Aquafina Eco-Fina Bottle Claims Lightest Weight in its Class ยท Environmental Leader
Having spoken to the brand manager for Aquafina last year, he told me that in 09 they were going to introduce a 50% reduction in bottle weight. Fairly impressed, I eagerly awaited the news. So somehow the press release missed my filters and Environmental Leader picked up on the story above. Additionally, they’re removing the cardboard base in 24-packs.
While the action is substantive, the communication about it is a bit lame. If you click on the story, you’ll see a couple things. The ‘Eco-Fina’ graphic branding is completely unnecessary, as whenever you claim ANY type of ‘eco’ attributes, you’re opening yourself up as a brand for potential greenwash claims. Just toss the label all together. There’s nothing intrinsic about the product being eco-friendly. Compostable v. plastic disposable tableware is one thing, but the water product itself has not fundamentally changed. A lighter bottle doesn’t make for a credible ‘eco’ affiliation.
Secondly, there’s a video that shows the manufacturing/operations process with the aforementioned graphic thrown in, along with this claim: “Eco-Friendly Packaging is 100% Recyclable”. Well Doh! Polyethylene Terephthalate (#1) is the common plastic behind all soft drink bottles – which are most definitely recyclable. The real problem behind bottle recycling is systemic.
Lastly, I came across this blog post where a referenced friend received one of these new water bottles, via FedEx Priority Overnight. Now, I’m always reluctant to blame a brand at large for mistakes – all organizations are run by individuals. Whoever was responsible for this blogger outreach campaign should have never sent any water bottles…period. The perceived carbon footprint, waste of packaging, and general adversity by much of the green community (myself excluded) to bottled water, can make a bad impression. So if you’re targeting bloggers, who are word-of-mouth agents by nature, one should be mindful of some of these considerations.