Cap Safety Information
Over the course of the last several years, we have been reducing the plastic in our bottles and caps, making our packaging lighter and more environmentally friendly. The cap on our 12 ounce, 16 ounce, 20 ounce, 700mL, .5 Liter, 1 Liter, and 1.5 Liter products has the least amount of plastic, with the cap for these size products smaller than other caps. In light of that, we have applied the following label statement:
WARNING: Cap is a small part and poses a CHOKING HAZARD, particularly for children.
Consumers should be advised that small parts, including our caps, should not be put in the mouth. Additionally, caps should always be replaced securely on bottles when not in use or discarded promptly.
Water Source Identification: BlueTriton Brands identifies water sources on its bottle labels and/or online.
Purified water products are treated by reverse osmosis, UV and ozone disinfection for added safety assurance and enhanced with minerals for consistent and pleasing taste. Bottled water products from each NWNA bottling line are tested 200 times per day to ensure quality.
Quality Reports
Since 2005, we have made quality reports publicly available for all of our brands and are based on independent testing results from certified laboratories.
Easy Consumer Access to Information: Consumer questions and comments can be directed to our toll-free number, which is listed on the label of each bottle.
Storage and Handling
To maintain the high quality of our bottled water products, we recommend people store all of our products in a cool, clean, or shaded location, as they would any other packaged food product.
Food Packaging Safety & Regulation
We use packaging that fits into the lifestyles of today’s busy consumers, has as minimal an environmental impact as possible, and is considered safe by regulatory and public health agencies. We evaluate new packaging materials and make changes to our products when there is a clear environmental, health and/or economic benefit.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for overseeing the safety of bottled water, which, like other food products such as infant formula and seafood, must be processed, packaged, shipped and stored in a safe and sanitary manner, and be truthfully and accurately labeled. Bottled water is one of the most regulated food products, with FDA protocols specific to bottled water processing and labeling.
Chemicals from plastic packaging can migrate over time, but the FDA sets conservative limits for the amounts it considers safe for human consumption. NWNA and our suppliers comply with the FDA’s packaging and health-based regulations.
Our single serve bottles are made from PET plastic. The FDA classifies PET as safe for human use and has authorized its use for decades. PET itself is an inert substance, meaning it migrates very slowly. As long as bottled water is stored at room temperature or cooler it is considered safe for human consumption. It should be consumed before the expiration or “use by” date printed on the packaging.
Bisphenol-A (BPA) is not present in our bottled water packaging smaller than three gallons. Our single-serve bottles (typically 1.5 liters and smaller) are made from PET plastic (marked with the “1” symbol), which is flexible and lightweight. Our three-liter, one-gallon and 2.5-gallon sizes are made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE), identified by the “2” symbol.
Our three- and five-gallon bottles are made from polycarbonate, a strong, clear and reusable type of plastic. Polycarbonate (identified by the “7” symbol) is used in a wide range of food storage containers, and is commonly found in the epoxy resin lining of canned food products. While our tests show there are no detectable levels of BPA in our home and office bottles, we understand consumers may be concerned. Learn more about BPA.
Recycling and Reuse of Bottles
We recommend that our water bottles be recycled, not reused. Every bottle produced by NWNA is recyclable.
Our single serve bottles are not intended for multiple uses since PET plastic can break down from repeated washings and reuse, eventually allowing human bacteria into the contents. Instead, we recommend the bottles be used once and then recycled.
Our 3- and 5-gallon home and office delivery containers are made of polycarbonate and are each vigorously cleaned and reused as many as 35 times before they’re recycled.
Consumers can reduce the overall environmental impact associated with drinking a bottle of water by 25%, just by recycling the bottle after use. Recycled bottles are in high demand for use in products such as fabric, carpeting and other consumer goods.