Bottled Life, the film, premieres in Erin April 25
The Climate Change Action Group of Erin (CCAGE) has presented more than a dozen award-winning environmental films over the past three years in its Fast Forward eco-series, but none on a topic so close to home as Bottled Life: The Truth About Nestlés’ Business with Water.
Bottled Life documents the booming business in bottled water, and focuses on the global leader in this lucrative multi-billion dollar market – namely, Nestlé, the world’s largest food and beverage company.
With headquarters in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé trades in 130 countries, and generates annual sales of over $100 billion. Bottled water alone accounts for nearly $10 billion of Nestlé’s business, and it owns more than 70 of the world’s top brands, including Perrier and PureLife.
Despite Nestlé’s extraordinary success, Bottled Life the movie paints a more troubling picture of a corporation that is accused of exploiting people in small communities that possess few resources to challenge the company when disputes arise.
The filmmakers traveled to several countries, including the United States – home to the world’s largest water bottling plant in Fryeburg, Maine – Pakistan and Nigeria to capture and tell their story.
The timing for the screening is apt, as Nestlé Waters Canada is currently applying to renew its permit to take up to 1.1 million litres of water per day from its Hillsburgh site, water that is then trucked 50 kilometres by tanker continuously to Nestlé’s plant in Aberfoyle for bottling and subsequent distribution, mainly as the PureLife brand.
Bottled Life was officially launched in January this year to a sold-out audience in Switzerland, and will premiere in Eastern Canada on April 25 at the Erin Legion, 12 Dundas St. East.
The event is co-sponsored by CCAGE and the new citizens’ group, Friends of Hillsburgh Water.
Doors open at 6:30pm.
Friends of Hillsburgh Water, Wellington Water Watchers and the Climate Change Action Group of Erin will be on hand for a questions before and after the film.
Admission is free; donations much appreciated. For more information: 519-833-4676 and www.wellingtonwaterwatchers.ca.
For more information contact Liz Armstrong, Climate Change Action Group of Erin 519-833-4676 or liz@ican.net
