The thing about those truly wondrous places--the Galapagos and the pyramids of the world--are that they came long before us and they'll outlast us. But...
I came across the infographic you posted last week on Huffington Post, “Why You Should Stop Drinking Bottled Water.” I work at Nestlé Waters North America, and appreciate the important issues this graphic raises. There is, however, some misinformation. If we could be in touch, I’d love to share some info and another point-of-view, as well as the steps our company is taking in the area of sustainability.
We recognize bottled water, like every packaged good, has an environmental footprint, and we recently commissioned a first-of-its-kind life cycle assessment (LCA) to better understand our impact. The study found that water, in all of its forms, is the best beverage option for the environment. What’s more, our Eco-Shape bottled water is the most environmentally-responsible packaged drink choice on shelves because it travels short distances from source to shelf, uses less plastic to produce and doesn’t require “grown” ingredients like sugar or other ingredients.
If you’re interested in speaking with me, please let me know when you’re available and we can coordinate a time to talk. I’d like your feedback, too, about how our company can work to do a better job at sustainability.
Thanks for your time.
Yours in refreshment,
Jane Lazgin
Director, Corporate Communications
Nestlé Waters North America
777 West Putnam Avenue
Greenwich, CT 06830
(203) 863-0240 jane.lazgin@waters.nestle.com
JaneLazgin: Hi Brian, I came across the infographic you posted last
Nestle, a company that purposefully sells milk to hospitals in povery stricken areas of Africa so that the mother doesn't use breast milk and stops producing it so that she has to try and buy the milk from nestle which she can't afford and then the babies become malnourished. How dare you try and talk ethics to this writer.
100window: Nestle, a company that purposefully sells milk to hospitals in
Our water is dirty, our earth is dirty, our bodies are...you got it, dirty! Stopping pollution and securing safe sources of water are not at odds. Reducing plastic consumption is necessary, filtering your water, is also pretty necessary, just accept that neither source are going to render you pristine waters. Context, people, context!
MsPapic: Our water is dirty, our earth is dirty, our bodies
I have an RO system in my AK house and I get my water from ceramic filtered rain catchment in HI (where the biggest concern is lipto.., but there are only a handful of cases of that every year, mainly from FL). This bottled water thing is no new or news....
Adam_Appel: I have an RO system in my AK house and
You have to read the claims for a filter very carefully before you buy one. Many state that they are for the removal of odors, not toxins. Also, if you have tap water to your home (I'm on a well,) put filters in your showers. You can absorb a lot of toxins through your skin.
Steelsil: You have to read the claims for a filter very
Our tap water has award winning taste. I do on occasion of needing something to drink where soda is my only alternative, buy bottled water. And I cringe at the price.
Our tap water meets all state and federal requirements- I check it 4 times per year.
Priscilla_J_Jenkins: Our tap water has award winning taste. I do on
Unless you remove the chlorine and resulting compounds from tap water, it's actually quite dangerous. The chlorine (no, I'm not a hypochondriac or conspiracy theorist,) causes many thousands of cases of gall bladder and other cancer every year - according to scientific studies in peer reviewed journals.
I have a dug well and I'd drink tap water if I could, but none of the filters I've tried reduce the high levels of iron and magnesium enough (I have the water tested) and I can't afford a reverse osmosis system. Because I live in a rural area I use another option, which is to go to a local spring (which is also tested) and get my water for free. There are several such springs in my area.
But the anti-bottled water rhetoric is over the top. It's all about balance, reduce the use of plastic wherever possible but don't judge someone because you see them with bottled water. You do not know their circumstances.
robinshood: I have a dug well and I'd drink tap water
I never hear complaints about plastic soda bottles. Only water. I am not going to drink tap water. Just because they trell me it is safe doesn't mean it is. I read every day about the disgusting things they find in tap water. There are only two brands I drink. Poland Springs and something purified by reverse osmosis if I can't get Poland Springs.
Checquoline: I never hear complaints about plastic soda bottles. Only water.
You don't hear complaints about plastic soda bottles, because plastic bottles (and cans) are the only ways one can obtain soda. Once soda starts running from the tap for free, your spoken observation will make more sense. However, I completely agree that tap water cannot automatically be assumed to be safe, just because the company that supplies and "treats" it says that it is.
pointtothemoon: You don't hear complaints about plastic soda bottles, because plastic
Just quickly looking around I found that Reverse Osmosis is the most effective physical process to remove, I think, ALL impurities, including fluorine ions. The systems are somewhat expensive but, they do have a bunch of different pricing levels and a good variety of systems that can be customized. I would love to not drink bottled water anymore. THis is the only way I would feel safe drinking tap water.
This article sounds like mostly propaganda. I don't like drinking from a plastic container and the plastic waste, but it's a FAR better choice than Nashville water which is statistically one of the worst in the country. They need to work on cleaning our water supplies, before attacking alternate ways of getting fresh water that's drinkable, and trying to convince me otherwise.
CPNASH: This article sounds like mostly propaganda. I don't like drinking
You are right about that. I lived there a few years and I noticed that many little communities in Tennessee would suddenly find out their water was terribly unsafe. This happened over and over.
Checquoline: You are right about that. I lived there a few
Fortuately, Memphis is the exception to nasty Tennessee water. Memphis draws water from an artesian well. The water is very pure and soft. However, it is flouridated.
Springfield, Oregon has the best water I have ever tasted. Actually, it has no taste. It's pure water. No flouridation and odor free.
allerdyce: Fortuately, Memphis is the exception to nasty Tennessee water. Memphis
You haven't come in contact with San Diego water, have you. Lawdy, we harvest sludge from the Colorado river. Well, actually, we take the water and leave the sludge for Mexico but still...it's nasty, chemical laden stuff suffused with chlorimides for purity. Okay, not purity, but say "lack of harmful bio-organisms and flavor."
My last apartment had a water filter on a separate tap from the kitchen sink tap. Didn't help.
So I go to New York City last year. We fly in, take the subway to Penn Station, have a bite to eat in one of the restaurants there. I had to ask the waiter if we were drinking bottled water. He said "no."
I was amazed. New York City tapwater ain't half bad.
San Diego tapwater is all bad!
Barbara_Graham: You haven't come in contact with San Diego water, have
Given a choice between tap water (with chlorine, flouride, fecal matter), Fiji or Trinity Springs water (which I have the assay too and is very healthy and much cleaner) or anything else in a plastic container juice or soda pop which has tap water added to it anyways what would you buy and why if you needed something more to drink than what you had already brought from home in your environmentally friendly bottle?
I just feel that these articles that arbitrarily make rules about buying bottled water across the board but say nothing about buying buying bottled sodas and juices are just propaganda. They divide people up into camps against each other without understanding where each person is coming from by supplying across the board judgements of each other. I'm not liking the environmental impact on our society from this article too much.
A better article would be on how to clean our water supplies up to a level that would be comparable to some of the pure clean sources of water from around the globe that are available or to at least point out the differences and show us which waters are better for our health than tap. I would not give tap water to a baby or the elderly or anyone else with a weak constitution. What about spring water as an option?
seajewel: Given a choice between tap water (with chlorine, flouride, fecal
I agree with you about cleaning up the water supply. But buying bottled water doesn't guarantee you are getting clean water since much of it comes straight from a tap. More important, in the interim we are drowning in a sea of toxic plastic products.
Ourstorian: I agree with you about cleaning up the water supply.
"....drowning in a sea of toxic plastic products."
That's why recycling is uber-important.
"...much of it comes straight from a tap."
That's why research is uber-important.
The problem I have with tap water is that there are so many impurities, additives and the like, I have no problem not putting much of it in my body. I mean, pharamceutical residues? Come on. Who wants that??
StephenJK: "....drowning in a sea of toxic plastic products." That's why
Big oil is peanuts compared to what big water will be. Water, an essential is being turned into a commodity. You can bet that sources of drinkable water are being mapped and corporate flags planted. Our population is not sustainable even with enough water. Whoever has the water will have the power.
nammy50: Big oil is peanuts compared to what big water will
Loading comments… 
I came across the infographi
We recognize bottled water, like every packaged good, has an environmen
If you’re interested in speaking with me, please let me know when you’re available and we can coordinate a time to talk. I’d like your feedback, too, about how our company can work to do a better job at sustainabi
Thanks for your time.
Yours in refreshmen
Jane Lazgin
Director, Corporate Communicat
Nestlé Waters North America
777 West Putnam Avenue
Greenwich, CT 06830
(203) 863-0240
jane.lazgi
That's why I buy bottled water.
Our tap water meets all state and federal requiremen
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But the anti-bottl
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Springfiel
My last apartment had a water filter on a separate tap from the kitchen sink tap. Didn't help.
So I go to New York City last year. We fly in, take the subway to Penn Station, have a bite to eat in one of the restaurant
I was amazed. New York City tapwater ain't half bad.
San Diego tapwater is all bad!
I just feel that these articles that arbitraril
A better article would be on how to clean our water supplies up to a level that would be comparable to some of the pure clean sources of water from around the globe that are available or to at least point out the difference
That's why recycling is uber-impor
"...much of it comes straight from a tap."
That's why research is uber-impor
The problem I have with tap water is that there are so many impurities
Benzene is nasty stuff!
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