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Bottled water: Bad for you,
worse for the environment, Aug. 11
Bottled water makes up less than 50 per cent of all beverages sold in plastic containers in Canada. Not one of those other products offers the health benefits to Canadians that bottled water does. And, all of them use more water than we do to manufacture, bottle and distribute their products. And yet, Sean Petty and Justin Trudeau are not advocating against their continued use.
More than 60 per cent of Canadians consume bottled water every day – and 75 per cent of them do so because it is a portable, accessible and healthy choice. In an independent survey conducted in May 2008 by Probe Research Inc., respondents said they are not choosing bottled water over municipal tap water. They are choosing bottled water over other bottled beverages with higher calories.
Between 55 and 80 per cent of plastic water bottles are recycled through programs across Canada, initiatives that are partially funded by us and our industry partners.
On June 16, Quebec entered into a $7.2 million, three-year agreement with our industry and municipalities across the province to collect and recycle plastic beverage containers and other recyclable materials in public spaces, including parks, streets, hotels and restaurants. The pilot program that triggered this agreement resulted in, on average, an 85 per cent participation rate amongst consumers and businesses. We believe this program represents the next wave in recycling – the capture of recyclable materials outside the home, which reflects the ever-increasing, out-of-home lifestyle of most Canadian families.
Working with other provinces and municipalities across Canada, it is our intention to roll this program out nationally, complemented by public education about littering.
John B. Challinor, Director of Corporate Affairs, Nestlé Waters Canada, Guelph
