Reach for the water these holidays

We know that water — in all its forms — is a vital component of the human diet.

It’s also one of the healthiest beverage options on the retailer’s shelf, and should therefore be included along with sunscreen and a hat in any basket or sportsbag making its way to a beach, a park, a picnic spot or a sportsground this summer.

This is the message from South African National Bottled Water Association CEO, Charlotte Metcalf, as the country begins winding down in anticipation of the traditional December break.

“Sensible travellers and holiday makers will ensure their suitcases contain sun screens and hats to protect them and their families from the summer sun, and water to slake their thirst and fend off dehydration,” she said.

“Water is the healthiest beverage option for societies plagued by diseases such as obesity and diabetes.

“And, when you can’t get to a tap – as many travellers and holidaymakers can’t when they’re enjoying their December break – bottled water is the best packaged beverage option for the environment (as it has the lightest environmental footprint of all packaged beverages. (https://www.bieroundtable.com/bier-presents-carbon-footprint.html).

“Bottled water does not compete against tap water for share of mouth in South Africa but is offered as a healthy beverage alternative.

It competes against other beverages such as cold drinks and flavoured milks on the shelves of supermarkets, forecourt convenience stores and cafés,” she said.
Metcalf added that holidaymakers should not fall prey to the misconceptions or myths about bottled water.

Myth 1: Either tap or bottle, never both
One of the biggest mistakes is assuming that people drink bottled water in place of tap water, which is not the case.

Industry research in the US shows most people who drink bottled water also drink tap water, and they choose accessible, calorie-free bottled water as an alternative to less healthy packaged drinks (see graph below) when they can’t get to a tap.

Myth 2: Bottled water is not necessarily pure
In terms of South African legislation, bottled water is ‘water packaged for human consumption’ and it is therefore classified as a foodstuff. This means it is overseen by the Department of Health.

Legislation and standards for bottled water in South Africa are far stricter than those for municipal water.

(https://www.sanbwa.org.za/newsletters/2010_development.pdf).

Furthermore, about 80% of bottled water producers belong to SANBWA and they are required to subscribe to SANBWA’s stringent standards. Developed over many years and based on wide review and consultation, this single standard benchmarks favourably against international standards and provides existing and new bottlers with a vision for future improvements by putting six main elements under the spotlight:
• management commitment
• quality systems
• HACCP
• resources (including pre-requisite programs)
• operational controls
• environmental stewardship

Myth 3: Most bottled water is simply tap water
South African legislation provides for three categories of bottled water:
• natural water (obtained directly from a natural or drilled underground source, bottled near the source under hygienic conditions)
• water defined by origin (from a specific environmental source such as a spring without passing a community water system)
• prepared water (usually from a municipal source but having undergone additional antimicrobial treatment as well as treatment that alters the original physical or chemical properties of the water).

Less than 15% of bottled water in South Africa starts as tap water; over 80% is from renewable underground sources and sources that would otherwise go untapped; that is over 80% is either natural water or water defined by origin.

The presence of the SANBWA logo on a bottle is a seal of quality and ensures that the water in that bottle is what it claims to be.
Myth 4: The bottled water industry is a poor user of our water resources.

Bottled water production in South Africa is actually a very water efficient business in that it has an extremely low ‘water usage’ factor.

The South African bottled water industry benchmark is 1.8:1, and there are plants that achieve ratios of as low as 1.3:1 – 1.4:1 by recycling their bottle rinse water.

Additionally, the total South African national usage of water by the bottled water industry equates to only 22.7 litres/second.

Just one gold course uses 18 litres/second for an 18 hole golf course), so the bottled water industry’s use is just slightly more than the equivalent used by one golf course.

This means that the total volume of water used by the South African bottled water industry in one year could alternatively be used to irrigate one and a half golf courses, a 45 hectare fruit farm or 32 hectares of lucerne.

Myth 5: PET leaches carciogenic substances
PET (polyethylene terephthalate) is mainly used to produce soft drink and water bottles, but is also used to produce plastic jars, containers, trays and clamshell packages.

It is approved as safe for food and beverage contact by the FDA and similar regulatory agencies throughout the world, and has been for over 30 years.

PET itself is biologically inert if ingested, is safe during handling, and is not a hazard if inhaled, according to the International Life Sciences Institute Report (ILSI) ‘Packaging Materials 1. Polyethylene Terephthalate PET for Food Packaging Applications’ (2000).
In addition, thanks to recycling concern Petco, some 45% of PET bottles in South Africa are recycled. Importantly, only 1.4% of PET in South Africa is used to manufacture water bottles, the remaining 98.6% is used to make bottles for other beverages.

It therefore stands to reason that, of the bottles currently not recycled, only 1.4% are bottled water bottles and 98.6% are from other beverages.

Metcalf urged: “If your water comes packaged as bottled water and not in a re-usable container, SANBWA would like to urge you to recycle as the bottle’s impact on the environment can be reduced immediately by 25% when you do so.”

SANBWA’s recycling tips include:
• Set up a holding area for your recyclables in your car – it could be a packet or a box in your boot.
• Bring it home. When you’re out and about and empty a plastic container (water, iced tea, colddrink, sunscreen etc), bring it home for recycling if there are no recycling options around you.
• If there is a recycling bin nearby, make certain it is for plastic, and not glass or paper. And make certain that you deposit the container securely in the bin.
• Keep the cap on. Make sure to not throw the cap in separately as it may get lost in the transportation process and become litter.
• Visit https://www.petco.co.za/ag3nt/system/recycling_06_drop.php to find a collection depot near you.