An initiative that swims between two waters. In September 2021, the Eau de Paris public establishment set up the “Here, I choose Paris water” initiative. The concept is simple: any passer-by can enter a store and ask to fill their water bottle without compensation. This service is indicated by a sticker on the shop front which is appears on the Eau de Paris map, on which are listed all the water points of the capital. Through this action, the mayor of Paris wishes to involve businesses in the distribution of water, and in the fight against plastic waste.
As a new heat wave descends on the capital and almost a year after the start of this initiative, 20 minutes wanted to know if businesses and Parisians or tourists had adopted the practice “Here, I choose Parisian water”. So, top or flop?
An influencer gets in the water
For Eau de Paris, while it is too early to take stock of the use of the system by Parisians, we are already talking about a success: “We were aiming for a network of 500 shops in the spring, today we there are more than 600.” A success driven in particular by the recent participation of Bio c’Bon and its 40 brands. “If some refuse or lack time, in general, traders adhere to the project,” says Eau de Paris.
If the sticker “Here, I choose Paris water” has found its place, it is clear that the initiative is not used. “No one came into my establishment to ask me for water,” announces Benoît, who runs an interior designer business in the 9th arrondissement. Astrid, manager of Oyat, agrees: “I did not see a single passerby asking for water. “As for the restaurateurs, the manager of Poppy says she has” been little informed “, but adheres to the movement, which has so far had no impact on the attendance of her establishment.
To make the initiative known to everyone, Eau de Paris has started a broad communication plan combining a poster campaign and the community of influencer Aurélien Préveaux. “We don’t have the firepower of a Coca-Cola,” admits the establishment, which also relies on word-of-mouth.
Gourd is not ecologically gourd
“Here, I choose Paris water” completes a network of 1,200 Parisian public fountains, and also aims to reduce plastic waste in the capital. The City of Paris recalls that one in two bottles is not recycled, and that 8 million tonnes of plastic end up in our oceans each year. To fight against the phenomenon, she recommends the use of the gourd, without packaging and “infinitely reusable”.
For Dan Lert, deputy to Anne Hidalgo in charge of water in particular and president of Eau de Paris, this initiative helps to reduce plastic waste and CO2 emissions. “The carbon impact of bottled water is 1,000 times greater than tap water,” he points out.