Pablo Calculates the True Cost of Bottled Water

We have tried to calculate the true cost of producing and transporting bottled water before, and have come up with just vague approximations, which did not take the production of the bottle into account. Over at Triple Pundit, Sustainability Engineer and MBA Pablo Päster has done a thorough and exhaustive study of the cost of bring a litre of Fiji Water to America. He starts with the production of the bottle in China, taking the bottle blanks to Fiji, and confirming that it takes more water to make the bottle than it actually holds. He then transports the bottle to the States by ship. Not even including the distribution in the States, the numbers are absolutely staggering.

In summary, the manufacture and transport of that one kilogram bottle of Fiji water consumed 26.88 kilograms of water (7.1 gallons) .849 Kilograms of fossil fuel (one litre or .26 gal) and emitted 562 grams of Greenhouse Gases (1.2 pounds).

Twenty-six times as much water used to make it than you actually drink. As much fuel to make it as there is water in the bottle. Staggering is an understatement.

Source

Reason I prefer Filtering my own water!

Who drinks Fiji water? That is, other than the people in Fiji? I don't even know where to buy water from Fiji.

It's sold all over here in Pennsylvania, USA. You can buy it at gas stations, walmart, etc.

No one liner for me...

Fiji water is of course a brand of bottled water.

Some bottled water, like Dasani, is basically a byproduct of coca-cola's soda manufacturing. They should've done an estimate on water produced within the US, rather than stuff shipped in from china. It should be obvious that shipping water to the US from China is 'wasteful', let alone any bottled water is wasteful, compared to tapwater.

Also, this is a pretty bizzare way to go about things, I had thought that they were saying that they water does infact start in china, but they are just pretending that it does:

www.triplepundit.com...
Well, I doubt that Fiji has a booming plastics industry so they probably get the bottles from China

[edit on 6-2-2007 by Nygdan]

Those are the square bottles that look like fishtanks. They cost significantly more than similar sized bottles from other companies.

I guess that's reflecting the ridiculous costs of production and shipping...

Originally posted by Djarums
Those are the square bottles that look like fishtanks. They cost significantly more than similar sized bottles from other companies.

I like Fiji water, and don't find it to be more expensive than water Evian water from France etc.

I figure if I'm going to spend that much on water anyway, it might as well come from the furthest place away imaginable!

The really expensive water now is that Bling water from lowly Tennessee...it's being sold in handmade crystal bottles for up to $90 in nightclubs!

Ah so there's a brand named Fiji. Gotcha. It wouldn't have surprised me though if it were actually from Fiji. If there's people that will pay dealer prices for hybrid cars, I'm sure there's plenty that will pay for water imported from Fiji. Probably the same people, too.

It is actually from Fiji.

Oh.

Well then.

Uhm...

...

Yeah. FREAKS!

Excellent -- that's gonna help out with an article I'm working on tonight, good synchronicity there.

Originally posted by Djarums
Those are the square bottles that look like fishtanks. They cost significantly more than similar sized bottles from other companies.

I guess that's reflecting the ridiculous costs of production and shipping...

and the Sad part: [drumroll]..people actually buy it!

[edit on 2/8/2007 by a1ex]







[edit on 2/8/2007 by a1ex]

Originally posted by djohnsto77

Originally posted by Djarums
Those are the square bottles that look like fishtanks. They cost significantly more than similar sized bottles from other companies.

I like Fiji water, and don't find it to be more expensive than water Evian water from France etc.

I figure if I'm going to spend that much on water anyway, it might as well come from the furthest place away imaginable!

The really expensive water now is that Bling water from lowly Tennessee...it's being sold in handmade crystal bottles for up to $90 in nightclubs!

I tasted water from up North Canada ... I doubt there is any better

Just a little info on some of the prices for bottled watter...

I run a reatail servive were we sell bottled water and in my area,
akron ohio

The general prices are as listed:

Dasani - $1.25 for a 20 oz bottle
Fiji - $1.10 for a 20 oz
Evian - $1.29 for an 8 oz bottle
Evian - $1.59 for a 20 oz bottle
Crystal Springs - $1.00 for a 20 oz sports bottle
Crystal Springs - $1.25 for a 1 liter

There are about six other brands we sell that are around the $1.00 price point area but those that I listed are the most popular in my area.

I think it is all a bit crazy.....but hey who wants something for free when you can pay for it.

Originally posted by logan_macio
Just a little info on some of the prices for bottled watter...

I run a reatail servive were we sell bottled water and in my area,
akron ohio

The general prices are as listed:

Dasani - $1.25 for a 20 oz bottle
Fiji - $1.10 for a 20 oz
Evian - $1.29 for an 8 oz bottle
Evian - $1.59 for a 20 oz bottle
Crystal Springs - $1.00 for a 20 oz sports bottle
Crystal Springs - $1.25 for a 1 liter

There are about six other brands we sell that are around the $1.00 price point area but those that I listed are the most popular in my area.

I think it is all a bit crazy.....but hey who wants something for free when you can pay for it.

Try Spelling Evian backwards.....are they trying to tell us something ?

What does a $480 bottle of Water Look Like?


ryanesaki.com...

The $480 price tag is for a case, not a single bottle.

So it's $40/bottle. Still outrageous for water.

Anything more then a few pennies is crazy for water. And its not like it can be claimed that there is 'craftsmanship' in the product, like you can at least claim for things like whiskey or voddy. Just take any water and steam distill it and you've got pretty pure water, and I'd bet that most of these bottled waters aren't anywhere near pure water. Anything in the water wouldn't've been added in to it purposely either (likesay, allowing a grape to catch a frost before pressing it to make icewine, or allowing beer to leech materials from beechwood).


I think that that 'bing' bottle says it all, conspicuous consumption. Literally eh?

Years ago (I'm talking about 25-30 years here), I used to work in my father's specialty food store. He sold all sorts of imported and "gourmet" foods. I remember he sold "Evian" water for 20 cents (US) per liter. Our customers (who were normally used to buying high priced gourtmet foods) would come in and laugh. They would say "why would I spend 20 cents on water!" One even pointed out that "Evian" spelled backwards is "Naive"...

...How times have changed.