Eco Friendly Water Companies

							Eco Friendly Water Companies – Using Corn-Based Bioplastics

The biggest concern about bottled water used to be about the quality of the water, but now it’s
also about the overwhelming number of plastic bottles choking our landfills, as well as harmful
chemicals from the bottles leaching into the water. Eco friendly water companies are addressing
both issues by developing environmentally responsible collection and filtration systems, as well
as looking for alternatives to traditional plastic for bottling which are recyclable, reusable,
biodegradable and not harmful to the contents. Plant-based bioplastics made from corn, sugar,
potatoes, rice and other organic materials are all being studied and in some cases, implemented.

Bottled water is an $11 billion industry. In the U.S. alone, consumers purchase 50 billion bottles
each year, most of which are made from PET – polyethylene terephthalate, a petroleum-based
plastic. Although fully recyclable, only 30% of them end up in recycling facilities, according the
National Association for PET Container Resources. The remainder of them end up in dumps and
landfills where it takes at least 100 years for them to begin decomposing. Eco friendly water
companies are extremely concerned about the environmental impact of the amount of oil used to
make PET bottles and of all these plastic bottles being discarded.

PLA (polylactic acid) plastic is made from fermented corn starch. It produces up to 25% less
carbon emissions than PET and requires 20%-30% less energy to produce. NatureWorks LLC, a
division of Cargill, has created Ingeo™ biopolymers, which is now being used by eco friendly
water companies for bottling. PLA has been approved by the FDA for food containment as it
does not leach chemicals. It is completely reusable and recyclable, but because it melts at a
lower point it must be recycled separately from PET so as not to damage the equipment.

The Pacific Institute reported that 17 million barrels of oil are used to produce plastic bottles
every year. NatureWorks expects to use 750 million pounds of corn each year, which, unlike oil
is completely renewable. Plant-based bottles can biodegrade in as few as 45 days under the right
conditions. Eco friendly water companies are just as concerned about saving the earth as they
are about the bottom line, and are committed to using resources responsibly. They are able to be
competitive because their cost structures remain steady and consistent, compared to those relying
on oil and subject to its soaring and unpredictable prices.