Consumerist
-
aquafina
$1.26 Billion Glorified Tap Water Judgment Against Pepsi Thrown Out
Good news for Pepsico: the lawsuit two Wisconsin men filed, accusing the company of stealing from them the idea that eventually became Aquafina, will have to be judged on its actual merits. The default judgment of $1.26 billion that they received when Pepsi failed to acknowledge the suit has been vacated. More » -
recession watch
Bottled Water Price War Is Heating Up
What do you stop buying when you are broke? Bottled water. After a decade of rising consumption, bottled water sales are starting to trickle off — and companies are responding by dropping their prices. More » -
bottled water
Consumers Finally Growing Some Damned Sense, Not Buying Bottled Water
We're not always pessimists on Consumerist. Why, sometimes we actually like silver linings, if only because it gives us a chance to complain about argyria. (Don't take colloidal silver, people!) Today's silver lining is that sales of bottled water "have fallen for the first time in at least five years," says the Los Angeles Times. We're apparently showing common sense and opting for tap water over branded and labeled water, proving that in a tough economy it's hard to compete with (nearly) free. More » -
science says
Is Bottled Water Safer Than Tap Water? Please...
Bottled water isn't any safer than tap water, and could actually be more dangerous, according to a report from the Government Accounting Office. The big difference lies in the government regulator: tap water is covered by the Safe Water Drinking Act, administered by the aggressive and powerful Environmental Protection Agency, while bottled water falls under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act overseen by the powerless anything-goes industry-lovers over at the Food and Drug Administration. More » -
bottled water
Can Branding Sex Up Tap Water?
City officials in Venice have come up with a novel plan for getting consumers to break the bottled water habit: they've branded their tap water Acqua Veritas and created a slick ad campaign around it. More » -
shopping
5 Big Retail Mark-Ups To Watch Out For
The Lansing State Journal has put together a list of 5 marked-up retail categories to be aware of when you're making purchasing decisions, most of which you hopefully already know. If you can't find wholesale sources or DIY replacements, then at least make sure you do a lot of comparison shopping to get the best deal. More » -
saving
Seven Things That Aren't Worth Your Money
Want an extra $1,000? The Wall Street Journal has a list of seven things that you can easily stop buying without making drastic changes to your lifestyle. More » -
freebies
This Complimentary Bottle Of Water From Best Western Costs $3. Huh?
Best Western knows that hotel customers hate trumped up fees for minor perks, which is why they kindly offer this complimentary bottle of Poland Spring for only $3.
More »
-
-
No more free water
McDonald's: Want Water? You Will Pay For It.
Free cups of water at McDonald's are the next victim of the recession it seems. Reader Michael sent us this photo of a sign at McDonald's that proclaims the end to the free cup of water era. He says the cashier told him it was a "business decision." More » -
health
Study: There Is All Kinds Of Nasty Crap In Your Bottled Water
A new study challenging the idea that bottled water is "purer" than tap water found a laundry list of nasty substances in major brand name water, and named two brands that exceeded California's health standards. More » -
Gothamist says that there's a company (in NYC) selling purified New York City tap water in bottles. We can vouch for the goodness of NYC tap water, but really, all you need is a cup, or as Consumerist readers recommend to me, a stainless steel canteen. [Gothamist] (Thanks, Avi!)
MORE » -
bottled water
UPDATE: Primo's VP Of Marketing Responds To The Incredible Shrinking Water Bottle
Yesterday, we received a letter from Primo's Vice President of Marketing and PR. He wanted to chime in on Primo's unique bottle qualities and dispel any assumptions that a heated Primo bottle could somehow release toxic chemicals. His letter, inside... More » -
labels
California Bill To Mandate Disclosure Of Bottled Water Source, Quality
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is considering a bill that would require bottled water to bear a label clearly stating the source of the water, contact information for the bottler, and the location of recent water quality reports. SB 220 sailed through the California Legislature earlier this month, and would remind bottled water guzzlers that they are shelling out big bucks for a free, public resource.The confusion has put some companies in hot water. PepsiCo Inc.'s Aquafina brand and Coca-Cola Co.'s Dasani were slammed by consumer and environmental groups for failing to clearly note that their products came from water systems.
More » -
A family in Hainan, China worried that it had a tainted bottle of water on its hands, so it gave the water to a pet chicken; the chicken died "within a minute." We smell a new export opportunity here for Chinese manufacturers—your very own house chicken to peck out any tainted toys, toothpaste, or pet food. And maybe it can sniff the popcorn, too. Reuters already made a chicken-choking joke, so we'll pass. [Reuters]
[Updated to reflect correct location of incident—our bad; we misread the article dateline as the location of the incident and incorrectly wrote "Beijing" the first time around.]
MORE »
-
food
Aquafina To Admit Being From A "Public Water Source" On Label
Aquafina labels will soon say "Public Water Source," a nod by bottler PepsiCo to the fact that its bottled water is the same water that goes into a Pepsi, just pre-carbonation More » -
conspicuous consumption
It's Easier For You To Drink Fiji Water Than It Is For Most People From Fiji
We were thirsty the other day and wandered into a cute organic foods store on Atlantic Ave. in Brooklyn. As we went to pick out something to drink, we saw that only Fiji brand water was chilled. We decided to buy some tea, but for a moment we considered buying water from Fiji. After all, we were thirsty. More »
bottled water
New York, 5:25 PM
Mon Nov 9
15 posts in the last 24 hours
Tip Your Editors:
tips@consumerist.com
tipline: 347-42C-ON95
Co-Managing Editor:
Ben Popken
Email | AIM | Twitter
Co-Managing Editor:
Meghann Marco
Email | Twitter
Senior Editor:
Chris Walters
Email | Twitter
Weekend Editor:
Laura Northrup
Email | AIM | Twitter
Associate Editor:
Alex Chasick | Email
Associate Editor:
Phil Villarreal
Email
