Fiji Water: Bottling the Myth of Sustainability

Washington, DC—Can bottled water be considered sustainable? It is according to the corporate spin-doctors at Fiji Natural Artisanal Water. The company, which already profits on taking a natural resource from an island that often suffers from drought and shipping it around the globe, is now capitalizing on the current public fervor for environmentally friendly products by labeling its water as “green.”  The company has launched a website outlining its so-called “sustainable” business practices and will also speak at Active Communication‚ a conference on achieving corporate sustainability today.

“The fact that a product that comes packaged in plastic and is shipped thousands of miles from its source of origin could claim the mantel of sustainability is dubious at best,” said Wenonah Hauter, Executive Director of the advocacy group Food & Water Watch. “While we appreciate Fiji Water's attempt to mitigate the negative environmental impacts of their water operation, the fact remains that the only truly sustainable water is the kind that requires no fancy packaging or clever marketing gimmicks: that tap water.”

This hypocrisy and others will be exposed in Washed Out, a regular new feature on Smorgasbord, Food & Water Watch's blog. Washed Out will expose corporate green-washing in order to help consumers make informed decisions about which products and practices are environmentally sustainable and which are merely tricks to boost profits.

Food & Water Watch’s Take Back The Tap campaign seeks to build support for safe, affordable, public tap water instead of expensive, packaged bottled water. Tap water costs consumers hundreds, sometimes thousands, less than bottled water, is just as safe and pure, and causes no detrimental environmental impacts.

Food & Water Watch works to ensure the food, water and fish we consume is safe, accessible and sustainable. So we can all enjoy and trust in what we eat and drink, we help people take charge of where their food comes from, keep clean, affordable, public tap water flowing freely to our homes, protect the environmental quality of oceans, force government to do its job protecting citizens, and educate about the importance of keeping shared resources under public control.

Contact: Kate Fried, Food & Water Watch, (202) 683-2500, [email protected]