Has bottled water's tide turned?

The result was booming demand for bottled water both in Europe and the US. But like all booms, it could not last. The combination of growing environmental awareness and recessionary pressure on disposable incomes seems to have put the brakes on bottled water growth in developed markets (see report).

But bottled water is a huge business. The 120bn litre global bottled water industry is estimated to be worth more than €50bn. And it accounts for something in the region of 160bn bottles a year - many produced in plastics. So it's no surprise to see a leading player such as Nestlé Waters working hard to defend its market.

Earlier this month the company's North American subsidiary released the results of a study it funded, which shows that if a consumer is going to buy a bottled beverage then water is the best environmental choice.

According to Nestlé, sports drinks result in almost 50% more CO2 emissions than bottled water, while juice and milk produce almost three times. The company also claims that its Eco-Shape lightweight bottle results in less greenhouse gas emissions than those from its major rivals (140g against a typical 160g per 500ml bottle). And that is cut by 25% if the bottle is recycled.

I'm sure Nestlé's data is correct. And it is certainly a bold decision to put full life cycle data in front of its critics. But many for many the "take-home" message will be that, in environmental terms, tap water beats the lot.

Maybe that's why I received two more press releases over the past few days aiming to put new life into the refillable water bottle business. From the US, Move Collective has launched its refillable "Bobble" bottle, which includes a cartridge in the cap to filter the water as it is consumed. And here in Europe, Greiner Packaging is launching its Kavodrink refillable bottle.

Non-refillable water bottles are not going to disappear over night, but it seems we are going to see a lot more refillables around. The question now is: Which refillable bottle is going to become the new must-have fashion accessory?