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Bottling Industry

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service, the per capita consumption of carbonated beverages rose 5.9 percent between 1994 and 2004, from 49.4 gallons to 52.3 gallons. That means that, on average, every person in this country consumes roughly a gallon of soda every week. In the same period, the consumption of bottled water rose 115 percent, from 10.8 gallons per capita to 23.2 gallons; by 2006, this was up to about 28 gallons. Whatever this trend may forebode for human health, it has dramatically increased the demand for aluminum and plastic containers.

Globally, 41 billion gallons of bottled water were consumed in 2004, much of it in places where tap water is perfectly safe and good tasting. This means instead of drinking a gallon of water that should cost a few pennies at most from a faucet and through a system of distribution that is relatively inexpensive (pipes), people are paying two or three dollars for water in a container that is extremely expensive to manufacture and travels many miles on average, wasting fuel in its journey to the consumer. Moreover, the plastic itself is a form of polyester called polyethylene terephthalate (PET) that is made from crude oil, and despite efforts at recycling, most of this either ends up in landfills where it will never biodegrade, is incinerated, or becomes litter that often makes its way into our streams, rivers, and oceans, toxifying water and scenery for marine life, wildlife, and humans. The manufacturers and bottlers of beer, soft drinks, sports drinks, and water are hugely powerful interests that liberally fund lobbyists to squash current efforts to enact bottle bills in various states.

While few consumers consider soft drinks a health-promoting beverage option – even though there are brands that employ this marketing angle, especially diet andnutrient-fortified drinks—the general perception is that bottled water is good for you. Leading brands advertise micronutrients and essential minerals, which are often added to ordinary filtered tap water. Imported waters also carry the prestige of affluence, unspoiled tropical islands, pristine alpine springs, or sophisticated Old World spas. Ironically, the time spent in plastic bottles, being shipped from these sources or sitting on shelves, may leach toxins such as antimony and bisphenol A into the water. The plastics industry and the Food and Drug Administration assure consumers that plastic containers are safe, but there is increasing cause for concern. In other words, bottled water may be good neither economically, nor environmentally, nor for promoting health.

Another major trend in the bottling industry in the past decades has been the vertical integration by soft drink manufacturers. Strangely, while antitrust legislation prevented the largest manufacturers (Coca-Cola and Pepsi) from buying out all competitors and creating monopolies, it allowed these companies to purchase the bottling companies (2500).

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