Bucuti reduces and reuses plastic and glass bottles while supporting local merchants

August 1, 2008- Bucuti Beach Resort, Eagle Beach - Drinking water in Aruba is of the best in the world with our state-of-the-art Balashi desalinization plant, renown worldwide for producing top quality, refreshing water. But despite this, our visitors continue to demand and consume bottled water. Statistics have the average consumer in western countries consuming nearly 40 liters of bottled water a year. Often we see the plastic bottles discarded along our roads and beaches which has a negative impact on many levels, including the energy and resources it took to bring the water to Aruba in the first place, from lands as away as Fiji ! Recognized for being environmental activists, both locally and regionally, the Bucuti Beach Resort team is taking steps to do their share by banning imported bottled water in the resort.

The Earth Policy Institute estimates that to make the plastic for the bottles used in the USA, 1.5 million barrels of oil is consumed, enough to power 100,000 cars for a year. Nearly 90 percent of the bottles are not recycled. A simple way to visualize the average energy cost to make the plastic, process and fill the bottle, transport bottled water to market and then deal with the waste - "it would be like filling up a quarter of every bottle with oil." states Peter Gleik, Director of the think-tank Pacific Institute located in Oakland California who is a leading expert in water policy.

Bucuti Beach Resort no longer offers imported bottled water in response to this important issue and has trained associates how to respond to visitors who request it. "We have been able to turn an initially negative response to failing to deliver a desired product into a positive one and by the conclusion of their visit, we often find them inspired enough to give compliments in our guest survey or on-line review and to inform us they have changed their lifestyle and purchasing habits to make their own statement and difference." Bucuti only offers the locally sourced and bottled AWA water in all outlets. "AWA is the best tasting and offers the high quality of the imported brands anyway, therefore our guests do not sacrifice anything despite their limited choice".

The Bucuti Team has not only taken a stand with bottled water, they now offer only two types of beer at their Sand Bar at the Pirate Nest Restaurant. The locally brewed and popular Balashi Beer, offered in returnable and recyclable glass bottles as well as the regionally brewed Heineken beer whose bottles are delivered by Bucuti to an Aruban company who refills them with locally made cleaning products for sale in neighborhood supermarkets. "Due to the economies of scale, Aruba has limited capacity to recycle. Therefore we take every opportunity available to do our share in protecting our environment and to give our guests an understanding and participation." states Ewald Biemans, Managing Director

For more information about the Bucuti environmental program, Click here.