For More Information:
Jane Lazgin
Nestlé Waters North America
(203) 863-0240
jane.lazgin@waters.nestle.com
Greenwich, Conn. (September 7, 2010) — As students, faculty and administration kick-off the new school year, Nestlé Waters North America today addressed questions regarding bottled water’s role as a healthy and responsible beverage option on college and university campuses.
Simply put, people want access to portable, high-quality water and having bottled water on campuses provides a good choice for health and the environment. Purchase bans do not improve water conservation practices, nor do they increase the diversion of plastic beverage containers from landfills. Rather, they succeed only in removing one of the most healthful beverage options.
In an age when American adults consume 450 calories a day from beverages and 67 percent are classified as overweight or obese (Centers for Disease Control), bottled water provides a healthy choice when tap water is not accessible, preferred or convenient.
A ban on bottled water would have the unintended consequence of driving people to consume more unhealthy beverages. For example, the City of Toronto, Canada ultimately decided against a ban on bottled water in schools after test results showed 78 percent of students turned to sweetened beverages rather than drinking nothing or tap water.
While few can argue about the health benefits of “water,” many question the impact of “the bottle.” To better understand the environmental impact of bottled water and other beverage options, Nestlé Waters commissioned a first-of-its-kind, peer-reviewed life cycle assessment (LCA). The full report is available at www.beveragelcafootprint.com.
Key findings include:
• Water in all its forms is the best beverage option for the environment.
• Bottled water has the lightest footprint among all packaged beverages and accounts for less than one-tenth of one percent of an average consumer’s overall environmental footprint.
• Less water and energy is used every time a person chooses bottled water instead of an alternative packaged beverage.
Although plastic water bottles make up less than one percent of the U.S. solid waste stream, too many are ending up in the trash and landfills. As the nation’s leading bottled water producer, Nestlé Waters feels a responsibility to help get those bottles out of the trash and into a recycling bin. Therefore, Nestlé is working with non-profits, legislators and communities to improve recycling rates and access.
Nestlé Waters is also committed to reducing its own environmental footprint. The best way to do so was by reducing plastic content 60 percent in its Eco-Shape™ bottle. This change has reduced carbon emission equivalents by more than 356,000 tons since 2007 — the equivalent of removing 78,000 cars from the road. And, consumers can decrease the climate change impact of consuming an Eco-Shape bottle by 25 percent if they simply recycle it after use.
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About Nestlé Waters North America
Central to the leadership of Nestlé Waters North America Inc. is its 34-year history and single-focus on producing bottled water products. The company’s dedication to product quality, manufacturing expertise, efficient production, employee development and environmental stewardship, especially in the areas of water use, energy and packaging, has helped Nestlé Waters become the number one bottled water company in the U.S. To reach success, the company follows its credo: Respect for each other, respect for the environment, and respect for the community. To learn more, visit www.nestlewatersnorthamerica.com