Banned But Not Beaten: Bottled Water Lives On In Concord

The people said they wanted a revolution, and then they voted—on several occasions, actually—to make it happen.

Concord’s annual Town Meeting in 2012 voted to make the town the first in the country to adopt a bylaw banning the sale of drinking water in single-serve PET plastic bottles. In 2013, 1,000 residents voted against revoking the ban.

Most local shops abided by the new bylaw after it officially took effect on Jan. 1 2013.

Some considered stocking shelves with glass bottles. At least one gave away 16.9 oz bottles with purchases as a way to clear inventory. Cumberland Farms defiantly continued selling banned bottles until Town Meeting upheld the ban in the spring. 

It’s been seven months since the landmark ‘Bottle Ban’ became law, but bottled water isn't extinct in Concord. Instead, a new breed of single-serve, commercialized drinking water has emerged to quench the thirst of local consumers.

In vending machines and convenience stores around town, flavored and electrolyte-charged waters share cooler space with other waters more noteworthy for their containers then their contents. We’re talking about flavorless, unsparkling waters in boxes and bottles made from plants.

One such variety is re:newal, a vapor distilled water packaged in bottles made from plants and distributed by Keystone Water Company. You can get a 16.9 oz bottle for $1.49 at the 7-Eleven in West Concord

Re:newal is a Florida-based brand that has begun to expand nationally, moving into new areas as towns, organizations and college campuses take steps to move away from bottled water.

“Plastic bottle bans are certainly helping us,” said Sam Blythe, national sales director for Keystone. “We hope to see more and more of them in the future.”

Re:newal bottles are made from PLA resin, derived from annually renewable plants; ingeo polymer is used to create the eco-friendly bottles. Check out the graphic above for more on the bottle. 

“It’s safe for humans, and it’s safe for the environment,” said Blythe.

But single servings of water sold in cartons, glass and plant-made bottles aren’t the only options around town.

Concord On Tap, an initiative driven by bottle ban supporters, teamed up with Camelbak to create reusable water bottles. And Concord On Tap also created a map of local businesses willing to provide tap water to visitors who ask for it.