PEPSI EXECUTIVES AND SHAREHOLDERS URGED TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOTTLE AT ANNUAL SHAREHOLDERS' MEETING - Corporate Accountability International - Challenging Abuse, Protecting People - Think Outside the Bottle


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PEPSI EXECUTIVES AND SHAREHOLDERS URGED TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOTTLE AT ANNUAL SHAREHOLDERS' MEETING

For Immediate Release:
May 2, 2007

Contacts:
Patti Lynn by cell in Plano (617) 306-3641
Deborah Lapidus (617) 695-2525

PLANO, TX–As Pepsi shareholders and executives gather for the corporation’s annual meeting, Corporate Accountability International is bringing a powerful message from consumers across the U.S.
The organization’s Think Outside the Bottle campaign, which challenges the marketing muscle of bottled water corporations, has reached tens of millions of people over the past year. Corporate Accountability International members are concerned that marketing of Aquafina and other brand names leads consumers to choose bottled over tap water.

The Aquafina logo, which includes an image of snow-capped mountains and states “pure water, perfect taste,” is an example of misleading advertising of bottled water. Though the image implies that the source of Aquafina is mountain spring water, it actually uses tap water as its source.

“Corporations like Pepsi, Nestlé and Coke are undermining people’s confidence in an essential public service,” says Corporate Accountability International Campaigns Director Patti Lynn. “Adding insult to injury, leading bands like Pepsi’s Aquafina and Coke’s Dasani use tap water as their source.”

Most people in the world won’t have access to enough water within 20 years, according to the United Nations, and the EPA projects 36 states in the U.S. will experience water shortages even sooner. Students, faith leaders and community activists have joined the Think Outside the Bottle campaign to challenge bottled water corporations and galvanize support for public water systems. Corporate Accountability International will deliver letters and pictures from children across the U.S. and thousands of postcards to Pepsi CEO Indra K. Nooyi. (Samples of letters from children can be found at http://www.stopcorporateabuse.org.)

“Corporations promote water privatization under the guise of efficiency. But whether it’s Coke or Pepsi bottling our tap water, Nestlé draining groundwater, or Suez taking over municipal water systems, none of these corporations pay the full costs of the public infrastructure they use, the environmental damage they cause or the health problems of the people they hurt,” says Lynn. “There is no substitute for public water. Water is a human right, not a privilege.”

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Corporate Accountability International, formerly Infact, is a membership organization that protects people by waging and winning campaigns challenging irresponsible and dangerous corporate actions around the world. For over 25 years, we've forced corporations -- like Nestlé, General Electric and Philip Morris/Altria -- to stop abusive actions. For more information visit www.stopcorporateabuse.org.