Best Foot Forward

The debate over the impact of bottled water is almost as old as the geology which filters the product ...

For many the environmental impact of bottled drinking water has become symbolic of a wasteful society that consumes fossil fuel-intensive products when lower impact alternatives exist.

Conversely, those who support bottled water consumption point to health and taste advantages – and say that by buying locally you can minimise transport impacts and help protect British countryside and rural employment. Bottled water advocates also say that their product is often purchased as a substitute for highly processed soft drinks - which have a similar carbon footprint, but aren't targeted in the same manner.

A few clarifications about The Standard article worth noting:

The article was written without input from BFF, and consequently shows a degree of journalistic interpretation. For example: "The study warns that Parliament is damaging the environment by refusing to use only tap water." As environmental accountants we present results objectively and allow clients to come to their own conclusions, with this quote being the conclusion of the journalist. 

Also - the article says that a 750ml bottle of water emits 300 times more emissions than the equivalent volume of tap water. This comparison was not taken from our report - and we do not know the source of these figures.

You can read the article for yourself here.