Message in a bottle

When I started writing about Belu bottled water I was heading in one direction but on further research I've done a u-turn. I was going to write that bottled water can never be good – why ship water cross-country or in from overseas when you can turn on the tap, the manufacture of plastic bottles uses barrels of oil plus they can't biodegrade so stay on the planet forever. But the odd thing about Belu is that they tell you to drink tap water, that tap water should be everyone's first choice. True, but curious coming from a company selling water (the Dragons would be horrified if confronted with that pitch).

Their view is that sometimes you're not near a tap, or you don't like the taste, and so you are going to buy a bottle of water. And if you're going to buy a bottle of water, make it theirs. (That's sounding more like a commercial business.) But, there's another but, Belu water does, as far as I can find out, appear to be a more eco-friendly choice than other bottled waters. 

The facts:

• the water come from within the UK, Shropshire to be exact
• the bottles are made either from glass or corn and the caps are recyclable
• the corn, or bio, bottle is compostable although commercial composters will break it down more easily than home composters. The bottle can also be thrown in with the rest of your recycling and recycled into other products.
• Belu gives their profits (the amount will be disclosed in a few months, says their website) to Water Aid to fund clean water projects in the UK and abroad
• the company is carbon neutral, sourcing clean energy where possible and offsetting any remaining carbon emissions
• they're working on a tap water filtration system to use in hotels and restaurants – yes they're making money but they're still encouraging tap rather than bottle use

Belu water is sold in some Tesco and Waitrose stores across the country so widely available if you're near one of two supermarkets. A pack of six bottles costs £2.69. Although I will still be trying to refill bottles I already have from the tap, if I am in desperate need of hydration away from home, I will endeavour to choose Belu over a less green brand.