May 23, 2008 2:24 pm US/Eastern
Green Scene: Making Bottled Water Greener
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ―
Are you're feeling guilty about buying bottled water because of the plastic? CBS 3 anchor Liz Keptner shows us some ways some people are re-thinking water.
Looking at the new Deer Park water bottles, you'll notice something different
"It's thirty percent lighter than any bottle that you're going to find on a shelf," said Dave Thorpe, plant manager for Deer Park. "Our goal is to get a bottle out there that is much more environmentally friendly."
Thorpe says parent company Nestle worked two years creating their Eco-Shape bottle, a move they hope helps reduce the company's carbon footprint.
Despite the new Eco-Shape bottle and efforts to become more environmentally friendly, some environmental groups say more needs to be done.
"It would be great to see them take what they learned from this effort and apply it to all their products," said Kristen Bryant of the Sierra Club of the Lehigh Valley.
Bryant says she understands the convience of bottled water, but there are other options. "They're are a lot of good metal reusuable bottles, aluminum-lined at sporting goods stores, to take around whenever you need the convenience," said Bryant.
Both Thorpe and Bryant agree on one thing: Consumers also need to do more to prevent water bottles from ending up in landfills.
"Bottled water is one-third of one percent of all the plastic bottles that go into a landfill," said Thorpe. "We really need to take more responsibility, not just as companies, but individuals, to recycle."
"Unfortunately we're making an unnatural product -- a plastic bottle," said Bryant. "It's going to be around for a thousand years."
That's why every effort to cut out plastic counts.
RELATED LINKS:www.deerpark.com www.sierraclub.org
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