Lucia C.
Strategic consultant, specialized in biobased chemistry and materials science
What is the future of bottled water?
There is a strong movement to get rid of disposable plastic bottles (see: http://www.mundomaterial.eu/?p=308&language=en). Also disposable plastic items are becoming more expensive due to oil price.
What future do you see for conventional plastic bottles?
What alternatives to PET plastic bottles are already out there? (reusable, renewable, etc)
Good Answers (6)
Erwin D.
Business Development Manager at Open Engineering
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I live in Belgium, so I realize that I am a very lucky person to be able to just drink water from the tap.
From that perspective I think that a replacement for bottled water could be additional kitchen equipment to cool, purify (if needed), add CO2, ... to tap-water .. we have one of those in the office and the water tastes wonderful.
In some other countries - even well developed countries - where they don't manage to get eg. the Iodium concentrations under control .. bottles could be the best solution ...the material they're made of might not be that relevant ... after all there's also the tranportation costs (fuel!) so the lighter they are - the more economic to transport them ...
With the new plastics that are soy and corn(PLA) based vs. petroleum based, that could ease the 165 million cubic feet of landfill space dedicated to water bottles today since they are biodegradable. Unfortunately we are only really getting started with recycling rather than the concept of re-use. If everyone took a hard look at what is in their shopping cart and how much goes in the garbage/recycling bin, we really made a positive step.
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Earon D.
Sustainability Educator, Writer, Media Advisor, Policy Analyst, former lawyer
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I agree with Dave Maskin and others that bottled water will evolve and be more sustainable.
I know that it is unpopular to talk positively about bottled water, but there are positive reasons these products exist. First, if you remember the old days before bottled water, and after the removal of most public drinking fountains, the only choice of beverage in many situations was some kind of soda or juice. Water is better for health. It isn't a close call. And sealed, clean water can be a life-saver. Plus, many of the re-useable plastic vessels for carrying our own water are polluted with the same, or worse, contaminants. And, they still need to be washed and rinsed, which wastes/uses more water.
Second, I don't know the degree this offsets the wasted energy and resources of bottled water, but we are instructed to let the tap run before taking drinking water from a sink - and we use a lot of water, including hot water, washing and rinsing cups and glasses.
Third, water is valuable, and bottled water has some reflection of its value and, I believe, has made the public much more aware of how good, clean water has been taken for granted and is priced far lower than its value, which otherwise encourages waste and devaluation.
Today, it is not considered "cool" or "sustainable" to use disposable plastic water bottles, but there are some positive aspects to this product, including serious public health and safety improvements. Let's not throw out the baby with the bathwater : - ). Hopefully, more sustainable packaging will shift the net ecological balance in a favorable direction.
Izetta C.
MAP Agent, Assistant Professor at University of Alaska Fairbanks
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I think that as people become more aware of their impacts on the environment, we will see more consistent use of personal bottles, particularly those made of stainless steel. This is the trend that I am seeing with my friends and family.
Jurgen B.
industrial design, product design, product development, development consultant, product strategy advisor
Here in New Zealand with safe water in abundance, it makes me think about our bottled water's ecological footprint. Bottled water is a convenience, I can get it anywhere and don't have to remember to take it along when I go out. Would it not be a change in attitude which it needed to make elementary sustenance more sustainable?
Since the invention of blow moulding billions of plastic bottles have been manufactured. Sustainable future plastics will help, but it is mostly the long distance handling driven by global branding which makes, just as an example, French table water available in New Zealand. Think global - act local.
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Dave M.
Professional trade show booth traffic builder and party entertainer. Corporate and private sector events.
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As new forms of green plastic come about, the industry will continue to thrive...
Annemarie D.
Management Consultant
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Dear Lucia - I was never a fan of bottled water because it always seemed too wasteful to me from an environmental and cost viewpoint. What does the future hold? Hopefully greater user of water filtration products and less dependence on bottled water. Yours, Annemarie
Matt T.
Information Graphics and Data Visualization Specialist
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Think about what goes into bottling and selling water. Manufacturing the bottles, hauling them around, filling them up, hauling _those_ around, getting them into stores, and refrigerating them takes a lot of of energy and produces a lot of pollution. All so someone can pay upwards of US$8 per gallon for what is essentially (and, in some cases, literally) tap water.
I hope bottled water's future is limited to temporarily supplying disaster areas with drinking water.
Greg P.
Audiovisual Services for Corporate and Special Events. Author.
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Hopefully, it will evolve into something more responsible.
Right now, it is certainly NOT a sustainable product.
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Josh C.
Director of Operations at Web Industries, and Decent Little League Coach
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Lucia,
I hope it is straight off the cliff. Not only is it a terribly wasteful industry, but it is a great example of "marketing" at its worst....convincing people to pay outrageous money for water they could get out of a tap. Are people in this industry proud of themselves?
Josh.
That's a very interesting and debatable question. Check this link for an in depth discussion:
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Nichole N.
Technical Account Executive at Adecco Engineering & Technical
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With all hope, companies are doing everything they can to work toward being proactive....I am seeing customers of mine switching from bottled water to bottle service, filters on their faucets & removing beverage dispensing machines from break rooms. It will take longer than a few years but with dedication, we can help EVERYONE make a conscious decision!
