Drowning in bottled water
We see them in restaurants, on the streets of Sandton and at the tables of politicians holding press conferences. And they have become a must-have accessory for every gym member.
The age of bottled water has definitely dawned in South Africa — and with it worrying environmental concerns. The figures are staggering.
According to the National Bottled Water Standards website, South Africa’s bottled water market last year was estimated to be worth more than R1.7-billion and climbing. In 2005 it was estimated that South Africans drank almost 196-million litres of bottled water. By mid-2010 this figure was estimated to be about 568-million litres.
Market research company BMI Foodpack reports that bottled water is the second-fastest growing beverage in the country. It’s a booming industry worldwide. Globally, between 150- and 200-billion litres of bottled water are drunk every year. Economists estimate that in 2011 the market will have a value of $86.4-billion (R628.7-billion), an increase of 41.8% since 2006.
But globally, there is an intensifying environmental backlash against water in a bottle. As global consumption of bottled water soars, environmental groups such as the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Greenpeace have warned of the huge environmental footprint of the plastic in which the water is packaged.
Bottled water also requires large amounts of energy to produce and transport. An Australian town in New South Wales even voted to ban bottled water because of environmental concerns.
http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-09-10-drowning-in-bottled-water
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