Abstract
AbstractA Footprint Integrated approach was used to assess and compare the impact on the environment and on the resources of tap water (TW) and pet-bottled natural mineral water (BW). A set of BW from six Italian companies was analyzed. This set covers about the 10% (by volume) of the total marketed bottled waters in Italy. TW is the public water available in Siena (Italy). The functional unit is a volume of water of 1.5 L.An ad hoc Footprint methodology was defined, integrating Ecological Footprint (EF), Water Footprint (WF) and Carbon Footprint (CF). A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was performed, in order to derive the material and energy inputs and outputs of each upstream and downstream process required by the two ways of drinking water.In the comparison based on Ecological Footprint and Carbon Footprint, tap water showed about 300 times lower values than bottled water. On the contrary, Water Footprint values were quite similar: TW displayed the same value of the average BW. The Footprint Integrated results were used to assess the Footprint savings allowed by tap water drinking. Water Footprint reduction chances were also discussed, including a comparison between PET, PLA (polylactic acid) and glass in bottling practice. Tap water seemed to be able to reduce his water consumption and withdrawal more than bottled water.
Highlights
In the last 30 years, per capita consumption of plastic-bottled natural mineral water (BW) has grown worldwide without any interruption (IBWA, 2008)
The aim of this paper is to compare the environmental impact of tap water (TW) and pet-bottled natural mineral water (BW)
BW1, BW2, BW3 and BW4 showed a mass output in the range between 8 and 7 kg per functional unit and the most relevant processes were again related to the plant functioning
Summary
In the last 30 years, per capita consumption of plastic-bottled natural mineral water (BW) has grown worldwide without any interruption (IBWA, 2008). In Italy, which is the third BW consumer in the world, this growth was made possible in 1980s by the rise of private TV channels (widening advertising opportunities) and the introduction of polymers bottles (reducing transportation costs). These two elements enhanced the creation of a national BW market. In 1980 per capita consumption was 47 L, while in 2007 it was 202 L (Istat, 2008): Italians switched their drinking habits from tap water to bottled mineral water in less than 30 years.
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