- Identify an ethical situation confronting a company that is currently being discussed or reported on in the media and describe the ethical dilemma. Please document your sources at the end of each post.
Nestle is known for their large production of food and drinks, specifically infant formula, water, chocolates, coffees, teas, and snacks. Nestle has been in the media multiple times for many different decisions that the company has made that many thinks are ethically questionable. Over the years, Nestle has been accused of taking water to make bottled water from locations that are already low on water supply. Most recently, Nestle has been taking water from California, who is experiencing droughts.
California has put strict rules and regulations in place in order to conserve water, yet Nestle is still bottling large amounts of water. Many believe that the bottled water that Nestle sells is just as good as tap water. It is claimed that “of the 62.6 million gallons of water that Nestle says it extracted from the San Bernardino spring each year on average from 1947 to 2015, the company may only have a right to some 8.5 million gallons” (Chappell, 2017). Another claim is that Nestle lacks the legal permits needed to collect the water from some of its locations in California, like San Bernardino National Forest. Back in 2015, the Desert Sun published a story about Nestlé’s water operations and “Ian James told NPR, “Nestle has 11 spring sources that it uses in California as well as five bottling plants. And the water that’s bottled comes both from springs as well as from other supplies pumped directly from groundwater or from municipal supplies.”” (Chappell, 2017). Many believe that Nestlé’s actions are damaging the natural environment and its surrounding community.
Source:
Chappell, B. (2017). California says nestle lacks permits to extract millions of gallons of water. Washington: NPR. Retrieved from https://ezproxy.rit.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.rit.edu/docview/1980857640?accountid=108
Sidney Ponikau 
I personally did not know this was an ethical situation at all, so this is very interesting to hear. Another reason why this is so intriguing is because I did not know Nestle was connected to all those different brands shown above in the picture that was posted. As stated above, “Many believe that the bottled water that Nestle sells taste like tape water” I personally disagree with this because I hate the taste of tape water and I drink Nestle bottle water all the time. Another example, that I thought was interesting as well is another quote stating “of the 62.6 million gallons of water that Nestle says it extracted from the San Bernardino spring each year on average from 1947 to 2015, the company may only have a right to some 8.5 million gallons”. This is just crazy, and to be honest never heard about this issue before but this is a real ethical situation that needs to get fixed. Overall, Nestle is a good example of experiencing an ethical situation.
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I personally also dislike the taste of tap water from my area. But I have tasted tap water from other states which I didn’t mind, and each area’s tap water is different. Thats why when one travels it is recommended to drink bottled water because water from area have different minerals and bacteria that our body might have a reaction to if they are not used to it.
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I used to always drink Nestle chocolate milk when I was younger, but I never knew about this water issue. That amazes me that nothing is really being done with this company because this is a big issue. This gives Nestle a bad branding “look” because they are taking water during a drought, which means less water for the environment and for those who need it most.
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I find this interesting because I used to drink Nestle all the time when I was younger. I never knew the backstory to this company, so I also did more research myself. there were two comments that Switzer, Nestle water’s chief sustainability officer, said “The sustainability of the supply is paramount and if our activities were to compromise the sustainability of that supply, we would stop operating. I hope people remember that water itself is a renewable resource as long as that is managed properly, that system will be renewable forever”. With that being said, I do agree with him and they do have rights. Water is a natural resource that we get generated from the environment. It is fair in my opinion.
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I was also surprised about the water issues. However drinking water is becoming more and more scarce throughout the world, so I have a hard time believing that “the system will be renewable forever”.
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I had no idea that this was even happening with Nestle. While taking water from California during a drought could have severe consequences on the land and the ecosystem around California. I think that the ethical issue develops around how much water they are taking and not the shear fact that they are taking it. What I think is funny is that the bottled water that they are selling is often just as good as tap water. For those who continue to drink bottled water, this ethical issue will go right over their head as they don’t see an issue with it. Personally, Im a big Brita guy. You just gotta fill up the pitcher once a day and forget about.
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It seems that this is not the first time that Nestle was questioned about their ethics and the business they do. It seems that they have mined water from many areas that are struggling with their environment.
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I have mixed feelings about this, while this is horrible, I grew up with Nestle as a staple of my childhood. I didn’t just consume their products, they had a factory in my town. It is hard for me to imagine Nestle to do any wrong, so as a consumer this surprises me.
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I was also just as surprised to find out that they were one of the most ethically questionable companies.
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