Smartwater, a Coca-Cola product that is marketed as a better alternative to water, is sold across campus. What makes it supposedly “better” is how it is made, via a process called “vapor distillation,” which is just condensing water vapor into liquid water. If this sounds familiar, it’s because it’s the exact thing that clouds do in the water cycle. By using the term “vapor distillation,” Coca-Cola is able to make smartwater seem like it goes through some fancy process in a chemistry lab, therefore making it superior. But Coca-Cola also claims that it is like water from clouds but “better,” because of the added electrolytes. The use of electrolytes is where two stories emerge: there are claims by Coca-Cola that the electrolytes are added to the water to increase the hydration of the water, but there are also claims that the electrolytes are for taste. Electrolytes are not something that is special to smartwater; they are also added to tap water. By drinking smartwater, you are not getting electrolytes that you would not get somewhere else. The fact that there is no consensus within the company about the benefits of smartwater is indicative that the electrolytes serve no function other than being an effective marketing strategy.
Beyond the misrepresented benefits of smartwater, another negative aspect of smartwater is the plastic bottle that it comes in. Not only is the production of the bottle wasteful, but the waste also lies in the distribution of the water bottle. The whole lifespan of a plastic bottle is soaked in the burning of fossil fuels: from production, filling, distribution and collection. The bottle is made of plastic that is sourced from oil. When distributed, it is wrapped in more plastic, and then it is moved in a diesel powered truck for consumption. Finally, if it is lucky, it is taken to a recycling plant by another diesel powered truck. There are around one million plastic water bottles used every minute across the globe. The College’s use of smartwater is adding to this statistic, but the number could be reduced by students using reusable plastic water bottles. While a reusable water bottle typically needs to be shipped as well, you are reducing your carbon footprint by buying fewer of them. More personally for students, using a reusable water bottle means we can increase the amount of flex dollars we have because we are not wasting it on buying smartwater. It is extremely easy to refill your water bottle on campus, with at least one refill station in every building and a large number of sinks everywhere.
As a college student, you have control over how much smartwater the College buys. If there are fewer smartwater sales, then the College will not purchase as much. This initiative must stem from students. You have the capacity to make a change on this campus and it starts with your water. Smartwater is not a smart choice: consumers pay more for the same quality as tap water, and the negative effects that it has on the environment far outweigh any benefits the company would have you believe it carries.
Mia Stevens, a Contributing Writer for the Voice, can be reached for comment at MStevens20@wooster.edu.