I could write an entire month of posts about the topic of bottled water. In the United States, there should be very little need for such a product. If you live in an area with municipal water which is less than tasty, as I do, I understand the quandary. After all, if you calculate it by the gallon, many of us pay more for bottled water than we do gasoline!
Over the last two decades or so, Americans have allowed the consumption of bottled water to pervade. The environmental impact of doing so is huge and, sadly, offsets many of the strides made in reducing greenhouse gas emissions by individuals, companies and governments. How big of an offset are we talking? What causes air pollution to worsen even as cars and trucks run cleaner than ever?
Fiji water is an example. If you live in the South Pacific, you may halt your reading of this thread now. If you live just about anywhere else, this topic is for you. I have drunk Fiji water and it is a very fine product. The water is quite yummy. However, I almost couldn’t open the bottle when I realized that the product was shipped to Florida from the other side of the world.
Since the Florida peninsula sits atop a vast primordial underground lake, I can’t quite wrap my mind around the idea of transporting water from Fiji to my home in order to put a smile on my face.
How much air pollution does this practice generate? Well, there is a sustainability engineer by the name of Pablo Päster who ran the numbers. The results are metric but their English equivalents are here for you to follow.
If we use the typical one kilogram bottle of Fiji water, manufacturing the bottle itself from petroleum consumed 26.88 kilograms of water (7.1 gallons) and emitted 562 grams (1.2 pounds) of air pollution. That’s twenty-six times as much water used to make it than the user drinks and as a function of volume, just as much petroleum to make the bottle as there is water in the container.
To reiterate, Fiji water is a fine product. If you live in the South Pacific and find that you must drink bottled water, this product is worthy of your consideration. If you live anywhere else, I urge you to think twice before drinking it. This environmentalist asserts that there is no justification for such a polluting luxury.
Sustainable Justice For All!
Corbett Kroehler
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