In August, the environmental group Earth Island Institute sued water bottle giant BlueTriton and claimed that the misleading sustainability claims violated the Consumer Protection Procedures Act, which is meant to prevent “deceptive trade practices.” But BlueTriton’s response is the real kicker. The company defended its lies, saying that everyone should realize that its claims are meaningless.
BlueTriton, formerly known as Nestlé Waters North America, owns nearly a third of bottled water brands in the United States, including Poland Spring, Pure Life, Splash, Ozarka, and Arrowhead. The company is estimated to contribute hundreds of millions of pounds of plastic to landfills in the United States every year, The Intercept reported.
Source: Company Man/Youtube
The company argued that its claims of being environmentally friendly are not in violation of any law because they are “aspirational.”
“Many of the statements at issue here constitute non-actionable puffery,” BlueTriton’s attorneys wrote in a motion to dismiss the case. “BlueTriton’s representation of itself as ‘a guardian of sustainable resources’ and ‘a company who, at its core, cares about water’ is vague and hyperbolic,” the attorneys continued. “Because these statements are ‘couched in aspirational terms,’ they cannot serve as the basis for Plaintiff’s CPPA claim.”
The company has never been an environmental leader to look up to. They have a history of draining aquifers to get their water yet continues to market themselves as the solution to plastic waste and water. BlueTriton claims to be the solution to the water problem, while behind closed doors, they’re extracting water from national forests without authorization.
The company’s website is full of even more nonsense fluff and lies. On their sustainability page, there’s a large picture of a beautiful green and lush forest with a blue lake running through it.
“Water is at the very core of our sustainable efforts to meet the needs of future generations,” BlueTriton’s website claims.
Similarly, the company’s Instagram page is full of wholesome, beautiful untouched nature with happy hikers and green-tinted images with the bio “BlueTriton Brands offers an unrivaled portfolio of sustainable water brands for healthy hydration.”
Several of the brands under BlueTriton go as far as to say they are helping the plastic problem because the bottles can be recycled. Unfortunately, The Intercept reported since the 1950s, only 9 percent of the plastic we’ve produced has been recycled. Most of our plastic use goes into landfills or is incinerated. According to The Plastic Pollution Coalition, six times more plastic waste is burned than is recycled in the United States. It’s easy to say that BlueTriton and other plastic-using companies are far from what’s helping us curb plastic pollution.
Source: CBC News/Youtube
Even more disturbing lies come from Poland Spring, Ozarka, and Zephyrhills Water, who advertise that they use #1 PET plastic, which can be used over and over again, but studies continue to find that these should not be used repeatedly.
PET plastic is the most common plastic used for water bottles and plastic packaging. A recent study from Brunel University London found that recycled Polyethylene (PET) leached higher levels of chemicals into drinks than new PET containers did. The bottles become degraded over time, and this is just another reason why recycling won’t solve our problems. These companies are bragging that their bottles are 100 percent recyclable and even help keep plastic out of landfills because they “care about you & our planet.”
Source: WION/Youtube
Plastic Pollution is just about everywhere, and microplastics have been found from Mount Everest to the depths of the oceans, and it’s even been found in the placentas of pregnant women. It’s more important now than ever to move away from single-use plastic. Not only is it horrible for the environment, but now studies like this are revealing how devastating they can be for human cells. Through food, the air, and other ways, we are constantly consuming tiny plastic particles.
These companies cannot get away with lying to the public and consumers about their products. Study after study has found that drinking bottled drinks is bad for your health and does nothing but harm the environment and contribute to plastic Pollution.
There are products you may be using or habits you may have that contribute to plastic Pollution. Learn more about how the use of Teabags, Cotton Swabs, Laundry, Contact Lenses, Glitter, and Sheet Masks pollute our oceans so you can make more informed decisions going forward. Some numerous simple actions and switches can help cut plastic out of our lives, including making your cosmetics, shampoo, toothpaste, soap, household cleaners, using mason jars, reusable bags/bottles/straws, and avoiding microbeads!
Please also sign this petition to join the fight against plastic Pollution!
Related Content:
- 8 Reasons Why Drinking Bottled Water Is Bad For Your Health
- Don’t Drink Another Bottled Water Until You Watch This Video
- The Reason to Never Buy Bottled Water that No One Talks About
- Oh Boy! They’ve Found Microplastics in Bottled Water Too
- Americans Are Drinking 10 Billion Gallons of Bottled Water…Here’s Where Those Plastic Bottles End Up
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