Of all the bottled water available on the market today, one of the most unique brands is VOSS. Ole Christian Sandberg and Christopher Harlem were boyhood friends in Oslo, Norway who envisioned and created VOSS water in 1998. The small country of Norway is known for its pristine environment that produces some of the best spring and artesian water on Earth. Sandberg and Harlem realized if they could create a unique bottle design and bottle the pure, artesian, Norwegian water, it would be a hit around the world. Today Sandberg and Harlem are realizing this dream with VOSS water topping the bottled water charts in numerous countries around the world.
Unlike some of their competitors, VOSS offers more than just different sizes of water bottles. Instead they offer several different product options: still and sparkling water in glass bottles, still water in plastic bottles, and flavored sparkling water in glass bottles. Whether still, sparkling, or flavored, all VOSS products use water pumped directly from the artesian well deep underground in Iveland, Southern Norway. According to the 2011 water quality report on their website, VOSS water naturally contains minerals like Calcium, Chloride, Fluoride, Magnesium, and Sulfate. While the water is known for its exceptional fresh, smooth taste it does not have an alkaline pH level. The water quality report from 2011 on their website reports that the still water has a pH level of 5.5 (2). If you are looking for an alkaline bottled water because you read about the health benefits on our website, this might not be the water brand for you.
With a pH level of 5.5 VOSS water isn’t alkaline but one thing that sets the brand apart is the fact that they offer bottled water in glass bottles. For some people, the fact that VOSS water is bottled in glass bottles is a big perk. According to the VOSS water website, the reason they offer plastic bottles is because there are some locations that do not allow glass bottles such as resort swimming pools or outdoor bars. The company prefers to sell glass bottles because research suggests that glass bottles are both better for you and better for the environment.
Recent studies have shown that use of certain plastic packaging for food and drink have been linked to heart disease, liver disease, and diabetes. While the FDA is working to ensure that no chemicals, like BPA, are used in plastic packaging or containers for food and drink, some people feel it is safer to simply avoid plastic containers altogether. The non-porous nature of glass also indicates that glass can be kept cleaner and it is less likely to allow any contaminates to move from the container into your food or drink (1).
Glass is also a more environmentally-conscientious choice; approximately, 2.7 million tons of plastic are used worldwide in a year just for disposable plastic water bottles. While some plastics are recyclable, less than 1% of plastic is actually recycled (1). Unfortunately, this means that the majority of plastic water bottles will end up in landfills. Glass, on the other hand, is made from all-natural sustainable raw materials. Glass can be recycled and endlessly used without losing any quality or purity.
As a brand, VOSS feels it is important to be environmentally and socially responsible. In an effort to be environmentally responsible, the company is pursuit of becoming carbon neutral. Since 2007, VOSS has been evaluating their carbon footprint with the help of 3Degrees, a leading environmental advisory firm. The executive chairman of 3Degrees says, “VOSS deserves commendation from the industry for its serious and ongoing commitment to reducing the impact of its operations on the climate, for neutralizing the residual emissions it cannot eliminate, and for the example it is setting across the industry and the global economy for environmental stewardship.”
The VOSS foundation is a part of the company’s effort to be socially responsible. The foundation’s purpose is to provide access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene specifically in sub-Saharan Africa. With a unique approach, the foundation helps meet the local women and children’s water needs while ensuring local ownership and long-term sustainability. A few of their current projects include Denton Landfill Gas project in Denton, TX; Corinth Coal Mine Methane Facility in Illinois; and China Muling Wind Farm in Heilongjiang Province, China.
VOSS water is seen as a high-quality international water and served in many restaurants and hotels around the world: The Ritz-Carlton, Palace Hotel in San Francisco, Wolfgang Puck, Four Seasons, and Marriott. Many celebrities can be spotted drinking VOSS water. Rand Luxury review suggests that the bottle is so iconic it is actually seen as a fashion icon and can be spotted in celebrity social media posts (3). If you wish to join many happy consumers of VOSS water, you can select from still water, sparkling water and flavored water. Looking specifically at their still water, you have a choice of size: 800 ml glass bottle; 375 ml glass bottle; 850 ml, 500 ml, 330 ml, or 250 ml BPA free plastic bottle. You can find the bottled water in many different retail stores including Safeway, Whole Foods, Target, TJ Maxx, and World Market. If you wish to buy VOSS water online you can purchase the water directly from the company’s website, or from companies like Vitamin Shoppe.
The advantages to purchasing and drinking VOSS water are numerous. First, VOSS offers incredibly pure and naturally mineral rich water from and artesian well in Norway. Secondly, VOSS offers optional glass bottles that are not only better for you but better for the environment. Third, by purchasing VOSS water, you are supporting a company that is investing in reducing their carbon footprint and leading the way in environmentally friendly business practices. Unfortunately, if you are specifically looking for an alkaline water and the health benefits that come along with that, VOSS water has an unfortunately low pH level of 5.5. With a pH level that low, VOSS water falls on the acidic side of the pH scale and can’t offer any of the alkaline water benefits.