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Evil bottled water!

FEATURE: Life &; arts Business

round, bottled water and

industry's campaign fired and new consumption habits bottled liquid unsustainable numbers - the tap is just healthy

LOLA HUETE MACHADO 20/07 / 2010

When booking a table at a fancy restaurant in Madrid, the bartender says: "Here we serve the water jug." Ah, well. And what is the problem? "Well, many customers believe that tap water is ... poor." Ah, here is a sociological fact to understand the boom bottled water consumption in Spain has risen 67% in last decade.

When booking a table at an expensive restaurant in Madrid, the bartender says: "Here we serve the water jug." Ah, well. And what is the problem? "Well, many customers believe that tap water is ... poor." Ah, here is a sociological fact to understand the boom bottled water consumption in Spain has risen 67% in the last decade. Is that water from Madrid, or Spain in general is bad? Or are we to other exotic and chic fashion typical of times of tycoons?

Its sales rose from 2,000 million liters early nineties to 5,600 million in 2008 (we are the third largest consumer in the EU). And because we use about 5,000 million plastic bottles (the most common material) for this purpose. Join similar increase (or more, as in the U.S.) in other countries, including those in developing real candy for the future of the industry, and understand why the March 11 about a hundred municipalities, colleges and universities in Canada celebrated the Day Without Bottled Water shouting "get rid of the water bottle and open the faucet" or "a decade ago bottled water was a novelty, now it seems a necessity" (see www. journeesansbouteilles.ca). Or why others have gone even further: the town of Bundanoon (Australia), for example, was pioneered in 2009 prohibit the sale of bottled water in their area at the initiative of the group Do Something. "It's a moral issue," they said. "Sales are great for the beverage industry, a wonderful marketing business get to convince people to pay 3.50 pounds for something that flows from the faucet."

"In Spain potable water is very good in general, therefore, makes little sense to buy another," says Nuria Hernandez, president of the New Water Culture Foundation (CANF), an academic organization dealing with issues related to sustainable management and based in Zaragoza. It also says an official: "In general we can say from the MARM [Ministry of Environment and Rural and Marine] who live in a country where the tap water is of good quality, except only in times and areas point, but within appropriate fork in terms of quality. The consumer is, therefore, preferring the use of tap water, and thus the per capita consumption with a daily average of 150 liters per capita, higher than the the use of bottled water, with a total of 120 liters a year. "

So why purchase this trend? The ANEABE, the National Association of Bottled Drinking Water, which represents about 100 companies (Danone and Nestlé are leaders, the latter with 77 brands), explains why: "It's the popularity of spas and the desire of visitors to continue enjoying the waters in their homes the fundamental reason that mineral water begins in the early twentieth century, packaged and sold in pharmacies under the name of mineromedicinal , thus facilitating access consumers in these waters ... Today, the trend in the recovery from a way of life through a healthy diet based on natural mineral water located in an important position within healthy diet recommended by nutrition experts for all age groups ".

But water no longer tap natural also. And the difference between each other, questionable. The Swiss Jacques Neirynck even denies that there is some scandals in his book bottled water, and Peter Gleich says in the study of Pacific Institute of California The World Water 2004-05, a key reference for issues of water on the planet, many bottling plants "are worse than the sewers monitored.

Organizations (such as bottled water WWF. Understanding a social phenomenon , 2001) and international activists have for years been questioning one of the key elements in creating demand: the powerful campaigns bottlers to convince the public that their product is better than home. The most famous, Annie Leonard, shows the absurdity of many of our everyday behavior in his films. The story of bottled water (you can see on YouTube) begins: "How creating further demand we do not need and it really destroys is necessary. "

Anyway, this is a growing business in Spain, which directly employs 5,000 people and, according ANEABE (www.aneabe.es), turnover of nearly EUR 1,000 million year bottling natural mineral water (96% from groundwater and mineralization constant), spring (2.5% variable mineralization) or prepared (treated or purified, including the public, the rest). But a business liquid rock flows much paradoxical in its path, as indicated consumer and environmental organizations such as Greenpeace and Ecologists in Action. A summary

One

It would be absurd for the widespread consumption of bottled water in developed countries through networks of piped water supply and drinking water quality when half the world does not have (and the 84,000 million euros spent buying it could invest in a fix and thus achieve the objectives of the UN Millennium 2015).

Two. Because it is a social and developmental weapon double-edged, warns Peter Gleich: "I fear that the availability of bottled water as an alternative to municipal water clean and safe halt international pressure to provide safe water to all human beings. (... ) For cost checks and in fairness, bottled water must not fail to be a temporary solution and should never replace public provision because people have more access problems, poor countries would be forced to pay inflated prices for a water provided by vendors private or bottled water companies. And last Water Forum concluded that in 2025 60% of the world's population have access to clean water and quality.

Three. The controversial operation private water sources in Spain is governed by a law other than that of water (the Mine), causing more than a local conflict and maneuvering of sale doubtful. And it leaves open many questions: Who owns the water really? Who has the right to exploit it? If surface water is a public good, why the ground can be private? Why talk of water production when in fact it is pumping?

Four. For the tremendous environmental impact: three million tons of plastic are used to bottle water worldwide.

For Julio Barea of \u200b\u200bGreenpeace, "the worst part of this story is undoubtedly the end of the life of the package: only 13% of them go to treatment plants." The rest just dumped in landfills or incinerators. "A catastrophe." It takes energy to produce, for transmission from exotic places like the case with Fiji water, generates pollution ... The producers claim that the containers are recyclable, and, yes, but few are recycled.

The container and water is a daily presence in Spain. Looking around, there are various home, office, car, on the beach ... Here there are rated as in countries like Germany (where it takes the plastic container and return the money with your return) therefore thrown away and leave without thinking. And buy a soft drink, because there is usually no public sources or because they ask for a glass of tap water in a bar is ugly. Over 37 plastic bottles (PET, health effect always under discussion) in two minutes we walk through the drafting of the country. Pint. Very common (although most are sold pints), profitable trade: small and expensive. That pint of bottled water in his capacity costs half a euro. Ie about 2,000 euros per cubic meter. The same amount for agricultural use, 0.001 euros. The tap water flowing in Madrid, one euro per cubic meter. That is, for what it is worth get a pint in bottle 1,000 liters of water. Have we gone insane or spendthrifts? Barea asks him: "And the difference may be greater. In the office I have a bottle of Bling brand sent to me, costs $ 40, ie the cubic meter would go for 35,000 euros." Like a very expensive gasoline is involved. A brand perfume. U gold. And under that concept also moves some of the packaging industry with hyper-, apparent content with unique properties, exquisite and exotic flavors ...

A BBC documentary broadcast weeks ago by La 2 de TVE left literally stuck to the chair. Seabed turned into trash, mountains water bottles take hundreds of years to disappear. Its title: Bottled Water Who Needs It? When issued in 2008 on the BBC its impact was such that the Government has banned plastic water bottles in government offices. "We must make the act of drinking bottled water is as outmoded as smoking," said one ad. And the environment minister, Phil Woolas, said: "The amount of money spent on mineral water is in the boundaries of what is considered morally acceptable." London Mayor Ken Livingstone, was especially active: "Do not be ashamed to ask for water from the tap in the restaurant ... will reduce gas emissions (CO2) emissions from production and transportation and contribute to solving the problem of what to do with used bottles. "According to one study, a glass of tap water in London leaves a mark of CO2 of only 0, 3 grams compared to 185 in the case of a glass of mineral water brand, similar to what is supposed to move a car for a mile.

Asked the Ministry of Environment on use, abuse and control bottled water, your answer, in writing, provides practical information modeled on ANEABE's website: "The industry manages resources in a sustainable way ... The packages are a minimum proportion (2%) within the universe of packaged products ... and 0.7% of municipal waste ... All packaging used by the bottled water industry is 100% recyclable and the industry has taken measures to reduce environmental impact (reduction of packaging weight ...), and mineral water production represents only 0.02% of groundwater resources ...".

And yes, of about 2,000 springs that exist in Spain, only 130 are operated. "Production is not a problem in terms exploitation because it is very limited ... "Still in the CANF. For them, this drop represents more While a paradox in consumer behavior: "We are able to pay a fortune for bottled water and yet it is envisaged to raise the rate to improve the quality of input and output, providing the network builds a public revolution, and this considering that the water rate in Spain is the third lowest in Europe. " According to a Greenpeace study on the state of the river in Spain, 2005, 11% of the surface and 16% of the groundwater to meet the standards of the Water Framework Directive, good ecological and chemical status. "This means that the rest do not meet," said Barea. "We focus on improving urban water supply, the quality at all cases. Is feasible. "

Should there be an adjustment in their consumption? For Barea yes, but it is not going against this type of business, but to curb its environmental impact: drink more tap water , which is more sustainable, and use returnable or reusable packaging. "The throwaway meaningless. Next year we will work with Greenpeace back pack with the law. "

For Nuria Hernandez:" This is a free market, of course, and therefore nothing can be done there. It is the consumer who must decide and act. I insist on the dichotomy between paying a thing and other, conduct consumer campaigns: think what you are buying and at what price, remember that their holding may affect wetlands, which sometimes leads to curious practices as transfers that are requested to support irrigation in a particular area and then end up selling water to the highest bidder ...". And more than one point of criticism of the sector, consider it an opportunity to improve the system. "should be allowed to raise prices in urban water supply.

Y meanwhile, continue to increase efforts to raise awareness that tap water is as healthy as any other in New York and Paris (Eau de Paris called the empty bottle that the City took the market to promote your own water), Rome, San Francisco or San Sebastian with included jar gift ... In Italy, the magazine Altreconomia has developed a list posted on the Internet, nearly 2,000 restaurants that have joined the campaign of water in pitchers for each quench your thirst as you want. Will be free. Or almost: Remember, 1,000 liters a modest price of one euro. And without having to think about what to do next with the package.

From: http://www.elpais.com/articulo/sociedad/Negocio/redondo/agua/botella/elpepisoc/20100720elpepisoc_1/Tes?print=1