Major water labels Poland Spring, Deer Park, Ice Mountain, Arrowhead, and Pure Life announced in April they would offer the same great water now in aluminum cans — a more environmentally friendly option than single-use plastic bottles.
According to parent company BlueTriton Brands, which recently merged with Primo Water to become Primo Brands, the organization aims to use only 100% recyclable, reusable, or compostable packaging by 2030. That's in addition to its efforts to ensure its water sources are ethical, sustainable, and not damaging to the environment.
It should be noted that the 100% recyclable goal appears to include an ongoing percentage of plastic bottles, which are technically recyclable but do not actually get recycled at a high rate in practice, but the shift toward aluminum is a step in a better direction.
Why is this new packaging important?
Aluminum packaging is much better for the environment — and our health — than plastic bottles. That's because it can be recycled an infinite number of times into the same type of packaging. On the other hand, plastic is rarely recycled; and when it is, the material degrades.
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Aluminum's infinite recyclability also means there's less need to mine more material — unlike with plastic, which is continuously manufactured from polluting oil. Plus, when aluminum does end up in a landfill or is tossed as litter, it doesn't break down into harmful microplastics. Plastic bottles, though, can leach both microplastics and nanoplastics into the water we drink. Researchers believe they could be causing severe health problems, including cancer.
The news should not be taken as a major sea change, as the degree of the transition from plastic to aluminum remains unclear. According to Packaging Dive, "BlueTriton did not specify the scale of the rollout; a spokeperson simply said it's 'currently a small portion of our volume.'"
It's also important to note that either way, all companies involved are still responsible for a huge total of single-use plastic production worldwide, which also helps to fund the oil industry, since plastic is made from petroleum. Ditching single-use drinks and products altogether, even when the packaging is more highly recyclable as aluminum is, remains a far superior method of living more sustainably.
What else is happening with Primo Brands' sustainability plan?
In addition to offering aluminum packaging, Primo Brands partnered with 1% for the Planet, a global network of companies positively impacting the environment. Primo Brands has pledged 1% of its aluminum bottle sales to the network's environmental organizations.
"We're excited to offer the brands our customers have loved for generations in sleek new aluminum bottles," chief marketing officer Kheri Holland Tillman said. "... We're proud to support 1% for the Planet and support a great network of businesses and organizations that are as passionate as we are in helping protect the environment for future generations."
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