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WORD COUNT
486
MAY 21, 2008
TAP WATER IS CHEAPER
AND BETTER THAN BOTTLED – by Gigi Kellett
After years of
serving bottled water, restaurants around the country are now thinking
outside the bottle and serving only tap water. From New York to
California, prominent restaurants like Del Poso and Chez Panisse are
removing bottled water from their menus. So is the largest food coop in
the United States, the Park Slope Food Coop in New York City.
This may leave
readers wondering why gourmet purveyors are dispensing with Perrier and
Evian in favor of something, well, a bit more common. The answer is in
the packaging.
While labels may
conjure up images of’ pristine mountain streams, the truth behind the
coo-friendly image is that bottled water is bad for the environment.
Last year, the manufacture of plastic water bottles generated more than
2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions and required the equivalent
of more than 17 million barrels of oil.
And
that’s just the tip
of the iceberg. Every year more than four billion pounds of plastic
bottles end up in landfills or as roadside liner. Given that only three
states have container deposit laws that address plastic water bottles,
the recycling rates for these bottles pale in comparison to soft drink
and juice bottles.
Three decades ago the
bottled water boom began when it appeared on the menus of high-end
restaurants. Just like consumers, many restaurateurs have been led to
believe that what’s in the bottle is somehow safer and more reliable
than what is on tap. However, the restaurant industry is turning back
the clock on the bottled water industry by refusing to act as a vehicle
for promoting such a wasteful “product.”
Chefs
and business owners
are learning that as much as 40 percent of bottled water actually comes
from the same source as tap water. What’s more, tap water is much more
highly regulated than bottled water. And in the same way restaurants are
concerned about the source of the foods they serve, the decision to stop
serving hauled water often derives from a concern about what is
happening upstream, so to speak.
In addition to
crowding landfills
and contributing to global warming, the bottled water industry is
threatening local control of public water. To put five dollar bottles of
water on tables here, communities from India to Mexico, Texas to
Michigan and Maine to California are losing control of what was once
considered a basic human right — something you couldn’t put a dollar
value on.
That’s a further
reason why
restaurants like the Lexington in St. Paul and the White Dog Cafe in
Philadelphia, who take pride in modeling best practices in the
restaurant industry, are taking a pass on bottled water,
Serving tap water is
a convenient way for restaurateurs to maintain their commitment to
quality. Pledging to Think Outside the Bottle reduces waste, saves
patrons money, and protects the primary resource that allows the
restaurant business to thrive.
Tap water goes great
with any cuisine.
--
Gigi Kellett is the
“Think Outside the Bottle” campaign director, Corporate Accountability
Project.
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