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Pressure groups and politicians from Friends of the Earth (FOE) to the London Mayor deride bottled water, and in the wake of a BBC Panorama investigation, Pacific island bottled water company Fiji Water became a particular target of environmental ire. But despite its product needing to be shipped to the UK from the other side of the world, Fiji Water insists that it's green.
To demonstrate its eco credentials, Fiji has undertaken a concerted campaign, joining the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) to formally disclose its emissions -- which have been verified by energy consulting firm ICF International. It's also working with nonprofit organisation Conservation International to save endangered forests in Fiji. We wonder if the company's green claims hold any water.
The case against
Bottled water has become a real bete noir of the environmental movement. Drinking water in Europe is perfectly good through taps, and filtering technology can make even London water perfectly palatable. But despite this, UK consumers continue to buy bottled water, with the average consumer drinking nearly 40 litres of bottled water a year. Several prominent campaigns like London On Tap aim to get consumers to drink tap water instead of bottled water. Meanwhile, Panorama found that one-third of the population in Fiji does not have access to safe, clean drinking water; so is importing their water to the UK even ethical?
Not only is bottled water unnecessary, it is also an environmental villain. According to FOE, 1.5 million tonnes of plastic is used every year by the bottled water industry, with around 80 per cent of all plastic ending up in landfill. Fiji uses PET plastic for its bottles, which it claims uses less energy to produce -- but FOE warns that PET uses chemicals which have not undergone risk assessment. Getting the water to consumers also produces unnecessary carbon emissions, since Fiji is pretty far from anywhere.
The defence
Measuring and publishing carbon emissions is an essential first step for any business looking to reduce its environmental impact. Fiji Water calculated that its total annual carbon footprint was 85,396 tonnes of CO2eq (CO2 equivalent, which takes into account other greenhouse gases), based on the year up until June 2007. This included measurements from every stage of the company's production and distribution through to disposal -- including estimates of the emissions of its suppliers, which make up the majority (75 per cent) of the footprint. Fiji has had its calculations independently verified by ICF International, which says that Fiji Water's emissions calculations were "vastly more comprehensive than other inventories we have seen."
Fiji aims to become carbon negative in 2008 by reducing its product emissions by 25 per cent, increasing its use of renewable energy (up to 50 per cent by 2010) and offsetting any remaining emissions by 120 per cent. Its carbon offsets are being done with Conservation International and are currently focused on projects such as restoring native species in Fiji's Yaqara Valley. To address concerns over packaging, the company has cut the volume of packaging used in its 1.5-litre bottle by seven per cent, and has reduced the waste created in its production by 70 per cent. It is also lobbying for increased recycling in the US, and has set up its own recycling programme in Fiji.
As for drinking water in Fiji, the company points out that the issue with safe drinking water in the country is often an issue of sanitation, and that it already provides clean drinking water to areas hit by disasters such as cyclones.
What we think
Fiji's green claims need to be looked at in context of a PR campaign that the industry is waging against accusations that it is environmentally unsound. Most recent figures show that bottled water sales are falling and by labelling themselves as green, bottled water companies hope to reverse this decline.
We are in two minds over the merits of Fiji Water's actions. We'd prefer that people drank water sourced as close to home as possible, and this includes restaurants offering all tables a jug of tap water. But you cannot stop a business from engaging in its primary activity -- assuming that it is not illegal -- and for Fiji Water, that means extracting and distributing mineral water. It's better that these activities have a minimal impact on the environment, particularly if the emissions transparency also provokes Evian, Volvic, Buxton, Highland Spring and so on into similar actions.
But Fiji's ethical activities should look beyond the green. Protecting and preserving the local habitat is great but there is a bigger picture that many companies miss. On its doorstep is poverty that prevents many people in Fiji from having access to fresh, clean water. We would not suggest that Fiji Water is responsible for this happening, but it can be part of the solution.
What do you think? Is Fiji Water's effort to become 'green' a clear-cut case of PR-lead greenwashing, or should the company be commended for its actions?
15 April 2008 12:51pm
It sounds as if Fiji Water is trying to reduce its impact on the environment, which is a good thing -- but buying something I don't need just doesn't make environmental sense. We can argue all day about the greenness of the company, but I don't see how I can buy bottled water from the other side of the world and still call myself a green consumer.
So I commend the company for trying, but I ain't sold on the product.
15 April 2008 01:04pm
How can a company that sells bottled water call itself a green company at all? The two are mutually exclusive if you ask me.
15 April 2008 01:28pm
I wouldnt hesitate to buy bottled water from Fiji any more than i would to buy a dvd player from Japan. Sure i could buy one locally, but chances is are it wont be nearly as good as a toshiba or a panasonic. Which, when all is said and done, is why there is a market for Fijiian water in countries like the UK. I could drink regular tap water but Fijiian water simply tastes better. The fact that they are obviously trying very hard to be green makes me want to support their product even more.
15 April 2008 03:07pm
Although bottled water seems to attract particular ire, its impact on the environment is less than fizzy sweet drinks. Coca Cola for example has been criticised for lowering water tables and poisoning water supplies in place like India eg: www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2003/jul/25/water.india
16 April 2008 10:06am
Let's see, find some water, put it in a non-biodegradable bottle, fly or ship it half-way around the world, then stick it in lorries to distribute it to supermarkets, just so that people can drink "nicer tasting" water...
... Or turn on the tap
given the two options, I'm pretty sure I know which is the more environmentally sound.
16 April 2008 01:19pm
The so called MINERALS in bottled water are upto 90% inorganic, they are of no use to the human body, in fact they cause more problems blocked up arteries, gallstones, stones in the kidneys and liver. Whereas tap water particularly in the UK (4th best in the world) is of very high quality and cost little/no carbon emmissions compared to any bottle of water wherever it comes from. If it comes in a reusable glass bottle it may be easier to recycle though.
16 April 2008 01:25pm
Our bodies where not designed to drink fizzy sugary (unless it is fruit sugar) drinks. We were only designed to partake of water, as clean as possible, anthing less than 20PPM (parts per million) of matter in suspension.
16 April 2008 07:13pm
I've always found the environmental focus on bottled water amusing. Almost any food requiring a modest amount of processing whether it be a fizzy drink, a frozen waffle or a cut of meat will be much more emission intensive than a non-sparkling bottled water product that requires no processing prior to packaging.
Poverty is on the doorstep in Fiji. That's one argument in support of FIJI Water's product which reprsents ~15% of the total exports of Fiji. Without the hundreds of jobs that the company creates the poverty would be much worse, wouldn't it? I don't hold the company responsible for the island government's failure to invest in infrastructure. Last time I checked, Coke and Pepsi weren't responsible for the delivery of clean water to my tap.
17 April 2008 09:10am
Whatever happened to freedom of choice. Is this the tip of the ice berg? Will we soon be told to by our clothes from UK only suppliers, will we be told not to drink wine/spirts or buy electrical goods. Also, on the so called carbon footprint issue UK water autorities leak about 3 billion litres of water a day. To try and recify this they have to send trucks out with lots of CO2 producing tools to try and sort it all out. They also use a lot of energy in making water safe to drink - why? And most of it is not used for drinking anyway- what a waste of energy! Still Natural Mineral water has nothing added or taken away, is bottled at source and delivered for people to drink and not for washing cars or flushing down the loo. All PET bottles can be recyced as can the glass bottles. People need to look beyond the words and not believe everything they read!
18 April 2008 02:43pm
Hi, thanks for the thoughtful story - those of us working on the FIJI Water team in the UK are very keen that these issues are discussed openly and often! One response to Anthony's final point on fresh drinking water for Fiji's local community - here's some information taken from our FAQ at www.fijigreen.co.uk <http://www.fijigreen.co.uk/> , a great resource for the latest information on all of the questions raised in this article and subsequent posts:
"Reliable access to clean, safe drinking water is common throughout much of Fiji, but there are still remote villages where infrastructure is lacking. FIJI Water has taken direct responsibility for providing water access to the villages that surround our source in the Yaqara Valley. We have completed projects that serve the towns of Drauniivi and Togovere, and by the end of 2008 we will complete similar projects in Naseyani, Nananu and Rabulu. In addition, FIJI Water has partnered with the Rotary Club to fund the Pacific Water for Life Trust, which will provide the infrastructure, expertise and skills necessary to deliver safe, clean and sustainable water to over 100 additional communities, schools, health centers and nursing stations throughout Fiji over the next two years. "
21 April 2008 09:58am
Hi, thanks for the thoughtful story - those of us working on the FIJI Water team in the UK are very keen that these issues are discussed openly and often! One response to Anthony's final point on fresh drinking water for Fiji's local community - here's some information taken from our FAQ at the Fiji Green website, a great resource for the latest information on all of the questions raised in this article and by subsequent posts:
"Reliable access to clean, safe drinking water is common throughout much of Fiji, but there are still remote villages where infrastructure is lacking. FIJI Water has taken direct responsibility for providing water access to the villages that surround our source in the Yaqara Valley. We have completed projects that serve the towns of Drauniivi and Togovere, and by the end of 2008 we will complete similar projects in Naseyani, Nananu and Rabulu. In addition, FIJI Water has partnered with the Rotary Club to fund the Pacific Water for Life Trust, which will provide the infrastructure, expertise and skills necessary to deliver safe, clean and sustainable water to over 100 additional communities, schools, health centers and nursing stations throughout Fiji over the next two years."
22 April 2008 01:43pm
Bottled water is a scam, and people who pay to drink water from a baby bottle instead of just turning on the tap because they've deluded themselves it tastes better are suckers. Since the world is apparently full of such suckers who do stupid things like pay $5 for a cup of coffee, then I guess it's a good thing that this company is at least trying to minimize the amount of damage they are causing to the environment, sorta the way gangsters used to pay for a "hit's" funeral so the family wouldn't suffer financially. It is a strange world we live in when a sacrifice for the sake of the environment involves simply saying NO to water in plastic bottles...and yet that is too great a sacrifice for millions of people to make.
09 May 2008 04:02pm
With regard to the islanders of Fiji:
As 'Fiji UK' posted up above, they actively endeavour to make sure that as many people as possible, on such a primitive island, have access to clean drinking water.
Secondly, over 96% of fiji's employees on the island are natives, and they are just the bottom workers, they occupy a lot of the top level posts.
SO THE ISLANDERS WIN
With regard to the environment:
Regardless of whether its for good PR, or for the Earth, FIJI water will be carbon negative by the end of the year. NEGATIVE> meaning you will be producing more CO2 by drinking your tap water than a bottle of Fiji. Despite shipping it around the world, they are countering it all with conservation and minimisation efforts.
SO THE PLANET WINS
The company itself is still going to be making a profit and staying afloat
SO FIJI WATER WINS
And to be honest my tap water right here tastes pretty damn bad, its my pipes not my supply, but im not tearing the house apart for the taste of my water, so I'll drink FIJI instead.
SO I WIN TOO!
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