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agreed. In fact we should be celebrating water bottlers for providing utility for humans by transferring water from where it is plentiful to where it is actual

agreed. In fact we should be celebrating water bottlers for providing utility for humans by transferring water from where it is plentiful to where it is actually scare, in an easily consumable container.

daveguy 9y ago
Now, if it was in an easily consumable container, that would be something to celebrate. Probably not possible, chemically. But imagine if you could package water and some food calories together and ship it.
- shrumm 9y ago
  this has been done/ tried. someone's already made an edible water bottle http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2017/04/12/edible-water-bottle-could-put-end-plastic-packaging/ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2017/04/12/edible-wate... - the issue is scale. No new startup can hope to match the scale and distribution the larger companies have. I think the best case scenario is for the likes of Nestle to see these new packaging types as a good investment to boost sales and start adopting them too. Hopefully the more eco friendly options could also be produced in 25 seconds!
- Pinckney 9y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edible_water_bottle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edible_water_bottle
- sjwright 9y ago
  > Probably not possible, chemically https://www.fastcompany.com/40403025/this-edible-water-bottle-is-how-youll-drink-in-the-future https://www.fastcompany.com/40403025/this-edible-water-bottl...
- horsecaptin 9y ago
  You mean like a melon but one that holds large quantities of water?
  - semi-extrinsic 9y ago
    Coconut. In places like Brazil, street vendors sell coconuts for drinking. They cut a small hole in the top and put a straw in when you buy it. Safe to drink and delicious. The container may not be edible, but it's easily biodegradable.
    - unclebucknasty 9y ago
      Delicious if you like sickly-sweet, salty water. Seriously, it's an acquired taste. But, what's funny is that they've been doing that forever in places like Brazil and the Caribbean. Then, several years ago, they put it in a box and imported to the U.S. etc., and it was like some brand new invention. But, of course, for each of those bio-degradable coconut husks, we now have a handful of tiny, plastic-lined boxes.
      - YeOakAye 9y ago
        > Delicious if you like sickly-sweet, salty water. That's entirely dependent on the type (and ripeness) of coconut, or more likely the can you're cracking. Hardly any coconut water tastes 'sickly sweet' from the fresh fruit.
        unclebucknasty 9y ago
        Jamaica. Straight from the fruit. Just a matter of taste.
- BurningFrog 9y ago
  If the bottle was edible, other organisms than us would eat it before we got to it. So then you'd have to package the edible bottle in a protective layer. It seems easier to just sell water and food separately.
  - maccard 9y ago
    Maybe not edible then, but biodegradable - that should do. There's a company in the UK called VegWare[0] no affiliation ) which produces biodegradable food packaging. - most of the "artisan" food stores in my city now package their products in it. 0- https://www.vegware.com https://www.vegware.com
TeMPOraL 9y ago
> in an easily consumable container That's the thing though: people wouldn't have so much issue with bottled water if the container actually was "easily consumable". As it is, bottled water is simply crime against the planet.
- refurb 9y ago
  If you never wanted to do something that was a "crime against the planet", we'd all be living in caves. You can't avoid it in a modern society.
  - TeMPOraL 9y ago
    There's a difference between what's necessary, and what's just profiteering off damaging the environment. In a world where civilized countries can ensure quality drinking water in their taps, bottled water should be relegated to disaster relief and "transferring water from where it is plentiful to where it is actually scare".
    - njarboe 9y ago
      I almost always drink tap water but I would say it is better for people to drink bottled water than bottled sugar water. Should we ban sodas? Beer?
      - TeMPOraL 9y ago
        It is, but the health issues are a completely separate discussion. As for distribution of sodas, beers and other beverages - given the pattern of their consumption, it makes more sense to have them in containers than to try and make everyone's home connected to "tap beer". Now, we can continue this topic into realms of packaging of foods and other items, and I'm going to say it up-front: I consider the modern amount of packaging on things to be a crime as well. E.g. pre-packaged meat in plastic containers vs. getting it wrapped in paper by a clerk at the meat stand. I understand that convenience has value, and I wouldn't personally even care about this if we had a working, efficient recycling infrastructure. As we don't, I do care.

daveguy 9y ago

Now, if it was in an easily consumable container, that would be something to celebrate. Probably not possible, chemically. But imagine if you could package water and some food calories together and ship it.

shrumm 9y ago
this has been done/ tried. someone's already made an edible water bottle http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2017/04/12/edible-water-bottle-could-put-end-plastic-packaging/ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2017/04/12/edible-wate... - the issue is scale. No new startup can hope to match the scale and distribution the larger companies have. I think the best case scenario is for the likes of Nestle to see these new packaging types as a good investment to boost sales and start adopting them too. Hopefully the more eco friendly options could also be produced in 25 seconds!
Pinckney 9y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edible_water_bottle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edible_water_bottle
sjwright 9y ago
> Probably not possible, chemically https://www.fastcompany.com/40403025/this-edible-water-bottle-is-how-youll-drink-in-the-future https://www.fastcompany.com/40403025/this-edible-water-bottl...
horsecaptin 9y ago
You mean like a melon but one that holds large quantities of water?
- semi-extrinsic 9y ago
  Coconut. In places like Brazil, street vendors sell coconuts for drinking. They cut a small hole in the top and put a straw in when you buy it. Safe to drink and delicious. The container may not be edible, but it's easily biodegradable.
  - unclebucknasty 9y ago
    Delicious if you like sickly-sweet, salty water. Seriously, it's an acquired taste. But, what's funny is that they've been doing that forever in places like Brazil and the Caribbean. Then, several years ago, they put it in a box and imported to the U.S. etc., and it was like some brand new invention. But, of course, for each of those bio-degradable coconut husks, we now have a handful of tiny, plastic-lined boxes.
    - YeOakAye 9y ago
      > Delicious if you like sickly-sweet, salty water. That's entirely dependent on the type (and ripeness) of coconut, or more likely the can you're cracking. Hardly any coconut water tastes 'sickly sweet' from the fresh fruit.
      - unclebucknasty 9y ago
        Jamaica. Straight from the fruit. Just a matter of taste.
BurningFrog 9y ago
If the bottle was edible, other organisms than us would eat it before we got to it. So then you'd have to package the edible bottle in a protective layer. It seems easier to just sell water and food separately.
- maccard 9y ago
  Maybe not edible then, but biodegradable - that should do. There's a company in the UK called VegWare[0] no affiliation ) which produces biodegradable food packaging. - most of the "artisan" food stores in my city now package their products in it. 0- https://www.vegware.com https://www.vegware.com

TeMPOraL 9y ago

> in an easily consumable container That's the thing though: people wouldn't have so much issue with bottled water if the container actually was "easily consumable". As it is, bottled water is simply crime against the planet.

refurb 9y ago
If you never wanted to do something that was a "crime against the planet", we'd all be living in caves. You can't avoid it in a modern society.
- TeMPOraL 9y ago
  There's a difference between what's necessary, and what's just profiteering off damaging the environment. In a world where civilized countries can ensure quality drinking water in their taps, bottled water should be relegated to disaster relief and "transferring water from where it is plentiful to where it is actually scare".
  - njarboe 9y ago
    I almost always drink tap water but I would say it is better for people to drink bottled water than bottled sugar water. Should we ban sodas? Beer?
    - TeMPOraL 9y ago
      It is, but the health issues are a completely separate discussion. As for distribution of sodas, beers and other beverages - given the pattern of their consumption, it makes more sense to have them in containers than to try and make everyone's home connected to "tap beer". Now, we can continue this topic into realms of packaging of foods and other items, and I'm going to say it up-front: I consider the modern amount of packaging on things to be a crime as well. E.g. pre-packaged meat in plastic containers vs. getting it wrapped in paper by a clerk at the meat stand. I understand that convenience has value, and I wouldn't personally even care about this if we had a working, efficient recycling infrastructure. As we don't, I do care.