For the past couple of years, there has been a growing interest in getting local foods whenever possible, largely because it is perceived as helping the local economy, being better for the environment and better for your health (assuming the local food is organic, etc., not factory-farmed). There is one food - a drink, actually, that has strongly resisted this trend, where "'distance and exoticism are marketed as advantages": bottled water. Fiji, one of the more expensive store brands, is now the number 2 selling premium bottled water in the US.
At $1.50 and up per bottle, Fuji is not cheap. Some will say that a thing is only worth as much as someone is willing to pay for it, but others wonder how much the water is really worth. A reader asked Triple Pundit what the true cost of a bottle of Fuji water was. Sustainability Engineer Pablo Päster responded, calculating the (approximate) production and materials costs of a 1L bottle, travel/shipping expenses for shipping both full and empty bottles and, of course, the water itself. In the end, it comes down to a cost of approximately $.22 per bottle, leaving a $1.28 (or more) profit for the manufacturer and retailer.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
2-26-2007 @ 12:35PM
kevjohn said...
That's not an *outrageous* profit margin. It's probably on par with most other bottled waters. Besides, I like Fiji, and not just for brand caché. Fiji and Zephyrhills are only two BW's that I can actually taste an 'improved' water taste. But to each his own.
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2-26-2007 @ 3:16PM
J.Ho said...
Bottled water has to be one of the biggest rip-offs on earth. Bottled water or any brand is usually no better than 90% of American tap water. I do admit that Evian tastes pretty good though. If people are concerned about cleaner tap water, get a Brita filter or something instead of paying a 1000% premium for water that comes in a bottle.
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2-26-2007 @ 3:19PM
Jessica said...
And it's totally worth all those trucks driving back and forth across the country to bottle and deliver that product that also come straight to (most) people's homes through their pipes (in this fine country).
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2-26-2007 @ 11:04PM
Adam said...
Anyone who drinks fiji is a tool.
You do realize to get that fiji water to your local store they consume about as much gas as the container holds water.
It's extremely environmentally unfriendly to buy Fiji branded water. If everyone continues to do so, one day we won't have paradises like Fiji left. And no, the water does not taste better.
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2-26-2007 @ 11:27PM
Dr Electro said...
Have you really looked on the labels of your bottled waters to see their point of origin? Where I live most of the bottles in the stores originate with the municipal water supply of Fort Worth, Texas.
Now, I'm not denigrating Fort Worth. I've been there many times and it is a fine city and the local water supply isn't bad. But how much carbon is being spewed into the atmosphere by all the trucks that haul that water just the three hundred miles from Fort Worth to here?
I can't see my subsidizing that kind of environmental waste by drinking bottled water unless there is absolutely no other choice. So far there hasn't been absolutely no other choice.
So, where does Fiji water REALLY come from? Poughkeepsie?
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2-27-2007 @ 9:20AM
Ian said...
I agree. Fiji is the ONLY bottle water I drink, because its the only one that, to me anyways, has a taste to it and I like it.
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3-30-2007 @ 9:06AM
sara said...
But what exactly is the true cost..??? To the people.. the environment.. global warming... quality of life??
Look at what is happening in Michigan where the people are fighting Nestle to ensure their environment is not harmed.. And what about Maine?? Have you looked at what Nestle/Poland Spring is doing?? You might want to read the article "Who Owns Maine's Water - Nestle or the People", an essay posted on onthecommons.org. Here's the specific link. http://onthecommons.org/node/1118
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