Local environment groups often attack bottled water and its effect on the environment. However, many of these claims are often misconceptions that are incorrectly researched. Polar Beverages, a business that has been in my family for four generations, has been in the bottled water industry for 126 years. We were one of the first distributors of Fiji Water and have considerable respect for our competitors in the bottled water industry.
We hear a lot of complaints against the bottled water industry. However, we rarely hear about the thousands of cases of water sent from Polar Beverages to help victims of Katrina, the hundreds of cases sent to UMass Amherst when their public water supply was contaminated and the numerous cases donated to Bowdoin's Relay For Life.
We rarely hear of the money invested by Fiji Waters to save the largest rainforest in Fiji or that they are one of the few consumer goods' companies that is carbon negative. The truth is Poland Springs, Polar Beverages and Fiji Water recycle well over 90 percent of all the waste they produce or sell here in Maine.
The recession is causing unemployment to rise, yet Poland Springs alone created 800 jobs and invested half a billion dollars of capital in Maine since 1992. In the end, bottled water contributes a mere 0.33 percent of the U.S. municipal waste stream and serves important roles in our everyday lives.
Some even make baseless claims about the safety of plastic in water bottles. Those single-serve water bottles that you buy (just like the soda bottles that you buy) from the cooler case are made out of PET. PET is a very stable, safe, and highly recyclable material. It was argued that it takes three liters of water to produce one liter of bottled water. The truth is it takes 1.3 gallons of water to make one gallon of finished product. For perspective, beer takes six gallons of water to create one gallon of beer.
We live in an on-the-go culture; since most of what America drinks comes in bottles?including juice, soda and sport drinks?bottled water is a much healthier alternative. With such huge health issues like diabetes and obesity, encouraging people to drink more water in general is a good idea. If people are at the C-Store, they should be able to choose water.
Some environmental groups state that "less than one" person at the FDA regulates the bottled water industry. This suggests that the bottled water industry has no oversight. In reality, the bottled water industry comes under significant federal, state and local regulation, oversight, and permit review. Water companies must report to the Department of Health & Human Services, Department of Environmental Protection, Maine Geological Survey municipalities and many more.
Poland Springs has also been attacked for its impact in Maine. Poland Springs is an icon in Maine and has been so for more than 160 years. They have spring sources in eight towns with three bottling plants across Maine. Those towns are proud of their association with Poland Springs because the company protects the local water resource and respects local control of it. There are a lot of rumors online about places like Fryeburg, but we should all learn to do our research before passing those rumors along as fact. Poland Springs has invested in Maine in good and bad economic times. As mentioned earlier, they employ 800 Maine residents with good job benefits and have invested almost half a billion dollars of capital in Maine since 1992. They pay $40 million annually in payroll and $65 million to Maine vendors.
Poland Springs is known for its commitment to the environment. Its half-liter bottle uses 30 percent less plastic and is the lightest bottle ever produced. All new construction has been built to green or LEED certification. They have the largest biodiesel fuel truck fleet in Maine; this will reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent, or more than 21 tons per year.
Fiji Water has also been accused of buying carbon credits to offset the carbon emissions. In reality, Fiji Water has partnered with Conservation International to become the first carbon-negative product in the beverage industry and has saved the largest rainforest in Fiji. They are also reducing the amount of packaging in their products and leading the charge to expand recycling programs and incentives. Anti-bottled water activists, who are using scare tactics to spread misinformation about water resource, have unfairly targeted the bottled water industry.
I do respect their interest in our environment but encourage the Bowdoin community to understand the value of the bottled water industry. In order to have an educated opinion, I ask that everyone receive the proper facts before making their decisions. I personally would not like to see this campus deprived of bottled water.
Dewey Crowley is a member of the Class of 2009.
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