International Bottled Water Association | IMMEDIATE RELEASE | January 14, 2010
UPDATE ON IBWA RELIEF EFFORTS IN HAITI
The International Bottled Water Association and its membership stand ready to assist the American Red Cross with bottled water donations to Haiti, where access to potable water has been devastated in the wake of Tuesday’s earthquake. The Red Cross indicated to IBWA that relief efforts are still very much focused on search and rescue, and that the relief effort is going to take a very long time. The Red Cross is still trying to determine exact needs in regards to product donations. We are hoping for further word from the Red Cross very soon about how IBWA members can help. We will let members and the public know as soon as we have more information to share.
If you would like to help in the meantime:
The quickest way to help is to make a donation of $10 to the American Red Cross by texting “Haiti” to 90999 on your cell phone. It requires no credit card or payment information and takes a matter of seconds (your phone bill is billed directly). This texting effort is backed by the U.S. State Department, and those funds will go directly to support American Red Cross relief efforts in Haiti. You can also make an unrestricted donation to the International Response Fund at www.redcross.org or by calling 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767).
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The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) is the authoritative source of information about all types of bottled waters, including spring, mineral, purified, artesian, and sparkling. Founded in 1958, IBWA’s membership includes U.S. and international bottlers, distributors and suppliers. IBWA is committed to working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates bottled water as a packaged food product, to set comprehensive and stringent standards for safe, high-quality bottled water products.
In addition to FDA regulations, IBWA member bottlers must adhere to the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice, which mandates additional standards and practices that in some cases are more stringent than federal and state regulations. A key feature of the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice is a mandatory annual plant inspection by an independent, third-party organization.
IBWA is proud to be a partner with Keep America Beautiful and a supporter of Drink Up, an initiative of former First Lady Michelle Obama and the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), which encourages Americans to drink more water more often – whether from the tap, a filter, or in a bottle. Choosing water is always the healthy choice.
