“Eco-Friendly” Bottled Water? Part One: Bioplastics

Is it possible? We write a lot about bottled water and how it’s bad for the environment, but lately bottling companies have been trying to remedy the problem while saving their brand through more eco-friendly alternatives.  We’ve compiled a list of some of the top brands.  But after much research, I still have to go with a Kleen Kanteen reusable Stainless Steel bottle.  It seems to be the most cost-efficient option, and it’s just as convenient.

The following three brands feature bottles made with plastic from natural plant materials.  Enjoy.

Prima Water

This natural corn-based bottle is made 100 percent from plants and is recyclable and completely compostable in 30 days in a commercial composting facility (minus the cap and plastic ring). The source of the water is admittedly municipal, though it goes through a seven-step purification process even after it meets FDA standards. In national taste tests, three out of four consumers preferred prima to other natural bottled spring water brands, and four out of five preferred it to tap water. The bottle’s label, made from paper, is also recyclable, but what’s interesting is that the prima logo strikingly resembles the BP logo.  The website avidly states that the bottles are not made with crude oil.  Coincidence? In light of the recent oil spill, I hope so.

BIOTA Spring Water

Similar to prima, the BIOTA bottle is corn-based, making it completely compostable in a commercial facility (though it takes more than twice as long.)  Instead of a modified BP logo, BIOTA’s label is a picture of a mountain, reflecting its claim that the water is naturally sourced from a spring. But is this claim really true? Pepsi’s Aquafina mountain logo attracts consumers in the same way, but the water is known to be municipally sourced.

re:newal Natural Spring Water

Here we have another corn and plant-based bottle housing “naturally-sourced spring water.” Again: can we trust these claims?

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