Why Canned Water Will Not Replace Bottled Water Packaged in PET Plastic—And Why That’s a Good Thing.
The amount of fearmongering and false claims that appear online about bottled water seems endless, fueled by an ever-growing coalition of reporters, social media personalities, and activists who recycle the same bits of misinformation time and again. Even the self-described "trusted culinary experts" at The Takeout have developed a habit of unfairly maligning bottled water in plastic containers as a threat to the planet.
Instead of telling the public the truth about bottled water packaged in plastic—that it's a safe, inexpensive, sustainable hydration choice—The Takeout confidently asserted in November that aluminum-canned water is a greener, healthier alternative to plastic bottles. The problem? That conclusion is provably false, as are most other claims in the article. Let's do a little fact-checking to expose The Takeout's blind spots.
PET vs aluminum: just the facts
The Takeout article begins with what might be the most popular myth about PET plastic bottled water: that aluminum cans are "almost infinitely recyclable" and therefore superior to PET plastic bottles. This is incorrect for several reasons. The most important is bottles made from PET have similar recyclability as cans. In addition, PET plastic bottles are both the most recognized as being recyclable and the most recycled plastic in the world. And unlike cans, 100% of the bottle and cap are recycled. Cans actually contain a plastic liner, which is not recyclable. This plastic liner either becomes waste or is incinerated, producing greenhouse gas emissions. PET plastic also has a much smaller environmental impact than aluminum cans. This includes lower solid waste production, less water use, and fewer detrimental emissions. Several studies have confirmed this conclusion. Since PET is the most recycled plastic in the world, it's a far cry from The Takeout's curious allegation that plastic water bottles are "literally just trash."
Protecting natural resources
The Takeout article repeated the familiar but unsubstantiated charge that bottled-water companies are “destroying aquifers” and “robbing springs and rivers.” This is not supported by evidence. In the United States, bottled water accounts for less than 0.01% of annual groundwater withdrawals—an excellent example of industry using valuable natural resources extremely efficiently.
Bottled water brands do not drain aquifers or surface waters or use more water than can be replenished. The water sources used by bottled water companies must be renewable to justify the large financial investment that bottled water manufacturers make to bring their products to market.
Additionally, bottled water companies are continuously developing innovative and efficient ways to use and conserve this critical resource including:
Evaluating and managing withdrawals to ensure the long-term viability of water sources
Reducing water extraction through improved water processing and bottling processes
Implementing water use restrictions facilities to comply with water rationing during drought or low regional water supply conditions.
Regulation myths
Finally, the claim that bottled water is “not as strictly regulated as tap water” and somehow escapes testing is wholly inaccurate. The FDA classifies bottled water as a packaged food product and subjects it to Standards of Identity, Quality, and Good Manufacturing Practices that are at least as rigorous as the EPA’s rules for tap water. As the agency notes on its website:
The FDA protects consumers of bottled water through the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, which makes manufacturers responsible for producing safe, wholesome, and truthfully labeled food products.
The problem is not the government's lack of bottled water regulation, but The Takeout's lack of familiarity with just how extensively states and federal agencies regulate all drinking water.
The Takeaway
Canned water is a product marketed to appeal to the public's laudable desire to protect the planet. But good advertising isn't science, and science clearly shows that PET plastic bottles are the superior environmental choice. In short, aluminum cans will not displace plastic bottles—and that's actually a good thing.