Is Boxed Water Actually Better?

Boxed Water Is Better is a great name for a brand. After all, the sell is right there in the title. Since 2009, the Grand Rapids, Michigan-based company has been elbowing its way into the $144 billion global market for bottled water—make that "convenience water." Maybe you've seen it: As of this week, shoppers can buy Boxed Water at Costco wholesale supermarkets, certain Whole Foods and Kroger's groceries, plus other retail and specialty outlets in 22 states and Canada, Mexico, Hong Kong, and Puerto Rico.

The name is not just fitting, it's precise. As much as the company is selling water, it's also selling boxes, or rather, selling its customers on paper over plastic. The Boxed Water carton may be unfamiliar to folks, but the entire thing is recyclable, down to the cap; 76 percent of the product is made using paper from certified, sustainably managed forests.