SANBWA FACT FILE

WE ARE WATER.

Like the planet we inhabit, our bodies comprise mostly water – the brain is 85% water, our blood is 90% water, and the liver, one of our most vital organs, is 96% water. Water — in all its forms — is therefore a vital component of our diet, as well as the healthiest beverage option

for societies plagued by diseases such as obesity and diabetes. Bottled water also is the best packaged beverage option for the environment; it has the lightest environmental footprint of

all packaged beverages — one that can be reduced by 25% if consumers were to simply recycle the bottle.

Formed in 1997 as a standards setting and representative body, the South African National Bottled Water Association (www.sanbwa.org.za) is a not-for-profit organisation committed to working with its members to continuously improve and protect the conservation of all water resources wherever possible, while promoting the image and reputation of bottled water through adherence to global benchmarked standards.

This and the following page provide a brief overview of SANBWA’s membership, activities, affiliations, safety and quality measures, and commitment to water. It is followed by more detailed fact sheets addressing all these and other relevant issues.

Membership and quality assurance

Membership of SANBWA is voluntary but strictly controlled (fact sheet 1), and comprises bottlers of all classes of bottled water (natural, defined by origin and prepared – fact sheet 2) whose primary concern is the health, safety and pleasure of their consumers. They therefore willingly conform to the extremely stringent safety and quality measures contained in the SANBWA Bottled Water Standard (fact sheet 3).

A single standard covering legal, hygiene, food safety and quality, and environmental requirements, the SANBWA Bottled Water Standard benchmarks favourably against international standards and:

ensures legal compliance is fully auditable so that a single audit can ensure that all legal and food safety requirements

have been met thereby protecting the bottler and enabling it to prove due diligence helps bottlers identify the area where they still need to improve assists retailers and consumers to select suppliers of safe bottled water

Cost of membership includes commissioning of a range of independent specialists to certify members conform to very strict standards of quality, safety and efficiency of manufacture. Membership is only granted after all critical requirements have been met, including displaying specific information on their product labels for the consumer’s benefit. In addition, a pre-requisite for membership is certification by a professional hydrogeologist that the water source is safe and free from existing or potential pollution. This ensures a long term permanently safe source of raw material for natural spring or mineral water.

Furthermore, given SANBWA’s commitment to environmental stewardship, members are required to comply with the association’s environmental vision (fact sheet 4). This includes many measures to ensure source sustainability and protection, water usage minimisation, energy efficiency, solid waste minimisation, and supporting post consumer recycling initiatives.

Every year, SANBWA's third party auditors audits members annually to ensure that their source, bottling facility, final product and every aspect of their bottling process adheres to SANBWA’s stringent standards. SANBWA also randomly samples member products from the shelves on a monthly basis and has them tested for harmful agents.

All SANBWA member producers are obliged to carry the SANBWA logo on their bottles. The logo acts as a seal of quality.

Legislation

In South Africa today, bottled water is a food product category of its own, and is regulated by the Department of Health as such. This was not always the case; previously bottled water was regulated according to the general safety and quality criteria governing the production of food. Since its inception in 1997, SANBWA lobbied the Department of Health to draft legislation specifically governing bottled water. Following these representations and recommendations from SANBWA, and in line with international trends, the Department of Health drew up new legislation specific to the bottled water industry based on the Codex Alimentarius (fact sheet 5).

In July 2007, this legislation was ratified and, for the first time, all enterprises in South Africa producing bottled water for sale to the public were officially regulated and monitored by the Department of Health. The legislation stipulates what sources of water are acceptable, what types of treatment are required, the maximum levels of certain substances, and what information bottlers must display on their labels.

Consumption

Bottled water as a consumer product in South Africa constitutes only 1.3% of the total beverage industry (by volume) while Africa constitutes only 3.3% of the global bottled water market. It is a natural and healthy alternative to other beverages including hot (teas, coffees, chocolates and chais) and cold (cold drinks, fruit juices, energy drinks and alcoholic beverages).

In 2009, 381.7 million litres of bottled water was consumed in South Africa; the forecasted growth to 2014 is 2.3% and would bring the total volume to 426 million litres.

Internationally, the picture is quite different, as these graphs from EFBW NMW Member Experts Dinner, January 26 2011 show:

Growth in many markets globally could be threatened by the trend worldwide in developed countries for cities and companies to ban the sale of bottled water (fact sheet 6), should local municipalities and companies follow suit.

Environmental impact of the industry

Some seek to ban bottled water citing price, quality and environmental and health impacts concerns. However, this rationale is flawed: firstly, the rule makers demonise bottled water and canonise tap water while ignoring the cost, quality and health benefits, and environmental impact of other beverages; secondly, they base their decisions on misconceptions and not hard facts (largely misconceptions about the chemical properties of the bottles used by the industry); and thirdly because they have not taken human behaviour and consumption patterns into consideration (fact sheet 7).

SANBWA members only use sustainable water sources and work to standards that ensure their products have a smaller carbon footprint and a smaller water footprint than any other bottled liquid (fact sheet 8). Furthermore, the amount of groundwater used in the production of South Africa’s total annual bottled water stock is no more than the amount of water used each year to irrigate one 18-hole golf course.

While convinced that banning bottled water is an ill-thought through reaction to a very real threat to the earth’s environmental well-being, SANBWA and its members are adamant that proper environmental stewardship and an educated and willing consumer can reduce the environmental impact of all beverage production and consumption, and not just that of bottled water.

SANBWA can be contacted as follows:

P.O. Box 7649, Halfway House, 1685 South Africa.www.sanbwa.org.zaTel: +27 11 884 5916Fax: +27 11 884 5566sanbwa_cg@worldonline.co.za

Chairman: John WeaverTel: +27 21 855 1221jweaver@telkomsa.net Technical Director: Charlotte MetcalfTel: +27 11 884 5916charlotte.metcalf@worldonline.co.za

Fact Sheet 1: CRITERIA FOR MEMBERSHIP(See also fact sheet 5):

For a bottler to become a member of SANBWA and be allowed to use the SANBWA logo (above) on its products the following is required:

For Natural Water and Waters Defined By Origin The registered source, catchment area and surroundings must be certified free of existing and

potential pollution by a professional hydrogeologist. In addition, the source must be sustainable over the long term, and have a consistent flow and temperature. A source vulnerability assessment and environmental protection plan must also be followed by the bottler, to ensure that no permanent damage is done to the either the surroundings or the source.

The registered source and final product must adhere to the quality standards as set out in the “SANBWA Bottled Water Standard: Requirements for Source Water, Processing and Packaging”. These quality criteria, standards and procedures for the operation of a bottling plant were developed using (but eventually surpassing) European benchmarks as a guideline, and encompasses quality control tests and procedures throughout the bottling process. This includes packaging material, preservation of the source, quality control throughout the bottling process, sanitising of bottling line and quality control of the final product. Each member is formally audited. Where a member fails to meet any of the required standards, training and assistance is given to rectify aspects immediately.

Adherence to labelling standards as set out in the “SANBWA Bottled Water Standard”. SANBWA requires that specific product information be displayed on product labels for the consumer’s benefit.

The Natural Spring or Mineral Water must be bottled at source. In order to ensure that the water remains as uncontaminated and pure as it is underground, it is vital that all sources of possible contamination be eliminated, and that the water is piped directly from the sealed source to the bottle.

The typical mineral content of the Spring or Mineral Water must be clearly indicated on the label, along with the total dissolved solids (TDS) level. The mineral ‘mix’ is not prescribed, as different waters contain different contents. Of importance, however, is the consistency of the mineral content over a period of time, indicating the consistency and sustainability of the source. Analysis on mineral content is thus required at defined intervals.

Microbiological Purity: Every batch of Spring or Mineral Water that is bottled must be tested for the complete absence of any harmful bacteria. Tests are also regularly done at every point of contact during the bottling operation. In the event of any traces of harmful bacteria, bottling must be immediately halted, the complete bottling operation sanitised, and contaminated batches destroyed.

Department of Health Approval: the bottling operation is subject to regular inspections by the Department of Health, and a certificate of approval, regarding the general standard of acceptability, cleanliness and hygiene, is required prior to any bottling. This is considered an absolute minimum requirement for SANBWA applicants and members are subjected to additional criteria in SANBWA’s own standards of quality.

As a legal requirement, a certificate must be obtained from the Department of Water Affairs to approve the use of ground water.

Approval of membership by the SANBWA committee prior to the use of the logo.

For Prepared Water Safe water supply. Prepared water production may only use protected groundwater or treated

municipal water as source water. Surface water (via municipalities) intended for bottling should be protected from contamination to the fullest extent possible even though purifying treatments follow. Potential contaminants must be assessed and monitored through a documented source vulnerability assessment (including risk assessment, source monitoring plan and source protection plan).

The source water and final product must adhere to the quality standards as set out in the “SANBWA ‘ Bottled Water Standard: Requirements for Source Water, Processing and Packaging”. This requires quality criteria, standards and procedures specific to the prepared water category as well as general requirements for bottled water in general.

Adherence to labelling standards as set out in the “SANBWA Bottled Water Standard”. SANBWA requires that specific product information be displayed on product labels for the consumer’s benefit, identifying the product category and treatments.

Microbiological purity: SANBWA requires microbiological testing for the absence of harmful organisms at various points during production and of the final product according to a schedule.

Department of Health approval: the bottling operation is subject to regular inspections by the Department of Health, and a certificate of approval, regarding the general standard of acceptability, cleanliness and hygiene, is required prior to any bottling.

Approval of membership by the SANBWA committee prior to the user of the logo.

SANBWA membership does not allow the use of the logo on flavoured bottled water, although the use of the phrase ‘bottled at a SANBWA approved source’ is allowed on the label.

Fact Sheet 2: DEFINING WATER TYPES(See also fact sheets 3 and 5):

There are three main types of water as defined by SANBWA – natural water, water defined by origin and prepared water.

Natural Water: Approximately 70% of all bottled water in South Africa is natural water:

This is water of certain composition, obtained directly from a natural or drilled underground source, bottled near the source under hygienic conditions. Permitted treatment includes separation from unstable constituents (such as iron manganese, sulphur or arsenic) by means of filtration or decantation, without modifying the original mineral content of the water.

Water defined by origin (including spring and mineral water): Approximately 20%of all bottled water in South Africa is water defined by origin:

This is water from a specific environmental source such as a spring without passing a community water system. Treatment may not alter the essential physico-chemical characteristics or compromise the safety of the packaged water.

Permissible treatments include: Treatment to remove or eliminate dissolved gasses and unstable constituents (such as

compounds containing iron, manganese, sulphur, arsenic, excess carbonates). Reduction or separation of elements originally present in excess of maximum limits as

stipulated in in SANBWA’s standards without modifying the general mineral composition of the water.

A single or combination of antimicrobial treatments such as 0.2micron filtration, heat sterilisation, UV treatment or ozonation

Addition of air, oxygen, ozone, or CO2.

Mineral waterBottled water obtained direct from subterranean water-bearing strata, which contains mineral salts in various proportions, characterised by its mineral content of constant composition and temperature, taking into account natural cycles and fluctuations. It may be classified as a “natural water or as “water defined by origin”.Spring water

Bottled water sourced from an underground formation from which water flows naturally to the surface of the earth, and which is collected from the spring or from a borehole tapping the underground formation, and which may be classified as a ‘natural water’ or as ‘water defined by origin’.

Prepared Water: Approximately 10% of all bottled water in South Africa is prepared water:

This is water that has undergone antimicrobial treatment as well as treatment that alters the original physical or chemical properties of the water.

Permissible treatments include: Any antimicrobial treatment. UV not allowed as a sole antimicrobial treatment. Treatments to remove or reduce chemical substances above maximum limits including

treatments that modify the physiochemical composition and characteristics of the original water source.

Remineralisation. The prepared packaged water must meet requirements for bottled water stipulated in SANBWA’s standards.

This is the international breakdown:

Fact Sheet 3: SANBWA’s BOTTLED WATER STANDARD: REQUIREMENTS FOR SOURCE WATER, PROCESSING AND PACKAGING

The third version of this now 92-page document was published in May 2010 by SANBWA in consultation with NSF International, a global testing and certification company, and its affiliate on the African continent, NSF-CMi Africa (Pty) Ltd.

The technical advisory committee contributing to the development of the Standard included representatives from South Africa’s Department of Health, industry players and SANBWA experts. Updates to the Standard are published in the public domain on www.sanbwa.org.za.

The Standard reflects the current best practices for bottling water of all types in South Africa. It was always intended to be a pragmatic and useful document, and comparable to the main food and beverage standards in major markets around the world. Indeed, it has been benchmarked favourably against the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) as including all the relevant control points of global standards such as BRC, IFS, ISO22000, SANS 10330, SANS 1049 and the NSF Beverage standards’.

The major objective of the Standard is to provide existing and new bottlers with a vision for future improvements. It therefore addresses legal, food safety, quality and environmental issues by putting six main elements under the spotlight:

management commitment, quality systems, HACCP, resources (including pre-requisite programs) operational controls environmental stewardship

The benefit of such a comprehensive and stringent standard is that compliance is an assurance to consumers and retailers (as well as bottlers of water) that all legal and food safety requirements have been met. It also more than meets SANBWA members’ responsibilities for due diligence, reduced food safety risks and compliance with local and international standards and regulations in terms of South Africa’s new Consumer Protection Act.

Importantly, the SANBWA Standard also provides the basis for SANBWA’s annual member plant audits. Conducted by an independent third-party food safety organisation reporting to SANBWA, the audit confirms members’ conformance with the technical and regulatory requirements. Members have to meet all legal requirements and minimum requirements set by SANBWA.

The scope of the Standard is extensive and covers bottled water as defined in packaged water legislation, from various water sources and flavoured water in a single standard. Water sources include ground water (subterranean) and surface water which has gone through municipal treatment.

An non-exhaustive excerpt from the content list demonstrates its inclusiveness: Scope of the standard, classification of water, definitions and terminology, ownership and scope, administration and certification, language, membership, membership responsibilities, member registration, access & collaboration, unannounced audits, compliance criteria, corrective actions, certification, sanctions, appeals, confidentiality, management responsibility, quality management system, Hazard analysis of critical control points, resource management, control of operations, environmental stewardship, water supply management, requirements and tests for source water, specification for natural source and final packaged water, specification and guidelines of microbiological test methods, requirements for labelling, packaging specification and guidelines for plastic packaging, and examples (of a food safety and quality policy, of a Hazard analysis work sheet, of a risk assessment procedure, of a decision tree, of a process flow diagram for prepared water, of a process flow diagram for water from subterranean origin).

To allow for future growth in the industry, it also provides for requirements for bottling of flavoured water (not currently covered under the legislation definition of packaged water).

SANBWA was also among the first worldwide to require its members to follow recycling guidelines as advised by PETCO locally – and formally audit their compliance. It expects members to:

only support PET bottle suppliers which contribute to the PETCO recycling levy. establish a drop-off centre for the public at the bottling facility and all distribution centres. add the ‘please recycle’ sign on all labels. use recycling friendly materials or recycling optimal materials as stipulated in the SANBWA

Bottled Water Standard and published on www.sanbwa.org.za/environ_pet.asp or on www.petco.co.za/ag3nt/media/set_999699/Petco_Design_Fact_Sheet

PETCO is the plastic industry’s first joint effort to self-regulate post consumer PET recycling.

Fact Sheet 4: SANBWA’S ENVIRONMENTAL VISION

SANBWA’s environmental vision is to improve members’ environmental stewardship. It covers four critical areas:

1. Water. Ensuring effective water management from source to shelf, including requirements for source protection, efficient water usage and responsible effluent practices.

2. Solid waste: Reducing, re-using, recycling all solids involved in the production and distribution of their products.

3. Energy: Promoting the efficient use of energy and fuels. 4. Post-distribution recycling: Supporting municipal and consumer initiatives for recycling

packaging and bottles.

Bottled water companies are reducing their environmental footprint by using lighter weight plastics. Bottles currently weigh 27% less than they did seven years ago. The bottles, made from PET, a by-product from oil-manufacture, are 100% recyclable. Alternative packaging solutions, such as recycled content, are also being developed and used. The bottled water industry financially supports comprehensive recycling programs and partners with the recycling industry such as PETCO. SANBWA also requires members to use recycling friendly materials in their packaging material.

Fact Sheet 5: CODEX ALIMENTARIUS AND SOUTH AFRICA’S BOTTLED WATER LEGISLATION

The Codex Alimentarius was created in 1963 by the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations and the World Health Organisation to develop food standards and production guidelines aimed at protecting the health of consumers, ensuring fair trade practices in the food sector, and promoting co-ordination of all food standards work undertaken by international governmental and non-governmental organisations.

As per the Codex, South Africa’s new bottled water legislation defines three classes of water that, if correctly bottled, will be safe, healthy and pleasant tasting for the public:

The first is ‘natural water’ - sourced from an underground aquifer and bottled at source. The emphasis here is on ‘natural’ and so no treatment of the water is allowed. The composition of the bottled water is therefore identical to that of the source water. Natural mineral water and natural spring water fall into this class.

The second class is ‘waters defined by origin’ – including rain, glacier, mist, and spring water. As a general rule these do require antimicrobial treatments but no treatments are allowed that would alter the chemical composition of the water.

The third class is ‘prepared water’ – including municipal, surface or ground water that has been purified by treatments that change the chemical composition of the water. In the case of municipal water, for instance, most dissolved solids and previously added chemicals such as fluoride and chlorine are removed and minerals may be added back.

In addition to providing quality standards for bottled water and thereby protecting consumer health, the new legislation could help to grow the local bottled water industry by giving compliant producers more credibility with consumers. It will also ensure new entrants to the market start up under optimal conditions and are, therefore, sustainable in the long term. That’s good not only for the bottled water industry but for the economy as a whole.

Fact Sheet 6: BANNING BOTTLED WATER

The following are calls from developed countries to ban bottled water. SANBWA mentions them here because it wants to draw attention to the arguments – which it believes are, in the main, unfounded or based on double standards. Fact sheet 7 below addresses these arguments in greater detail.

www.treehugger.com/files/2010/05/concord_ma_to_be_first_us_town_to_ban_bottled_water.phpwww.cbc.ca/news/background/consumers/ bottled - water .html www. canada .com/Toronto+ bans + water +bottles/1027243/story.html www.huffingtonpost.com/.../ australia ns- ban - bottled -w_n_228678.html www.smh.com.au/environment/water-issues/bundy-votes-on-bottled-water-ban-20090707-dbvn.html

Fact Sheet 7: WHY BOTTLED WATER SHOULD NOT BE BANNED

Reasons for banning bottled water include price, quality, and environmental and negative health impacts. However, this rationale is flawed on many levels. The following text critically examines each of the objectives.

The price argument:

In South Africa, bottled water is a food product category of its own, and is regulated by the Department of Health as such according to strict legislation that stipulates what sources of water are acceptable, what types of treatment are required, the maximum levels of certain substances, and what information bottlers must display on their labels.

The price charged for a bottle of water therefore includes the following as a minimum: source development, source protection and source monitoring maintained, integrity verified, monitored and dedicated plant and equipment hermetically sealed and safe packaging monitored safety and quality per production batch traceability, product identification and information uninterrupted availability a wide product choice offering different taste profiles refrigeration

Comparing tap water to bottled water on the basis of cost is therefore not like comparing apples with apples.

And, tap water is also cheaper than other beverages including tea, coffee and hot chocolate; energy drinks and carbonated cold drinks; and fruit juices, beer, wine and spirits. The question could be asked: if these beverages are more expensive than tap water, why do they not attract the attention as those calling for the ban of bottled water?

Furthermore, comparing tap water to bottled water simply because they both comprise mainly hydrogen and oxygen molecules is ill-founded because bottled water doesn’t compete with tap water for consumers, but against other beverage options often found alongside it on the retailer’s shelves.

This point of view is also taken by the European Federation of Bottled Waters. In January this year, it stated: “Natural mineral waters and spring waters are distinct from tap water in that there are clear differences in the way they are sourced, processed and delivered; and in that they provide consumer information via the label. Given that only 1% of tap water in the EU is used for drinking, it is clear that bottled water and tap water fulfil different needs and requirements. They are complementary beverages.”

Consumer behaviour:

Linked to the price argument is the belief that consumers who are banned from drinking bottled water – a healthy beverage alternative to others loaded with sugars – will drink tap water instead.

A recent study in the United States of America (where clean tap water is readily available) found this to be only partially true. The study, commissioned by Nestlé Waters North America (http://beveragelcafootprint.com/?page_id=102//), found that only approximately 30% of bottled water drinkers will choose tap water when bottled water is not available and that the remaining 70% will prefer another type of bottled beverage.

The exact figures are: Tap water – 32% Enhanced waters – 21% Soda – 19% Sports and energy drinks – 11% Ready-to-drink iced teas – 8% Fruit juice – 7% Tonic, club soda – 2%

The study did not investigate why water drinkers would abandon water when the bottled alternative was not available, but perhaps this reader’s response to a proposed bottled water ban in San Francisco provides the clue – human behaviour:

I'm a bit concerned that more people will just end up buying soda or sweetened ice tea instead of bringing their own bottled water. That'll likely mean little reduction in waste and a boost in HFC/sugar intake. (Source: http://boingboing.net/2010/07/12/san-francisco-may-ba.html)

Quality issues and health benefits:

Other arguments attack the quality of bottled water, some citing it is simply bottled tap water, that bottled water is less regulated than tap water and that standards for bottled water are less comprehensive than for municipal drinking water and others ignore the health benefits of drinking bottled water ahead of most other beverages.

There’s no getting away from the fact that the SANBWA logo is a seal of high quality. It confirms that the member product adheres to the association’s stringent quality standard (see fact sheet 3), which has been benchmarked against international standards. Members are audited annually by an independent third party, and their production is regulated by the Department of Health. Both SANBWA and the Department of Health adhere to the international Codex Alimentarius (see fact sheet 5) as well as World Health Organisation standards.

Standards and legislation across the globe are developed for each product based on many factors such as known toxicity levels, typical daily consumption, inherent contaminant risks, added risk due to processing, treatments, additives and ingredients. The fact that bottled water legislation and standards appear to be less comprehensive to uninformed individuals does not mean that any potential contaminants are overlooked. It might only be due to the fact that protected natural sources are exposed to less contaminants and the product has less risks.

Bottled water producers entitled to display the SANBWA logo on their bottles – that is, the association’s members – account for at least 80% of bottled water production in South Africa. That bottled water is guaranteed to be what it claims to be, and will never be untreated tap water.

According to SANBWA standards and bottled water legislation, it is illegal for anyone to put tap water in a bottle and label it as spring water or natural mineral water. Further, SANBWA members and all water bottlers in South Africa must, in line with legislation, state on their bottle labels where the water is sourced.

Tap water and municipal water may be bottled as ‘prepared water’ (see fact sheets 1 and 2) but it is far removed from water straight out of a tap as, before it is bottled, it is stripped of all its chemical and mineral contents, and impurities. For example, the chlorine used in municipal water to sterilise it would be removed. Once the water, regardless of source – municipal, tap or spring – is simply H2O, minerals may be added to obtain a balanced mineral content. Only then is it allowed to be bottled and offered for sale.

There is another argument that total dissolved solids (TDS measured in milligrams per litre of water) in water is an indication that the water is contaminated with dirt and impurities. This is an incorrect assertion as, while TDS has a direct impact on water’s taste profile and thus impacts on the consumer’s personal preference, it is not an indication of quality.

The TDS figure for a water is, however, directly attributed by the amount of minerals that dissolve into the groundwater as it passes through the rocks of the various geological formations during the natural water cycle.

South Africa has a wide range of groundwater TDS values, ranging from the very low values associated with the high mountain ranges (especially in the Cape), to high levels typically found in the desert areas. These latter values often exceed the maximum drinking water levels of 2000 mg/l. However, in general, bottled waters in South Africa are below 500 mg/l which, in international terms, is described as low mineralised ground waters. In Europe, mineral water with a TDS above 1000 mg/l is appreciated and widely available.

It also bears mentioning that bottled water can last indefinitely if bottled correctly. Best before dates and batch dates are mostly for batch identification and stock rotation purposes.

Again, the European Federation of Bottled Waters has commented on bottled water and health in the EU: “In a scientific opinion published March 2010, the European Food Safety Authority EFSA ) concluded that adequate water intake should be around 2 litres a day for females and 2.5 litres a day for males, taking moderate activity and exercise into account. Bottled water in the EU therefore can play a vital role towards healthy hydration. In addition, because it can has zero calories, no sugar, no additives, it can have a significant impact on weight and help prevent obesity, especially in children.”

There’s another element that bears adding to the mix: municipalities and governments in developing countries – and some parts of South Africa – find delivering clean tap water an ongoing challenge.

Health concerns and PET:

One of the peculiarities of human behaviour is that consumers are quite happy to consume many foodstuffs and other beverages – yoghurt, milk, fruit juice, for example – that are packed in plastic while being easily swayed by one of the major arguments used against bottled water, that is that the bottles themselves pose a danger to human health.

The fact is that, in many instances but not all, yoghurt, milk and fruit juice containers are made from PVC, which are capable of leaching plasticisers (see below for a more detailed description of the types of plastics used) while the PET bottles used for bottled water are far more stable and do not leach harmful chemicals into the water.

Plastic is not plastic is not plastic. Many plastic items – including PET bottles – are marked with a resin ID code, usually a number 1 through to 7. The code is typically found on the bottom of a

container and is often displayed inside a triangular mobius or a three-arrow recycling symbol. While resin ID codes are used to help identify different plastics for recycling and do not provide guidance on the safe or intended use of a product, the presence of a number 1 in the triangle confirms that the container is made from PET.

Greater detail:

There is no connection between PET plastic (the type of plastic used for bottled water bottles) and Bis-phenol A and Ortho-phthalate.

Bis-phenol A (also called BPA) is not used in the production of PET material, nor is it used as a chemical building block for any of the materials used in the manufacture of PET. Bis-phenol A is used to make polycarbonate, a different plastic from PET. Polycarbonate is the plastic that has the number 7 in the triangle.

Yes, PET or polyethylene terephthalate is a phthalate. This is a class of chemicals that has three subsets, each with different properties. PET belongs to one of these phthalate subsets. Ortho-phthalate belongs to another of these phthalate subsets; and it is this phthalate that has been the subject of negative media coverage. Often used to make various plastics more flexible, this type of phthalate is also called a plasticizer. PET does not contain plasticizers or ortho-phthalates.

Furthermore, PET bottles have been thoroughly tested and approved safe. They do not leach chemicals when heated in hot cars or frozen. Scare stories did their rounds on the internet without verification and made incorrect claims not based on any science, and is unsubstantiated by any credible evidence.

In addition, it is safe to re-use PET bottles. International health authorities, such as the US Food and Drug Administration carefully review food and beverage packaging materials, including PET and allows for PET in both single-use and repeated-use food and beverage packaging.

However, if you do not clean your PET bottle as thoroughly as you would any drinking container, bacteria could grow and cause discomfort. The concern is that bacteria can thrive in warm, moist environments; that is, in virtually any beverage container under the right conditions. Wash all bottles, not just PET bottles, with hot soapy water and dry thoroughly between each use.

Finally, consider this rational response from naturalnews.com editor, by Mike Adams, also known as The Health Ranger:

“Regardless of the question on plastics, I do have to say, for the record, that people tend to focus their fears and concerns on the wrong things when it comes to health. I've seen people drinking water out of glass bottles and thinking it's really good for their health, but they're eating hamburgers and French fries at the same time! I can assure you that eating hamburgers is a whole lot more dangerous for your health than drinking from a plastic bottle.

“I even drink out of plastic when I'm travelling, and I'm not the least bit concerned about it. Taking FDA-approved pharmaceuticals, on the other hand, may indeed kill you. People drink soda out of aluminium cans and don't think twice about it. They microwave their foods and destroy their nutrients without a hint of awareness. They eat processed meats laced with cancer-causing nitrites and haven't a clue. They swallow extremely dangerous medications that double, triple or quadruple their risks of heart attacks, strokes and liver damage.

“So why do people get so riled up over plastic bottles? Because it's in the mainstream consciousness! But in my opinion, it's nowhere near as important as talking about food additives, food irradiation, artificial sweeteners, hydrogenated oils, MSG, aspartame, the milling of grains and dozens of other far more dangerous things in the food supply. And that's not to even mention what's in the cosmetics and personal care products, which is some of the most toxic stuff you'll ever find.

“I can tell you this: If you drink nothing but super foods out of plastic bottles, you will still experience outstanding health. But if you drink junk beverages and liquid sugars out of glass

bottles, you will destroy your health. The bottle itself is not nearly as important as what's in the bottle. Remember that the next time you get excited over BPA. Concerns over health need to be properly prioritized, and drinking water out of plastic bottle is, in my view, very low on the list of health concerns we should be paying attention to.”

Environmental impact of producing bottled water:

The rather emotional argument here is that bottled water businesses deplete natural resources of water and have no ‘green’ conscience. In addition, it is argued that the bottles used for bottling water create unjustifiable waste, use up oil, a natural resource, and taint the environment.

In Europe, the European Federation of Bottled Waters dismisses these claims saying “the bottled water industry in the EU uses renewable water resources (no depletion), extracts less than 0.02% of total groundwater each year, and does not waste water as many piped water systems do through leakage. In addition, the industry is optimising packaging through light weighting and design, uses only 100% recyclable packaging material and is pioneering national collection and recovery schemes for the plastic it uses. The EU plastic collection rate was at 48% in 2009 and recycling rates are continuously increasing (including bottle to bottle).”

Water use, water depletion?

In South Africa, legislation covering the use of groundwater is well developed, and is biased towards ensuring the sustainability of our water resources, rather than depleting them.

The business costs associated with bottling natural water also act as an incentive for responsible resource management. In the first instance, legislation requires that any company pumping water from natural sources needs to install a permanent bottling plant before it can start pumping the water. This is a considerable capital investment. Additional costs include acquiring the land as well as source development and protection. It is simply not viable to set up a plant to run an aquifer dry.

Furthermore, bottled water production in South Africa is an extremely water efficient business in that it takes only 1,7 litres of water to make 1 litre of bottled water. This is the explanation:

The term ‘water usage’ refers to how much water is used (volume) to make a finished product. This measure – sometimes called ‘water footprint’- includes both direct and indirect water usage (in the bottled water industry, that would be water for rinsing and sanitising bottles, plant and general cleaning and sanitation, vehicle washing, floor washing, toilets etc.) and includes water from boreholes and municipal source.

The South African industry benchmark is 1.7:1, and there are plants that achieve ratios of as low as 1.3 – 1.4 by recycling their bottle rinse water. The following are examples of other water footprints:

1 kg of beef - 16 000 litres of water 1 kg of maize - 900 litres of water 1 cup of coffee - 140 litres of water 1 sheet of A4 paper - 10 litres of water 1 litre of bottled water – 1,7 litres of water

And consider this: the water used to irrigate just one of the country’s many 18-hole golf courses is equal to the total amount of groundwater used in the production of South Africa’s total annual bottled water volume.

Packaging concerns

Globally, some 15 million tons of bottle PET resin are made every year. Most of this goes to the developed economies, but some 1.5 million tons finds its way into the Africa-Middle East region and approximately 150 000 tons into South Africa itself.

Of the 150 000 tons used in South Africa, about 80% is manufactured here and used for many food packaging types like bottles, trays, jars and the like. Of this 150 000 tons, 24% – 36 000 tons – is bought by the bottled water industry but it is estimated only 18 000 tons are used each year, given the light-weighting that occurs.

Given that PET is 100% recycleable and that the recycling rate in South Africa is about 34% (currently still subject to final audit) and given water bottles are the cleanest and easiest to recycle, it is safe to assume that a third of the water bottles used each year – 6 000 tons worth – were recycled into fibres for pillows, duvets, insulation and such products, and some back into new PET plastic for new bottles.

It is important to point out that, unlike several developed countries, South Africa recycles all its PET bottles in the country and does not send any as packaging waste to China for conversion.

Every year, the country’s businesses and consumers are recycling more, and the industry is working hard to ensure these efforts are sustained and grown. The target for 2015 is 50% as empty bottled water bottles are a valued raw material source for the recycling and fibres plants already established.

Today, the value of a used PET bottle through PETco’s subsidy and market conditions (the price or goods made with the used bottles, and including new PET pellets) is up to R3.50 per kilogram delivered to the recycler. This is equivalent to almost 20 cents for a 2 litre soft drink bottle, and around 10 cents for a used water bottle.

In addition to recycling efforts, materials are getting lighter and bottles are using fewer natural resources. Bottles currently weigh 27% less than 7 years ago. The upshot is that the amount of PET going into landfills is tiny. Furthermore, PET has a 2.5 times lower carbon footprint than glass.

When it comes to packaging, bottled water constitutes only 1.3% of the total beverage industry in South Africa. To be effective, efforts to reduce the environmental impact of packaging must therefore focus on all consumer goods and not just target any one industry.

The same survey mentioned above under the heading ‘Consumer behaviour’ (http://beveragelcafootprint.com/?page_id=102//) explored in detail the environmental impact of bottled water and competitor beverages.

Broadly, this survey found that: Bottled water represents less than one-tenth of one percent of an average consumer’s overall

environmental footprint. Consumption of water of all types (both bottled and tap) accounts for 41% of beverage

consumption, while producing only 12% of the associated impact on climate change. In comparison, the combination of milk, coffee, beer, wine and juice provide just 28% of the volume of beverages consumed but are associated with 58% of the climate change impact.

Water —in all its forms— is the best beverage option for the environment. Tap water due to the lack of elaborate treatment, packaging and bulk supply scores better on the environmental score card as “drinking water”, but bottled water, categorised as a “food” has the lightest environmental footprint of all packaged beverages—one that can be reduced by 25% simply by recycling the bottle.

Every time a consumer chooses a packaged beverage, other than bottled water, they actually increase the environmental impact of their beverage consumption.

Results in greater detail:

The bottled water alternatives that were compared in high detail in this study included two NWNA products: a 500 ml ‘EcoShape’ bottle and a 3 litre bottle, as well as sports drinks, vitamin-fortified waters, water directly from a tap, tap water from a filtering pitcher, water from a water vending machine, and tap water in three reusable bottle material types (aluminum, plastic and steel). Comparisons were also made of the environmental impact of a consumer’s total daily consumption (limited to three impact categories of water use, non-renewable energy use, and climate change impact), drawing on information produced elsewhere to include milk, coffee, beer, wine, juice, soda, and tea.

The graph below provides a comparison of the impacts associated with each of these beverages:.

Results of the climate change impact comparison of products are shown in the below figures. Based on the baseline set of conditions used here, those systems based on consumption of tap water generally perform better from an environmental perspective than the bottled beverages.

However, there is significant variation within the categories of bottled and tap water examined and sensitivity results show potential for wide variation within each of these categories. The conclusions drawn are therefore subject to the conditions of consumer use and the specifics of beverage packaging and distribution.

The report concluded that it is essential to consider the conditions of consumer behaviour when comparing these systems and to qualify conclusions based on the range of behaviours or other conditions under which they are applicable. Additionally, there are potentially both health and quality implications associated with bottled water alternatives (although these were outside the scope of this report):

Within the bottled beverages considered, there is significant variation, with the two NWNA products examined—the EcoShape 500 ml water bottle and the 3 L bottle—performing roughly equivalently and significantly better than the sports drinks and vitamin-fortified waters. While some of this difference is due to the additives to these other beverages and is therefore inherent in the product categories, the largest portion of the difference is due to differences in packaging weight. Indeed, the majority of the environmental benefit shown here for bottled waters versus other bottled beverages hinges on the assumption of a lower weight of PET bottle, which is supported by the market research performed to support the present assessment. The influence of distribution distance is also shown to be important, but insufficient information is available to draw conclusions comparing beverage categories on this basis.

A range of sensitivity tests were performed to identify the potential influence on the results of numerous assumptions that are unknown and/or variable with regard to consumption of tap and bottled water. Examples include the thickness of plastic bottles, distances products are transported, the number of times reusable bottles are used, the conditions of dishwashing and refrigeration, and many others. It is shown that variation in such factors lead to a very wide range in the environmental impact of water consumption.

An assessment of reasonable upper and lower bounds based on these ranges of values shows that choice between bottled and tap categories is just one of a large number of consumer choices and actions that affect the environmental impact of water consumption and that other choices and behaviors can be as or more important.

For both bottled and tap water, the impact of consumption may vary by more than 10-fold among various options and behavior patterns. This indicates that it is necessary to communicate to consumers more information than just a comparison of bottled and tap options when seeking to assist them in making good environmental choices regarding their water/beverage consumption.

Proportion of beverages by volume consumed by the typical American consumer and percent contribution to the climate change impact from beverage consumption.

Beverages with a disproportionately large contribution to beverage consumption impact relative to volume and shown with red lines and those with a smaller impact are shown with green lines.

When examining the total beverage consumption impact of the typical American consumer, it is shown that the contribution of beverage types to a consumer’s total impact may be quite different than their contribution to the volume consumed. For example, consumption of water of all types (both bottled and tap) provides 41% of beverage consumption, while producing only 12% of the associated impact on climate change. In comparison, the combination of milk, coffee, beer, wine and juice provide just 28% of the volume of beverages consumed but are associated with 58% of the climate change impact. These observations show that it is essential to consider the full scope of beverage consumption when considering impacts of any given product, as increases in consumption of one product are likely to result in the decrease of another product and vice-versa. In considering switching beverages, there are both health-related and environmental considerations that should be considered, and the present project examines only the environmental aspects.

In SA bottled water consumption is considerably lower at 1.3% of beverage consumption than in the USA.

SANBWA believes that the industry has a responsibility to continuously improve and protect the conservation of water resources wherever possible. It has issued its members with environmental standards, and conducts annual audits to ensure members comply with these standards.

It is also mandatory for all SANBWA members to recycle their plastic and to use recycling friendly materials in packaging material. SANBWA has reciprocal membership of PETCO, responsible for promoting and facilitating the recycling of post consumer PET. PET converters pay a voluntary levy to PETCO and thus SANBWA members make an indirect as well as a direct contribution to the recycling of PET.

Fact Sheet 8: DEFINING WATER CONSUMPTION AND WATER FOOTPRINTS

Water usage is the measurement of usage of water per volume of finished product. The usage of water include direct and indirect water usage (such as water for rinsing and sanitizing bottles, plant and general cleaning and sanitation, vehicle washing, floor washing, toilets etc.) and includes water from boreholes and municipal source. The industry benchmark is a ratio of 1.7:1 and there are plants that achieve 1.3:1 to 1.4:1 by recycling their bottle rinse water.

Water Footprint is a concept that evaluates the amount of water needed to produce an item of consumption: for example, the production of 1 kg of beef requires 16 000 litres of water, to produce 1 kg of maize requires 900 litres of water, one cup of coffee needs 140 litres of water and to produce 1 sheet of A4 paper requires 10 litres of water.

Fact Sheet 9: THE IMPLICATIONS OF GROUND WATER AGE

The quality of mineral water is not determined by its age, unlike wine that needs time to mature. The age of groundwater could, however, influence the mineral composition, and thus the taste. Typically very young groundwaters (also bottled rainwaters) do not have much time to absorb minerals as they travel through the various rock formations. They therefore tend to have low TDS levels and light, clean tastes. These groundwaters are mostly captured at higher elevations, in the more mountainous areas for example. In South Africa, this will typically be in the Natal Drakensberg areas. Old water may have a more substantial taste profile, although one does find old waters with low levels of mineral content. The age of a water is less important than the local geology. The age of bottled waters should be noted, though, as an enjoyable part of their history. (Source: www.finewaters.com)

Fact Sheet 10: TASTE PROFILES OF BOTTLED WATERS

At first, you may not be able to discern any taste differences between the different bottled waters you buy. They may, in fact, taste like water – neutral and tasteless. However, as you compare waters from different sources, you will discover their different characters and complexities, and that certain waters go better with certain foods. Below are descriptions of how just a handful of the waters can differ:

A sparkling water is still water with carbon dioxide gas added. CO2 added to water has the effect of lowering the pH; in other words, making the water more acidic on the palate. Compare a still and sparkling water from the same producer; the increased acidity of the sparkling water should be very evident.

A water with a very low mineral content, such as water from the Western Cape, has a total dissolved solids (TDS) or mineral content of less than about 50 to 80 milligrams per litre (the main minerals are sodium and chloride). The pH of these waters is also often less than 7. As a result, the sparkling version of this type of water is this quite acidic on the palate. In addition, because of the low TDS, it has a low taste profile and its ‘freshness’ therefore gives an impression of drinking water from a high mountain stream.

An alkaline water is a water which contains calcium, and often magnesium, as the predominant dissolved minerals. These raise the pH and alkalinity of the water to provide a broad and full-bodied mouthfeel. In the sparkling version, this water is quite complex and will accompany many different dishes. A sulphate water is one that has high levels of sulphate, often accompanied by magnesium. This water has a hint of bitterness, which most people find attractive and will match creamy and sweetish dishes. In South Africa, this is a water that is seldom encountered.

(Source: Water on the Table – A guide to serving and drinking bottled water: Jenna Gough & JohnWeaver)

Fact Sheet 11: RECYCLING PET

Source:Plastics Federation of South

Africa2000 2005 2009

Total plastics packaging recycled 90 457 tons 131 931 tons 165 772 tons

Total plastics packaging market 460 000 tons1 594 000 tons2 573 000 tons

Recycling rate 19,7 % 22,2 % 28,9 %

The cost of recycling PET bottles is about 70% less than the cost of making these bottles. There is also a big saving (about 80%) on energy costs.

Recycled PET (called rPET) has a variety of uses. Some of these (from the easiest and cheapest) are: fibres for textiles (fleece jackets, carpets and pillows), building and automotive use, sheeting for packaging, strapping, and back to bottles.

rPET can be used in all PET applications, with the limiting factors being strength and colour. When PET is put through a heat cycle, that is melted and cooled, about 20% of strength is lost, but this strength can be regained by using a secondary heat process called polycondensation.

There’s also an issue about colour and labels. Factors negatively affecting the colour of rPET are: Bright coloured inks on the labels Ink printed directly onto the bottles Different colour bottles Non-PET bottles in the recycle stream External contamination of bottle by dirt and organic matter

1 PFSA statistics2 PFSA statistics

The ideal bottle is a clear bottle. While a small degree of contamination by blue coloured bottles is tolerated, all other coloured bottles must be separated as they affect the final colour.

When it comes to labels, these should be avoided to obtain the best rPET: PVC labels (especially the shrinkwrap labels) have a similar density to PET so cannot be

separated by the traditional sink-swim method. The liners from caps are PVC. Excessive glue, whether the label is made from paper (which doesn’t affect rPET) or PET

(these require more glue than other labels, which is a negative, and the ink directly printed onto the PET label has the same impact as ink printed directly onto the PET bottle).

Paper labels themselves do not affect rPET, but in the processing line they do tend to clog filters.

High temperature non-water based glues leave a residue which discolours rPET.

Best-of-breed bottle and label design: Labels should be designed with minimum glue application, and the bottle shape must

accommodate this requirement. Glues should be water based and soluble at low temperatures for easy removal. The recommended label is made from polypropylene film. The recommended label has neutral colours. Use caps without liners, and avoid sports caps. Avoid metallic printing on labels or bottles (this does not have a great impact on the rPET, but

sets off the metal detector and stops the line).

Source of recyclable plastics waste in South Africa in 2009

(Source: Peter Waldburger, Manager, HOSAF Recycling, who provided ‘Guidelines forRecycling PET Bottles’.)

FACT FILE COMPILED BY: SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL BOTTLED WATER ASSOCIATIONUPDATED: APRIL 2011