Mae DesTroismaisons
February 10, 2015
ENVS 204—Hudspeth
Lifecycle Analysis/Product Origin
Three years ago, the University of Vermont became one of the first in the nation to ban the sale of bottled water on campus. This milestone in UVM’s history speaks to the school’s progress toward social and environmental sustainability. Bottled water seems to me to be one of the few consumer products of which there is a wealth of credible information on the web in regards to its extraction, production/packaging, distribution, consumption, and ultimate disposal. However, the way this information is conveyed affects our perception of the product.
Nestle, Dasani, Fiji, and just about every other major bottled water brand has some information on its website about the product’s environmental impact (or lack thereof, as it always seems) which casts the company in a positive light. The International Bottled Water Association touts a “strong and positive story” behind bottled water’s environmental footprint. Browsing their website, the naive consumer would see no reason not to buy bottled water. “All bottled water containers are 100% recyclable,” and people are recycling now more than ever (IBWA). “The amount of water and energy used to produce bottled water products is less than all other types of packaged beverages” (IBWA). Furthermore, information found on the IBWA’s website suggests that tap water is “infected” and unsafe to drink. There is an entire section dedicated to disinfection of tap water on their site (see screenshots at the end of this post). However, proponents of sustainability question and challenge the self-portrait that the bottled water industry paints of itself via its websites.
Annie Leonard, founder of The Story of Stuff Project, has created a short video called The Story of Bottled Water to highlight some information about the bottled water industry that doesn’t appear on product websites. The movie, which is less than ten minutes long, succinctly articulates the lifecycle of a single-use bottled water, although it is not accurate to call it a “lifecycle” as the figurative life of the product is not at all cyclical.
February 10, 2015
ENVS 204—Hudspeth
Lifecycle Analysis/Product Origin
Three years ago, the University of Vermont became one of the first in the nation to ban the sale of bottled water on campus. This milestone in UVM’s history speaks to the school’s progress toward social and environmental sustainability. Bottled water seems to me to be one of the few consumer products of which there is a wealth of credible information on the web in regards to its extraction, production/packaging, distribution, consumption, and ultimate disposal. However, the way this information is conveyed affects our perception of the product.
Nestle, Dasani, Fiji, and just about every other major bottled water brand has some information on its website about the product’s environmental impact (or lack thereof, as it always seems) which casts the company in a positive light. The International Bottled Water Association touts a “strong and positive story” behind bottled water’s environmental footprint. Browsing their website, the naive consumer would see no reason not to buy bottled water. “All bottled water containers are 100% recyclable,” and people are recycling now more than ever (IBWA). “The amount of water and energy used to produce bottled water products is less than all other types of packaged beverages” (IBWA). Furthermore, information found on the IBWA’s website suggests that tap water is “infected” and unsafe to drink. There is an entire section dedicated to disinfection of tap water on their site (see screenshots at the end of this post). However, proponents of sustainability question and challenge the self-portrait that the bottled water industry paints of itself via its websites.
Annie Leonard, founder of The Story of Stuff Project, has created a short video called The Story of Bottled Water to highlight some information about the bottled water industry that doesn’t appear on product websites. The movie, which is less than ten minutes long, succinctly articulates the lifecycle of a single-use bottled water, although it is not accurate to call it a “lifecycle” as the figurative life of the product is not at all cyclical.
In The Story of Bottled Water, Leonard points out:
“If companies want to keep growing, they have to keep selling more and more stuff. In the 1970s, giant soft drink companies got worried as their growth projections started to level off. There’s only so much soda a person can drink. Plus it wouldn’t be long before people began realizing that soda is not that healthy and turned back to—gasp— drinking tap water…Well, the companies found their next big idea in a silly designer product that most people laughed at as a passing yuppie fad. Water is free, people said back then, what will they sell us next, air?”
While bottled water companies boast that less energy is used to produce bottled water in comparison to other packaged beverages, they neglect to mention that sports drinks, sodas, and juices don’t flow freely from the faucet. They argue that single-use water bottles are recyclable; therefore, bottled water is an environmentally responsible choice. Additionally, they mislead consumers through the use of fear tactics; convincing them that free tap water is risky for humans to consume so that they will purchase their product instead. The propaganda continues on the IBWA’s “Myths” page, where it is stated: “Myth: Bottled water costs 1,000 times as much as tap water…Fact: According to the Beverage Marketing Corporation (BMC), the average wholesale price per gallon of domestic non-sparkling bottled water was $1.13 in 2010.” This is directly at odds with Annie Leonard’s statement: “Bottled water costs about 2,000 times more than tap water. Can you imagine paying 2,000 times the price of anything else? How about a $ 10,000 sandwich?” But both sources are considered “credible,” so how does one choose whom to believe?
You may have already guessed by the general tone of this essay that I stand with Annie Leonard. I make this choice because I am skeptical of information that comes from the International Bottles Water Association, the Beverage Marketing Corporation, and bottled water brands like Nestle, Dasani, Fiji, etc. because they have an economic interest in the sale of bottled water. Because these companies want to sell bottled water, they are unlikely to report on the downsides of their products for fear of bad publicity and loss of sales. Additionally, they are likely to use sketchy statistics and tricky phrasing to make it seem like their product is better (healthier, more sustainable, cheaper, whatever) than it really is. The “Education” and “Sustainability” tabs on many bottled water companies’ sites look more like advertisements that credible information to me. Leonard does not appear to be making any significant financial gain due to her statements on bottled water. I believe that her real motive, unlike the bottled water industry, is to honestly educate the public about the social and environmental implications of our consumerist society.
“If companies want to keep growing, they have to keep selling more and more stuff. In the 1970s, giant soft drink companies got worried as their growth projections started to level off. There’s only so much soda a person can drink. Plus it wouldn’t be long before people began realizing that soda is not that healthy and turned back to—gasp— drinking tap water…Well, the companies found their next big idea in a silly designer product that most people laughed at as a passing yuppie fad. Water is free, people said back then, what will they sell us next, air?”
While bottled water companies boast that less energy is used to produce bottled water in comparison to other packaged beverages, they neglect to mention that sports drinks, sodas, and juices don’t flow freely from the faucet. They argue that single-use water bottles are recyclable; therefore, bottled water is an environmentally responsible choice. Additionally, they mislead consumers through the use of fear tactics; convincing them that free tap water is risky for humans to consume so that they will purchase their product instead. The propaganda continues on the IBWA’s “Myths” page, where it is stated: “Myth: Bottled water costs 1,000 times as much as tap water…Fact: According to the Beverage Marketing Corporation (BMC), the average wholesale price per gallon of domestic non-sparkling bottled water was $1.13 in 2010.” This is directly at odds with Annie Leonard’s statement: “Bottled water costs about 2,000 times more than tap water. Can you imagine paying 2,000 times the price of anything else? How about a $ 10,000 sandwich?” But both sources are considered “credible,” so how does one choose whom to believe?
You may have already guessed by the general tone of this essay that I stand with Annie Leonard. I make this choice because I am skeptical of information that comes from the International Bottles Water Association, the Beverage Marketing Corporation, and bottled water brands like Nestle, Dasani, Fiji, etc. because they have an economic interest in the sale of bottled water. Because these companies want to sell bottled water, they are unlikely to report on the downsides of their products for fear of bad publicity and loss of sales. Additionally, they are likely to use sketchy statistics and tricky phrasing to make it seem like their product is better (healthier, more sustainable, cheaper, whatever) than it really is. The “Education” and “Sustainability” tabs on many bottled water companies’ sites look more like advertisements that credible information to me. Leonard does not appear to be making any significant financial gain due to her statements on bottled water. I believe that her real motive, unlike the bottled water industry, is to honestly educate the public about the social and environmental implications of our consumerist society.
Screenshots:
Works Cited
"About FIJI Water Company & Foundation." FIJI Water. Web. 10 Feb. 2015. <http://www.fijiwater.com/company/>.
"Bottled Water Myths-IBWA-Bottled Water." International Bottled Water Administration. Web. 10 Feb. 2015. <http://www.bottledwater.org/education/myths>.
"Dasani Initiatives." DASANI. Web. 10 Feb. 2015. <http://www.dasani.com>.
"Environmental Footprint-IBWA-Bottled Water." International Bottled Water Association. Web. 10 Feb. 2015. <http://www.bottledwater.org/education/environmental-impact/environmental-footprint>.
"Sustainable Water Management |Impact of Bottled Water |Nestle© Waters." Nestle Waters: The Healthy Hydration Company. Web. 10 Feb. 2015. <http://www.nestle- watersna.com/en/water-sustainability>.
The Story of Bottled Water. Perf. Annie Leonard. 2010. Film. <http://storyofstuff.org/movies/story-of-bottled-water/>
"Types of Water-Municipal-IBWA-Bottled Water." International Bottled Water Association. Web. 10 Feb. 2015. <http://www.bottledwater.org/types/tap-water>.
"About FIJI Water Company & Foundation." FIJI Water. Web. 10 Feb. 2015. <http://www.fijiwater.com/company/>.
"Bottled Water Myths-IBWA-Bottled Water." International Bottled Water Administration. Web. 10 Feb. 2015. <http://www.bottledwater.org/education/myths>.
"Dasani Initiatives." DASANI. Web. 10 Feb. 2015. <http://www.dasani.com>.
"Environmental Footprint-IBWA-Bottled Water." International Bottled Water Association. Web. 10 Feb. 2015. <http://www.bottledwater.org/education/environmental-impact/environmental-footprint>.
"Sustainable Water Management |Impact of Bottled Water |Nestle© Waters." Nestle Waters: The Healthy Hydration Company. Web. 10 Feb. 2015. <http://www.nestle- watersna.com/en/water-sustainability>.
The Story of Bottled Water. Perf. Annie Leonard. 2010. Film. <http://storyofstuff.org/movies/story-of-bottled-water/>
"Types of Water-Municipal-IBWA-Bottled Water." International Bottled Water Association. Web. 10 Feb. 2015. <http://www.bottledwater.org/types/tap-water>.