I feel like Nestle in particular draws heat for two reasons:
1) They are a global multinational and don't demonstrate much sympathy for local environmental issues
2) They are specifically bottling water, which seems wasteful as a practice in general, adds minimal value, etc.
I can't speak knowledgeably about #1 -- Nestle's track record probably speaks for itself -- but I do wonder about #2.
If a Anheuser Busch or Coca Cola wanted to open a manufacturing plant in Michigan consuming 576,000 gallons a day going to beer or soda, would it garner the same criticism? I feel like while there would still be discussions about rates charged for a public resource, the community at large would view beer or soda as a legitimate product for water, as opposed to bottled water.
Bottled water is just terrible. First, the fact that potable municipal water is so cheap that you can use a gallon of it to make your poop disappear is a miracle of modern civilization. Second, putting that same water in plastic bottles, driving it around the country, and selling it for $1-2/liter creates all sorts of environmental damage for absolutely no benefit.
Please, people, celebrate the benefits of living in the modern world: buy a canteen and fill it at your sink.
It seems to be a very American thing to drink bottled water when there's perfectly fine water in the tap (unless you live in Flint, MI).
I buy bottled water maybe once a fortnight, if that. The only time I buy it is if I'm out and about and don't have a ready supply of water. I buy the cheapest water I can get, which I'm fairly sure is bottled in the city straight from municipal supply.
I find the concept of buying water like San Pellegrino to be so absurd. There's all this perfectly fine water to drink here, and you ship it from the other side of the world? It's the highest form of wastefulness.
1) They are a global multinational and don't demonstrate much sympathy for local environmental issues
2) They are specifically bottling water, which seems wasteful as a practice in general, adds minimal value, etc.
I can't speak knowledgeably about #1 -- Nestle's track record probably speaks for itself -- but I do wonder about #2.
If a Anheuser Busch or Coca Cola wanted to open a manufacturing plant in Michigan consuming 576,000 gallons a day going to beer or soda, would it garner the same criticism? I feel like while there would still be discussions about rates charged for a public resource, the community at large would view beer or soda as a legitimate product for water, as opposed to bottled water.