AIRPORT CITY, Israel, Nov. 23,
2016 /PRNewswire/ -- SodaStream International
Ltd. (NASDAQ: SODA), the No. 1 sparkling water brand in the
world, is going on the offensive following a cease and desist
letter from Joseph K. Doss the
President and General Counsel of the International Bottled Water
Association (IBWA) and long-time Washington D.C. insider. The letter demands
that SodaStream cease airing its disruptive new video campaign,
"Shame or Glory," in which the brand advocates using fresh, local
tap water to make sparkling water at home over the use of
single-use plastic bottles. See the video at:
http://www.heavybubbles.com/shameorglory/index.html.
The hazard of the plastic bottle industry to our environment is
well established. In the US alone, the recycling rate of plastic
beverage bottles is only 37%, meaning that 52 billion plastic
bottles end up in landfills, parks or oceans every year. The affect
to marine life is particularly concerning. Since 1988, ocean
conservationists have warned about the so-called "Great Pacific
Garbage Patch," a floating island the size of Texas thought to be comprised of improperly
disposed plastic waste. According to a report by Greenpeace
entitled "Plastic Debris in the World's Oceans," more than 267
different species of seabirds, turtles, seals, sea lions, whales
and fish have been documented as casualties of plastic ingestion or
entanglement.
In the IBWA letter to SodaStream, the IBWA implies that bottled
water is safer than tap water. In fact, U.S. tap water is
considered amongst the safest and cleanest on earth. Thanks to the
Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 and subsequent amendments, as well
as the on-going work of the EPA's Office of Water, nearly all
Americans have access to fresh, clean water straight from the tap.
The IBWA's implications seem designed to undermine the confidence
that Americans have in their existing regulations, the work of the
EPA and the efforts of the Office of Water. This baseless fear
mongering in order to boost corporate profits feels cruel and
misleading to consumers.
"We will not let the IBWA's threats stop us from trying to save
the planet," said Daniel Birnbaum, Chief Executive Officer of
SodaStream. "The IBWA, a front for major plastic manufactures
like Nestlé -- the world's largest producer of bottled water -- is
nothing more than an elite group of like-minded corporate sponsors
who prioritize their own profits over the care of our planet. I
don't know what's more offensive: The notion that a huge corporate
organization thinks it can silence a small company or that the
message they want gagged is that plastic bottles represent a real
threat to the environment. This profiteering group, whose financial
gains are a direct result of the two hundred million plastic water
bottles their industry makes every day, wants to silence us from
telling the truth. Even more disturbingly, the IBWA want to
convince consumers that there is something wrong with the
high-quality, delicious tap water that is available in most homes
in America. The documented and real threat we face is from
single-use plastic bottles. If anyone is trying to mislead
consumers it is the IBWA, not SodaStream in its campaign. So,
no. We will not be gagged and we will not be silenced."
SodaStream's "Shame or Glory" campaign includes a feature
length 3-minute video and an integrated social campaign. The video,
which has been viewed more than 20 million times since its launch a
week ago, features a production assistant on a mission to buy
sparkling water from a local supermarket. He is pursued by
Hannah Waddingham as Game of Thrones
character Septa Unella, who rings the bell of shame and repeatedly
shouts "shame" at the assistant. When the assistant finally reaches
the set, fellow Game of Thrones actor Thor Bjornsson explains the
benefits of using a SodaStream machine and fresh, local tap water
instead of the shameful habit of using and throwing away plastic
water bottles. The refillable SodaStream carbonating cylinder makes
up to 60 liters of delicious sparkling water, replacing 120
single-use plastic bottles.
About SodaStream
SodaStream is the world's leading
manufacturer and distributor of sparkling water makers. It operates
in 45 countries, and its products are available in more than 70,000
retail stores on five continents. SodaStream enables consumers to
easily transform ordinary tap water into sparkling water and
flavored sparkling water in seconds. By making ordinary water more
exciting and fun to drink, SodaStream helps consumers love their
water. SodaStream sparkling water makers offer a highly
differentiated and innovative alternative to consumers wanting to
reduce bottled and canned carbonated soft drinks. SodaStream
products promote health and wellness, are environmentally friendly
and cost effective, and are customizable and fun to use. To learn
more about how SodaStream makes water exciting, follow SodaStream
on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube,
and visit www.sodastream.com.
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SOURCE SodaStream International Ltd.