Bottled water is the Number 1 beverage product in the US, by volume, for a second year in a row, the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) and the Beverage Marketing Corporation (BMC) announced on May 31. Bottled water volume grew to 13.7 billion gallons (51.8 liters) in 2017, a seven-percent increase over the previous year. The distance between bottled water and carbonated soft drinks continues to widen as consumers increasingly choose bottled water instead of soda.
Carbonated soft drink sales decreased for the 13th consecutive year, according to the most recent numbers from BMC. Bottled water sales now total $18.5 billion, an increase of 8.8 percent. Per capita consumption exceeds 42 gallons (158.9 liters) of bottled water, a 6.2 percent increase. Meanwhile, the average annual intake of carbonated soft drinks has slipped to 37.5 gallons (141.9 liters), BMC statistics show. Beverage Marketing predicts bottled water will climb higher than 50 gallons (189.2) per capita within just a few more years.
Hurricane season
As we head into the 2018 hurricane season, IBWA is advising consumers to take stock of their emergency preparedness kits and ensure they have enough drinking water to support their needs in case of an emergency. Hurricane season begins on June 1 and runs through November 30. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommends storing at least 1 gallon (3.7 liters) of water per person, per day for at least three days. In addition, FEMA advises that the safest, most reliable emergency drinking water is commercially purchased bottled water, which should be stored in the sealed original container in a cool, dark place.
Ocean conservation
IBWA recognized World Oceans Day, June 8, by highlighting the industry’s reduction in plastic use and educating consumers about ways they can help keep waste out of our oceans and litter off our shorelines. “Although only a very small amount of ocean waste originates as litter, this amount can be significantly reduced if industry continues its innovative efforts to lightweight its plastic bottles and consumers increase their efforts to recycle their empty bottled water containers,” says Jill Culora, IBWA VP of Communications.
World Oceans Day
World Oceans Day is an opportunity for people around the world to celebrate and honor the ocean, which connects us all, say organizers. Hundreds of events are held globally appreciating the oceans. Activities include shoreline exploration walks, coastal cleanups and boating events. A common misconception is that bottled water plays a significant role in ocean plastic pollution, but the facts show differently. Bottled water is one of thousands of food and beverage products packaged in plastic. And in the past 10 years, the bottled water industry has achieved tremendous plastic resin reduction usage through lightweighting its containers.
“Bottled water containers are 100 percent recyclable –– even the caps. We recommend people empty their bottles and replace the caps before placing them in a recycle bin,” says Culora.