The Story of Bottled Water

The Story of Bottled Water, released on March 22, 2010 (World Water Day) employs the Story of Stuff style to tell the story of manufactured demand—how you get Americans to buy more than half a billion bottles of water every week when it already flows from the tap. Over five minutes, the film explores the bottled water industrys attacks on tap water and its use of seductive, environmental-themed advertising to cover up the mountains of plastic waste it produces. The film concludes with a call to take back the tap, not only by making a personal commitment to avoid bottled water, but by supporting investments in clean, available tap water for all.

Our production partners on the bottled water film include five leading sustainability groups: Corporate Accountability International, Environmental Working Group, Food & Water Watch, Pacific Institute, and Polaris Institute.

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[leokimvideo]

Excellent doco. I have worked in Fiji and know the story behind the bottled water scam there. Sadly the people who live on Fiji have some really poor water supply. Much of the main island can be in severe drought. I'm surprised other countries have not banned Fiji water from being imported. It really should go to the people of Fiji who need a good water source.

[abeerhasan]

honestly, if we stopped all bottled water production, we could use the money to make the worlds water pure again. so that places like india can actually good water to drink. they dont have clean water, and they drink muddy waterm yet we are here manufacturing "cleaner" than tapwater bottled water. im just saying, we need to get our priorities straightened up.

[sinadelgi]

this is the kind of information that should be part of the education system. by educating the young will we be able to create a better future. great video...

[huihui]

Speaking of selling air, due to the recent smog crisis in Shanghai, there's a Canadian company that are selling "bottled air" to affected residents in Shanghai.

[jhogan]

A well done video. All true. I'm a water treatment plant operator, and tap water is an under valued resource. We need to invest in our infrastructure.

[Dave-ylrf]

BUY A FILTER, REFILL YOUR BOTTLES WITH TAP WATER
problem solved

[TheEvilCommenter]

I love how people scream about fluoride in tap water then go grab a soda.

[stefanstahl]

when you watch it at 1.5 speed so your assignment is done in timeXD

[simaicovers]

When she suggested 'lobby your city officials to bring back drinking fountains' I realised that my 16000 populated town does not have a drinking fountain, and when I asked someone who has been living here for a while why that is they replied that we have not had one in town for around 50 years. He argued that not many people used it when it was around and that still, people will buy bottled water if it was introduced. But after watching this video, I feel so passionate as to want to change this and can't help myself but think there must be a better way. How might one such as myself, only being 17 years of age even begin to fathom tackling this problem, or should I even begin tacking it at all?

[terig]

I live in Los Angeles and the tap water not only tastes terrible, it turns my toothbrush completely pink within a couple of weeks. When I got a new brush I rinsed it only under the filtered shower water. This still resulted in a bit of pink around the base of the bristles, but I did take much longer.
The only water we drink is taken from the shower filter then put through another very strong filter. Despite the terrible quality of tap water in our city we still don't use disposable water bottles. No excuse.

[ERDCPK]

This is absolutely true! Thank you @storyofstuffproject for making these excellent documentaries to aware people about the real story behind these packaged and processed products like bottled water.

[DanicaDeCosto]

I think they should make the tap water better. Get the fluoride out of it. It's bad for your thyroid. Make it taste better too. The reason people buy bottled is because the tap water tastes bad. I have a brita filter on the faucet but it always gets all messed up and sprays water everywhere. I am gonna start getting Culligan to deliver water because it's such a pain to make my tap water good.

[chemicalbrain]

Well, Fiji water might lose out against Cleveland water, but I'm sure the folks in Flint Michigan might like it.

[Finalleigh]

Thank you so much for telling me the US wastes gets dumped in my country. Finally we know who to blame

[squareff]

Love this. My dad is addicted to bottled water. I will need him to see this…

[SprinkleofWilly]

I always recycle even knowing that it wouldn't be properly recycled sometimes. But that is the least i can do..

[dianaval]

I watched this in 5th grade. I’m in college now. This video sticked with me for a long time. All thanks to my 5th grade teacher. I don’t use plastic water bottles.

[FasciNathan]

Can you imagine mountain of plastic waste on a bottle!! Omg what a visual made me laugh. Love your videos!

[FindingSelfReliance]

I am very much against bottled water for all of the reasons that you lay out in your video. (Very nice video by the way.)

In addition to being against bottled water, I don't like the idea of ingesting all of the contaminants that can be found in tap water. The solution for me is to filter my own water at home and use a reusable bottle whenever I go out.

Filtering my own water is more expensive than just drinking it straight from the tap of course, but it is a lot cheaper than buying bottled water. And of course by filtering my own water and using a reusable bottle, I'm not contributing to the massive amounts of pollution caused by billions of plastic bottles ending up in landfills or in the oceans every year.

[danieb]

Every person should be required to watch this.