AquaNew has expressed its corporate opinion about proposed soda bans and has recommended a “healthier soda” concept as an alternative. Our Polarized Water locks in flavor so lower calorie beverage alternatives still taste good, even when compared to regular soda. This could be a double success for health-oriented beverage epicures. Although flavoring may be preferred by some consumers, the trend is bottled water with the zero/ultra-low calories – this is the beverage of choice for millions of health-conscious Americans. According to sales projections by leading beverage industry analysts, bottled water will become the dominant non-alcohol beverage in the near future.
I must admit being stumped why a university, in fact my alma mater (University of Vermont), has banned bottled water from the campus located in Burlington, VT for over three years. I am quick to recognize my bias towards the convenience and sanitation of pure water in PET-1 bottles, but why such a ban? To me, it is similar to banning aspirin since it comes in plastic containers. Perhaps a stronger recycle campaign campus-wide is part of the answer.
I do have to give credit to University of Vermont (UVM) in deciding to measure the effectiveness of this ban. The recent report commissioned by UVM, however, is unfavorable towards the ban in reducing waste, and it even reported a 25% increase in sugary beverages sold since the beginning of the ban. Instead of conceding that students are making fast beverage choices on the fly between classes and should have convenient bottled water as the healthiest beverage option, the results of the report caused an unpredictable reaction by the UVM officials. Instead of lifting the ban, the UVM officials have hunkered down and announced a new standard requiring that at least half of the campus’ beverage offerings contain 40 or less calories per 8-ounce serving (Or, basically bottled water in disguise with low-calorie flavoring such as zero calorie Sparkling ICE drinks). More nutritious juices have more calories such as an 8-ounce serving of orange juice (which contains approximately 120 calories).
Furthermore, the UVM officials announced that the Coca-Cola Freestyle machines located at several retail dining outlets throughout the campus will dispense free, filtered water. It is not clear if plastic cups would be available or if students are expected to refill into their own containers, and the latter may be less than sanitary since many dorm rooms do not have dishwashers. Maybe in the future, a WIT Machine can be installed as part of the purification system of the Coca-Cola Freestyle machines so Polarized Water is dispensed on demand…
We each have our own opinions about self-responsibility, free enterprise and nanny intrusions by government – and now universities – on beverage choices. In my own opinion, I feel like social pressures have trumped technology solutions in this case, which saddens me when I recall a more liberty-oriented, freedom-of-choice UVM that encouraged an open, creative environment for technology advancements used to improve the health and wellbeing of the World.
Please recycle all beverage containers.
Written by Dana (Pumphrey) Gourley, Class of 1976
Watt-Ahh® – Natural Energy for Smart Brains