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News
New York & San Francisco urge end to bottled water
Authorities in New York and San Francisco are encouraging people to drink tap water, arguing that bottled water is environmentally unsound.
US$700,000 (£350,000) is being spent on "Get your fill", a radio and poster ad campaign that extols the virtues of the cities's tap water, and highlights the fact that the transportation of mineral water wastes energy, and the majority of bottles end up in landfill.
Environmental groups claim that approximately 80% of plastic bottles end up in landfill. But the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) has refuted the claims that it is a wasteful industry. In a sternly worded statement, the association said: “Plastic beverage bottles are among the most recycled packaging in this country and beverage companies continue to reduce the amount of plastic used in their packaging. Overall, the bottled water industry, like many others in the food and beverage industry, works to reduce its environmental footprint.”
The news represents a major concern for bottled water companies in both the US and the UK. While the campaigns may only be localized at this stage, the two cities play a major role in setting consumer trends on both sides of the Atlantic and beyond.
© Ben Grant, db 11 July 2007