Banning the sale of bottled water: Choice editing in action

The global bottled water industry is growing fast valued at just under USD 80 million and is estimated to grow 25% in the next few years (Datamonitor 2010). Bottled water is a challenge to sustainable consumption because it costs the environment in several ways. In terms of production, it takes 3 litres of water to make a 1 litre plastic bottle (Pacific Institute 2006) and the use of crude-oil derived PET plastic means that “each bottle carries an ecological footprint equivalent to filling it a quarter full with oil” (Cormier 2008, 415). From the waste perspective, many empty bottles end up in land fill adding to the product’s economic and environmental costs. Given the environmental costs of a product that is increasing in popularity, there are several social marketing approaches that could be taken to try and reduce this growth and alter consumption patterns.