Real men don't drink bottled water, right?

Posted May 2, 2007 in [Water]

May 1, 2007, The Hamilton Spectator, TORONTO - Citing environmental concerns with bottled water, a website geared to men is campaigning to persuade restaurant-goers to pass up bottled water in favour of tap water.

"We cater to urban guys who eat out a lot," says Russell Smith, freelance writer and executive editor of the website XYYZ ( http://www.xyyz.ca), a Toronto-based online service directed at the urban male population.

"Before they order that expensive bottle of exotic spring water, we want them to think: Think of the tonnes of waste, not from only the plastic bottles going to landfills, but from the carbon expended to get that water to their table."

The website offers a special download of a restaurant billfold insert, which members can use to voice their opposition to bottled water.

"Bottled water in some restaurants is more expensive than gasoline," says Smith. "It has garnered this aura of sophistication, so it's OK to up the price."

To get the campaign rolling, the website XYYZ surveyed 336 of its members on the issue. Eighty-five per cent of those surveyed said they believe bottled water in restaurants is overpriced, while 57 per cent said they believe bottled water is bad for the environment.

Elizabeth Griswold, executive director of the Canadian Bottled Water Association, says the product is an alternative to other beverages in restaurants.

"Diners would be primarily drinking it in place of wine, soft drinks or beer," she says. "They are also looking at healthier lifestyles, and when they look at bottled water, they see a convenient, low-calorie, low-sugar beverage."

Griswold says that some people drink both bottled water and municipal water (tap water).

"What it really comes down to is individual choice."

Smith says that bringing attention to plastic bottles in restaurants might awaken people to be cautious generally.

"The bottles could be leaching chemicals."

One chemical in particular, bisphenol-A, the raw material of polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins, is used by plastic makers because it withstands high temperatures, is durable and transparent. Concerns about the toxicity of the chemical are being raised globally by research scientists, some of whom link low doses of bisphenol-A to prostate cancer and hormonal changes.

But Griswold says bottled water packaging is the same plastic used for thousands of other food products.

"Regulatory bodies such as Health Canada, The World Health Association, the U.S. FDA as well as the European Food Safety Authority have all reviewed and monitored the packaging and found it is safe."