In the U.S., people purchase about 70 billion water bottles from retailers every year; that is roughly 17 plastic bottles per person, per month, that get used once, then tossed away. Thankfully, some grocers are deciding to remove single-use bottled water from their store shelves, taking more responsibility for the packaging that ends up in people’s hands.Â
These decisions to eliminate single-use plastic are happening in boardrooms, but they’re starting with consumer demand for more sustainable choices. A report revealed 71% of consumers have chosen a product based on its sustainability credentials in the last 6 months, and 82% said they would be willing to pay more for sustainable packaging. A survey of over 2,000 American consumers found that 90% of people said they are more likely to purchase from a brand or retailer if its packaging is environmentally conscious.
So what’s the problem with single use bottled water being sold at stores?
Well, the first thing is that it’s not really reused, and it’s hardly recycled. Of all the plastic ever produced, 79% still sits in landfills or the natural environment, making only a small fraction recycled. Plastic water bottles rank among the most visible symbols of the plastic crisis. Billions of pounds of plastic enter the oceans every single year, and not one square mile of ocean surface anywhere on earth is free of plastic pollution, based on the analysis from the Center for Biological Diversity.
Producing all that bottled water comes at an enormous energy cost. Research estimates that the manufacturing of plastic bottled water requires up to 2,000 times the energy needed to produce the same amount of tap water. Since plastic bottles are petroleum-based, every bottle sold is also a fossil fuel transaction. Meanwhile, microplastics have been found in human blood, lungs, and even the placentas of newborn babies. At least 4,219 chemicals found in plastics are associated with hazardous properties, including known endocrine disruptors. So there’s a laundry list of issues that arise when putting plastic bottles on the shelves and into people’s hands.Â
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Are there any markets that have banned the sale of single-use plastic bottled water?
There's a growing number of independent and regional grocers who have decided that stocking single-use plastic water bottles doesn't align with their future-forward initiatives and what their customers want. Here are 4 examples of grocery stores that have chosen not to move away from selling single-use plastic bottled water.Â
PCC Community MarketsÂ
PCC Community Markets became one of the first grocery chains to discontinue the sale of single-use plastic water bottles below 1 gallon across all its stores. This comes as part of a direct commitment to reducing petroleum-based plastics. The idea is that people may still need to secure water, but in larger-sized packaging, it makes more sense because there’s less waste.Â
The Natural Grocery Company
The Natural Grocery Company was also an early grocer to take action on single-use plastic bottled water. In 2019, at its Northern California locations, the market banned the sale of single-use plastic bottled water, as locals prefer reusable solutions and have access to delicious tap water in the area.Â
New Seasons Market
New Seasons Market announced the elimination of single-use bottled water on Earth Day and restricted the sale of containers 1 liter or smaller across all its stores. They used Earth Day as both a symbolic and a practical deadline for the action to take place.Â
New Leaf Community Markets
New Leaf Community Markets operates under the sustainability initiative to reduce waste. To follow this initiative up with action, the store has also banned the sale of single-use plastic bottled water, recognizing the wasteful practice.Â
Each of these stores made the decision publicly, tied it to broader sustainability commitments, and framed it as a win for shoppers and the planet.
What are the 7 reasons retailers are making the bold move to commit to not selling small single-use plastic bottled water?
Here are the reasons stores are banning small single-use plastic water bottles, and many of the motivations are mutually reinforcing.Â
Reason #1. Plastic pollution
More progressive markets are serving their progressive shoppers and aligning with their demands and belief systems to solve our plastic pollution by eliminating the sale of single-use plastic bottled water.Â
Reason #2. Recycling failure
Since only about 9% of plastic ever produced has been recycled (really downcycled), stores understand that eliminating its use is key to reducing waste, since it’s not supported by recycling that actually works, as aluminum does.Â
Reason #3. Fossil fuel dependencyÂ
Production of single-use plastic, as well as the downcycling of plastic, all require virgin oil. The only true way to get ahead of this is to change the material and make it reusable.Â
Reason #4. Excessive energy usage
Producing single-use plastic bottled water requires 2,000 times the amount that it costs (energy-wise) to produce tap water. So it makes the most sense to eliminate the need and switch to a reusable bottle that, over time, will reduce the amount of energy required. Read that the more I refill my bottle, the lower the energy it ultimately costs to make my bottle, to the point you have refilled beyond the energy load needed.Â
Reason #5. Health risks associated with plastic
Nanoplastics and microplastics have been found deep in the ocean and in our organs and bloodstreams. Plastic in our system is being studied by scientists, and the outlook is grim. There are many trails to plastic accumulation and health impacts that can be explored in this research by the Institute for Environmental Research.Â
Reason #6. Consumer demand
People want to do better, but that means brands need to do better. In order to have better choices, we need the leaders, entrepreneurs, and CEOs who feel the same way to take charge and create solutions. Consumer markets will need to listen to consumer demand and take on more responsibility.Â
Reason #7. Sustainability commitments
Markets with sustainability commitments to reduce waste can’t stop at food waste. Though food waste is an enormous commitment, plastic and other forms of waste must also be addressed, and the stores that are eliminating single-use plastic bottled water are addressing the full scope of waste and how it is funneled through their retail stores into the hands of consumers and, finally, into the planet.Â
We invite more stores to take on the challenge of eliminating waste and answering consumer demand for smarter choices, especially when it comes to bottled water. We can all do better at every level, from manufacturers to stores and shoppers. Make the transition fun and make reusable bottles sleek and accessible, and it becomes exciting for everyone involved.
https://lookout.co/new-leaf-community-markets-to-ban-single-use-water-bottles-beginning-on-earth-day/story