Virginia Artesian Bottling Company

What is the impact of using PET to create Virginia Artesian Water bottles?

There has been much debate about the use of petroleum in the making of plastic water bottles. Our environmental impact is minimal, however, particularly compared to that of other industries. More importantly, it is constantly improving. First, Virginia Artesian Water is bottled in 100 percent recyclable containers. As an industry, making plastic water bottles accounts for a miniscule 0.02 percent of America's oil consumption, and plastic water bottles contribute only one-third of 1 percent to the municipal waste stream. Nonetheless, Virginia Artesian Water has always been an industry leader in environmental stewardship, and we are constantly working to improve our environmental footprint. We are committed to reducing the material in our packaging, becoming more energy efficient, and improving recycling rates.  

Why are Virginia Artesian Water bottles in plastic rather than glass?

The quality and integrity of our water relies on our respect for the pristine Virginia environment. We bottle our remarkable water in plastic because we believe it is the most responsible environmental choice. Virginia Artesian Water's bottle uses polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the highest grade and most recyclable plastic. A comparison of plastic vs. glass packaging shows:

• PET bottles require 24% less energy to produce, generate 40% less solid waste, and emit 46% less carbon during shipping than glass bottles.
• Glass sanitization produces 23% more waterborne waste and 60% more atmospheric emissions.
• Transportation of glass bottles require 42% more shipping expense then currently used.²

In our production process, the PET resin bottles are filled within a controlled environment. Virginia Artesian Water is drawn through a sealed delivery system directly into the PET bottle. The temperature within the filling room is regulated and the air is filtered to prevent the introduction of dust and other airborne particles. This protects the quality and safety of our water against particles, dust and other contaminants.

Because it is lightweight and shatter-resistant, PET is ideal for storage and portability. Filled PET bottles conserve container weight as compared to glass bottles, allowing Virginia Artesian Water to ship its product efficiently. Also, high grade PET has an extremely high melting point at 470 degrees Fahrenheit, ensuring the bottles maintain their strength and durability in a wide range of temperature conditions. Furthermore, PET's lightweight and shatter resistant properties facilitate recycling in hotels, spas and restaurants where they can be easily compacted and crushed for recycling.

PET is easy to recycle and has many uses. The demand for recycled PET is extremely high due to its use as a replacement for polyester, which can be used in carpeting, clothing material and textile products like “polar fleece.” Some companies turn PET into fiberfill for sleeping bags, toys and jackets. Virginia Artesian Bottling Company is reviewing the use of decomposable and corn based bottles. Virginia Artesian Water prioritizes the safety of its product for consumption and the well-being of its consumers, and the company will not change the packaging material from PET to anything else unless the new material can preserve the integrity of our special water.

Contrary to myth, glass is neither easy to recycle nor biodegradable. To recycle glass most effectively, it needs to be sorted by color. However, in single-stream curbside recycling (the most common mode of consumer recycling), the different colors are commingled, lowering the value of the materials and making them more difficult to recycle. ³

When non-refillable glass bottles are recycled (either by color type or mixed), they are crushed into small pieces and used to make new bottles, utilized for road paint's reflective properties, ground back into sand for sand blasting materials, or made into fiberglass.  

What are the different classes of PET? What does each classification mean?

Virginia Artesian Water uses the highest grade of PET resin for its bottles, which provides strong polymer quality that ensures packaging integrity. Our use of the highest grade resin yields bottles of the greatest clarity and strength that protect the water's pristine quality and taste.

In contrast, some beverages use lower grade resins that can impart a plastic taste. Lower grades of PET, while sufficiently strong and stable to carry liquid beverages, may release minute quantities of acetaldehyde into the liquid, which could impact the taste. Rather than risk this issue, Virginia Artesian Water chooses to use the highest quality of PET resin available in the world today.

While biodegradable plastics are appealing in concept, there are some practical issues in their application at this time.

Biodegradable plastics will not degrade unless they are composted. Most consumers do not have composting systems in their homes, and very few cities offer curbside composting services.

As a result, these materials typically end up either in a landfill or in the recycling stream. In a landfill, biodegradable plastics (and other biodegradable materials) will not degrade for a long time, since landfills are designed to prevent decay and thus keep contaminants from leaching into surrounding areas. In the recycling stream, these plastics are contaminants, making it more difficult to sort and process the recyclable plastics.

In addition, it is still not clear whether biodegradable plastics ultimately do more harm than good. At this time, it appears bioplastics would require huge amounts of additional crop-dedicated land to grow the raw materials (e.g., corn), and converting these large tracts of land to agricultural usage may have profoundly detrimental impacts on their ecosystems. Biodegradation may itself also emit harmful GHGs.

Virginia Artesian Water will continue to monitor the development of biodegradable plastic technology with interest. However, Virginia Artesian Water prioritizes the safety of its product for consumption and the well-being of its consumers, and the company will not change the packaging material from PET to anything else unless the new material can preserve the integrity of the product, and results in a post-consumer environmental impact that is comparable to or better than that of recycled PET.