At lunch the other day, a friend and I were debating the plastic water bottle problem- how do we reduce the amount of waste within our company from employees drinking multiple small bottles of water every day, and thus reduce the amount of trash we generate? As we brainstormed over removing the drink machines (very unpopular, I’m sure), selling employees on the well-treated tap water of suburban America, and of our company’s recent drive supplying reusable water bottles to all employees, I had to ask: when did we get rid of all the water coolers? I’ve heard of companies having these, but I’ve never worked at a company in the last 11 years that had water coolers. Maybe companies have cut these water coolers over the years as a way of reducing cost, reducing gossip, or maybe it’s all part of an agreement with Pepsi or Coca Cola to get employees to drink more softdrinks. Any which way, it’s time to re-evaluate supplying these water coolers in the workplace as a means of reducing bottled water waste.
Where have all the water coolers gone?
October 3rd, 2007 · 2 Comments ·
Tags: Lifestyle
2 responses so far ↓
Thibeaux // Oct 4, 2007 at 9:20 pm
I have a similar problem at home. I rent rooms to college students, and every one of them buys cases of 20 ounce bottles of spring water, even though I have a distiller and provide them with all the distilled water they want. We share the cost of the electricity to make it, which is about 22 cents per gallon. I talked to one, and he said he likes the taste of the spring water better. I wonder if he could consistently tell the difference in a blind taste test. At least, he could reduce his plastic usage by buying two gallon jugs of water and a reusable lexan container!
Also, I do have a water cooler at work, and I use it every day. It’s easier than carrying in my distilled water.
Jennifer Dearing // Oct 5, 2007 at 2:59 am
Thanks for the comment! It’s the biggest marketing coup of the 90’s- next will be bottles of air. I agree- blind taste tests with spring water vs. filtered would really tell the tale…maybe that’s what we should arrange at work!
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