM corn in their bottle in the US and that this has met with some customer resistance.
Anyone care to comment?
It looks like the company's overall motives are good but i've read recently that drinking bottled water turns this natural resource into a commodity and this will lead to the eventual sale of water from the Great Lakes and other fresh water sources. That's kind of a scary thought. Some kind of a portable filter might be a better way to go.
A censored story on oneworld.net under the heading- bottled water:nectar of the frauds is a comprehensive overview of where the world stands with the problem of bottled water.
I am very glad for belu to exist. Even if it uses cargill gm corn that is at least better than a corn mountain. Hemp plastic may be a better solution though. Helene has a point though, Popularising the concept of bottled water is a dangerous tether, but its too late, its a 100 billion dollar industry already and municipal water does not receive large enough funding so the fight is to change the existing problem as it stands.
Is Biochar available for home owners who are unable(city ordinance) to produce there own?I would like to purchase for my back yard garden!