Want to find out more about regional mineral water? Then you've come to the right place! Water is the source of life and indispensable for all of us. This makes it all the more important to pay attention to the quality of this life-giving water. Against the backdrop of growing environmental awareness and the Water shortage not only the quality but also the origin plays an increasingly important role.
Fortunately, environmental awareness is increasing in Germany. A study conducted in 2018 showed that the majority of people are aware of environmental and Climate protection measuresincluding the areas of energy, agriculture, urban development and transportation. By choosing regional mineral water, every citizen can do something for our fragile environment.
In this article, I would like to provide you with the most important information about environmentally conscious suppliers, as well as the nutrients and benefits of regional mineral water. Let's go!
In advance you can find here already a short Overview about the contribution:
The water heroes: working for environmental protection
Do you already know the water heroes? Since the still young company was founded, awareness of the water heroes has regularly increased. They have set themselves the goal of high-quality mineral water throughout Germany via short routes and in environmentally friendly packaging to offer. In order to achieve their goals, the Wasserhelden are cooperating with more and more partners throughout Germany. Peter Albers expressed his point of view as follows:
"If we want to change something, let's do it together."
The company mission is: Hand in hand to the goal. By working together with businesses throughout Germany, Wasserhelden can offer consumers glass bottles as the most environmentally friendly option. solution with the best CO2-Balance at short distance offer. Both the advantageous reusability and the importance of short transportation routes are taken into account. The basis for this is the partnership with regional wells and their networking with each other.
Good to know: The cooperation partners of Wasserhelden rely on fully automatic filling lines for bottling, just like other well companies. Extensive hygiene and safety measures are a matter of course. The glass bottles are carefully sorted and cleaned. After filling, brand-new closures and labels are always used.
Water heroes make a twofold contribution to environmental friendliness
On the one hand, the company contributes to short transportation routes through its numerous partners and their networks. On the other hand, the use of glass bottles is particularly important for climate protection.
In our country, PET and disposable plastic bottles are the number one packaging for liquids. Of the former alone, 1.9 million are consumed in our country. per hour! Resources, including crude oil, have to be used for each of these bottles. In addition, their production is a burden on the climate and they also massively increase our personal (but often invisible) mountain of waste.
As a rule, disposable bottles are transported twice as far as their reusable counterparts. There is even a good reason for this: the former have a better CO2-balance than reusable bottles. As they are comparatively light in weight, they produce less CO2-consumption. This means that glass bottles are only ahead in regional areas.
Wasserhelden has found a sensible solution to this problem by cooperating with its partners throughout Germany. Consumers throughout Germany can also buy heavy glass bottles with a clear consciencewhich do not have to be transported over long distances. The regional products from Wasserhelden are therefore considered the most environmentally friendly alternative with the best CO2-balance sheet.
What nutrients does mineral water contain?
There are over 500 different mineral waters on the shelves in Germany. They come from around 200 German mineral springs. There are differences in
- Taste,
- Ingredients and
- in the region of origin.
The most important minerals in water include:
For example, a banana, which is known for its richness in magnesium, contains only half as much magnesium compared to mineral water. Our body needs this mineral above all for our bones and muscles. While calcium strengthens our teeth and bones, sodium is responsible for our water balance.
Why do regional mineral waters taste different?
Natural mineral water comes from underground, protected deposits. It is bottled at the respective source, whereby changing the characteristic composition is prohibited. The different proportions of minerals are responsible for the different taste.
Here are some examples of why regional mineral waters taste different:
- Calcium: It provides a slightly bitter taste, and at high levels in mineral water it can cause a feeling of dryness in the mouth.
- Magnesium: There are inverse descriptions for the mineral, including bitter and sweet.
- Sodium: It contributes to a salty taste.
Thanks to scientists who researched and publicized the health-promoting properties of mineral water, as well as companies such as Wasserhelden, far more people now drink the natural thirst quencher than in the past. In 1970, one person consumed twelve liters of water a year; 35 years later, per capita consumption was already at 147 liters a year.
What are the advantages of regional mineral water?
The aspect of regionality is attracting more and more attention in the area of environmental protection - this applies to food as well as beverages and other everyday products. According to representative surveys, 22.6 percent of Germans describe this topic as "very important" and 44 percent as "important". Many of them have recognized that it is also important to pay attention to mineral water, its origin and packaging. Consumers act sustainably by choosing their Adjust consumer behavior accordingly. Innovative start-ups such as Wasserhelden enable them to make a personal contribution to protecting the environment.
Germany offers more different natural mineral waters than any other country in the world. As a result, customers have a unique selection of products to suit all tastes and needs. For example, there are people who have to do without one mineral or another for health reasons. The extensive range from the different regions offers the advantage that the respective mineral content ranges from very low to high and you are spoiled for choice.
The most important advantages at a glance
Buying regional mineral water helps to ensure that
- long transportation routes (shorter transportation routes = lower CO2 impact),
- unnecessary intermediate storage,
- considerable environmental pollution and
- additional energy consumption
avoided are reduced. This not only has a positive effect on personal cost savings, but also on the protection of the ecological habitat of humans, animals and vegetation.
The problem with non-regional mineral water
Mineral waters from other EU countries or overseas often do not meet the usual food law requirements in Germany. For this reason, consumers should generally refrain from buying exclusive mineral waters with full-bodied advertising promises from abroad. In addition to the food law requirements there are other aspects that are problematic from an environmental and health perspective.
Imported mineral waters are often bottled in plastic bottles. But even recycled plastic bottles still have a worse carbon footprint than glass bottles, which can be reused dozens of times. Apart from that, it is possible that Pollutants like Microplastics and accumulate in the water.
Furthermore Long transport routes critical from an ecological point of view. When drinks arrive by plane from overseas, their CO2 footprint is devastating. Delivery over thousands of kilometers by truck within the EU also represents an avoidable environmental burden. In view of the diverse selection of regionally bottled mineral waters in Germany, buying foreign products is a supposed luxury at the expense of the environment that offers no measurable advantage.
Which water comes from your region?
With the wide range on offer in supermarkets and drinks stores, it's not easy to keep track of everything. There really are hundreds of different mineral waters in Germany. An overview of this enormous variety is provided by the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety with the Lists of natural mineral waters officially recognized in the Federal Republic of Germany.
You have two basic options for finding mineral water that is guaranteed to come from the region. One option is to use the list of natural mineral waters search for the products yourselfbottled in your area. The uncomplicated and time-saving alternative is to buy mineral water with the Water hero label to choose.
Regional mineral water: from the spring to the supermarket
Germany's 200 or so water companies fill the mineral water into bottles directly at the source, which is exactly what we later find on supermarket shelves. This process and the high quality of the mineral water are ensured by the Mineral and table water ordinance. This means that you can buy water that is bottled regionally throughout Germany. With the large variety of German mineral waters, you are sure to find the water that tastes particularly good to you. For sustainability reasons, make sure you buy bottled water in glass bottles, as these can be reused up to 50 times.
Do you have any questions, tips or other brands of regional mineral water that should not be missing from this article? Then I look forward to your comment.
Stay sustainable,
PS: More, Basic tips for regional shopping can be found in the linked article. Have fun with the implementation!