Plastic Water: The Social and Material Life of Bottled Water co-written by Deakin University academic Dr Emily Potter exposes the secret life of bottled water, one of the most controversial products in the world.
Plastic Water follows this seemingly mundane product from its inception in the 1970s to its development as a billion-dollar global market and subsequent backlash from community and environmental activists.
Bottled water is big business with an estimated US$158 billion in annual sales worldwide, including $500 million in Australia, making it a fascinating subject for discussion.
“As criticism of the bottled water industry has grown, more companies have sought to create a positive association with their product – for example, Mount Franklin’s long-established partnership with The McGrath Foundation,” Dr Potter said.
The result of an extensive international study, Plastic Water examines how and why branded bottles of water have insinuated themselves into our daily lives and the impact that this is having on safe urban water supplies.