The Bottled Water Industry Strikes Back
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles 
on 08. 5.07
You knew they weren't going to just take it lying down. Following a series of highly publicized setbacks — including San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom's banning of the bottle and PepsiCo's "relabeling" of its Aquafina bottled water — the bottled water industry, led by the International Bottled Water Association, has decided to fight back by taking two full-page ads out of The New York Times and the San Francisco Chronicle.
This marks the first time since 1999 that the bottled water industry has waged such a high-profile ad campaign. In an attempt to recast the debate — shifting the focus from drinking bottled vs. tap water to promoting the health benefits of drinking water — Joe Doss, the CEO of IBWA, argues that "It's not a bottled water vs. tap water issue. Water is a very healthy drink that shouldn't be discouraged." In addition to pledging its support for tougher recycling laws, the IBWA seeks to bolster its green image in the new ad by emphasizing its recent efforts to make its bottles thinner and fully recyclable.
Coming at a time when consumers are finally beginning to ask more questions about the need to buy bottled water (and what's actually inside the bottle), this latest ad campaign by the IBWA seems like a defensive ploy more than anything else. We need not restate our reasons for opposing bottled water here (you've probably already gotten your fill of that); let's just say we agree with environmental and consumer groups that say it isn't necessary.
While it's certainly entitled to defend its business, the IBWA's arguments aren't exactly convincing — it remains to be seen whether their reframing of the debate aids their cause — and, at best, constitute a defense of drinking water more so than drinking bottled water.
Via ::The Mercury News: Water bottlers defend their reputation with full-page ads (newspaper), ::Newsweek: Green Water (news website)
See also: ::Bottled Water and Snake Oil, ::Wedjaget That Bottled Water?, ::A World of Reasons to Ditch Bottled Water
Image courtesy of shrff14 via flickr
Follow @TreeHugger on Twitter & get our headlines with @TH_rss!
Thirsty for more? Check out these related articles:
- Convenient, Tasty, Healthy Water is Only a Tap Away
- New York Takes a Big Step Toward Banning Bottled Water
- Discover San Francisco's Secret Treasures While Volunteering!
- Meet Stanley, The Company Bringing Free Water to Bonnaroo
- Recycled Plastic Workout Gear is Great for Fitness, Great for Planet
- Travel Green and Save Money without Giving Up Anything (Except Your Carbon Footprint)
I am all for tap water at restaurants, at home, etc., but when traveling or in need of a beverage, I would rather buy a bottle of water than a bottle of soda.
Isn't that purchase "greener" than a soda. No extensive network of corn growing, syrup making, and flavoring was needed for that water.
So, yes, I would rather pack my own water ahead of time, but it is nice to be able to stop at 7-11 and get a some to drink.
So maybe there should be room for some bottled water...just not for the hype that it should be fashionable to drink imported bottled water all the time or you are just not cool enough.
I am all for tap water at restaurants, at home, etc., but when traveling or in need of a beverage, I would rather buy a bottle of water than a bottle of soda.
Isn't that purchase "greener" than a soda. No extensive network of corn growing, syrup making, and flavoring was needed for that water.
So, yes, I would rather pack my own water ahead of time, but it is nice to be able to stop at 7-11 and get a some to drink.
So maybe there should be room for some bottled water...just not for the hype that it should be fashionable to drink imported bottled water all the time or you are just not cool enough.
I have stopped using bottled water for years because it is not eco friendly, but would really like to again - one day when they are eco-friendly. Call me lazy but the convenience somehow kept me drinking water all the time and I never had to worry about finding place to refill my bottle. I hope companies really are switching to greener bottles. Honestly, I don’t think they have a choice. They seem to be loosing business the other way.
Honestly, I don't understand why anyone routinely buys bottled water. I recently said to my husband, seriously, what did people drink before 1980? I can't imagine people willingly forked over several bucks for water when our parents were young. I just do what they did then - I bring my own bottle along when I go out, and HELLO! I use water fountains. They are still around! I once went to the movies, and was drinking water from a fountain RIGHT next to a soda machine. A mom and her daughter went up to the machine and freaked out when they saw that a bottle of (tap!) water cost several dollars. And they looked at me, and happily drank from the fountain FOR FREE after I was done. You don't need to buy water in place of soda - tap water is still free in public, too!
Yes but how many of you who have (wisely) given up on bottled water, still drink cola-type stuff? It's every bit as reprehensible, and health-wise it's worth even /less/ than water.
At least bottled water's useful in emergencies (writes Our Man In Tewksbury)!
Botttled water is eco-friendly. The bottles are made a with a light weight plastic and is very recyclable. It takes more water to bottle Coke Or Budweiser than it does to bottle water. As for what did people drink before 1980, my question is what did people do with out cell phones, ipods, playstation, and etc. before 1980? How eco-friendly are those devices, how many people really take the batteries that are needed and recycle them. Bottled water is filterd and cleaner than tap(how old are the water pipes running under your city or town) and better for you than soda. When a natural disater hits, bottle water will always be atttainable. We also live in a world of convience and bottle water is a convient. If you do not like it, do not buy it. Simple. if you want to drink tap water go for it. It is still way better and healthier than a carbonated beverage.