Bottled water has retained its title as America’s favorite packaged
drink, outselling carbonated soft drinks (by volume) for the eighth
year in a row, new data from the Beverage Marketing Corporation
(BMC) shows.
Bottled water’s total volume sold in 2023 was 15.94 billion
gallons, compared to carbonated soft drinks, which sold 11.84
billion gallons. Bottled water retail sales surpassed $48 billion,
up 6.5% from 2022.
“Multiple characteristics account for bottled water’s resonance
with U.S. consumers, including its associations with healthfulness,
convenience, safety, and value. An array of packaging types,
ranging from single-serve to bulk, facilitates a wide range of
uses,” says John G. Rodwan, Jr., BMC’s editorial director.
“Consumers’ thirst for beverages that offer benefits beyond
refreshment alone also contributed to the fundamental hydrating
beverage’s rise in the beverage standings. Bottled water’s
zero-calorie status and its lack of artificial ingredients appeal
to many consumers. Even where tap water may be safe and readily
available, people may prefer bottled water, which they often
believe tastes better. The availability of packaged water wherever
beverages are sold also differentiates bottled water from tap,”
says Rodwan.
Bottled water products compete with other packaged drinks, but
not tap water. Most bottled water drinkers consume both tap water
and bottled water, packaged conveniently in 3 and 5-gallon for the
home and office, or at retail 1 and 2.5 gallon or individual size
commonly sold by the case. However, when people are away from home
and bottled water isn’t available, 70% say they will choose another
packaged drink, according to a survey conducted in 2022 on behalf
of the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) by The Harris
Poll. Survey respondent choices were as follows: soda (22%),
sparkling or sweetened or flavored bottled water (10%), sports
drink (8%), tea (7%), coffee (6%), juice/fruit drinks (5%),
functional water (5%), bottled tea (4%), energy drink (3%). Among
the remaining 30%, a third (10%) would drink from a water
dispenser, either using a refillable cup (5%) or disposable cup
(5%). Ten percent would drink filtered tap water, 6% would drink
unfiltered tap water, while 4% would drink from a public water
fountain (down from 7% in 2019).
For more than a decade, consumers have been increasingly
choosing bottled water instead of less-healthy packaged drinks. In
fact, since 2012, 34% of bottled water’s growth has come from
people switching from less-healthy drinks to bottled water.
Bottled water’s volume surpassed soft drinks for the first time
in 2016 and has done so every year since. Americans consumed, on
average, 46.4 gallons of bottled water in 2023, compared to 34.4
gallons of soda. The fact is that consumers demand bottled water.
Research shows that nine out of 10 Americans (91%) say they expect
bottled water to be available wherever other drinks are sold.
“Consumer preference for healthy hydration and bottled
water is really good news for public health,” says Jill Culora,
IBWA’s vice president of communications. “This is
particularly important as the nation continues to experience high
rates of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.”
“Bottled water also has the added benefit of packaging that is
100% recyclable, unlike laminated paper cartons, which technically
can be recycled but most often they are not accepted by the
majority of municipal recycling systems in the United States. Not
only are bottled water containers 100% recyclable (including the
cap) but they also use much less plastic than other packaged
beverages.”
Even with continuing growth and increased consumption, bottled
water still has the smallest impact on the environment—thanks to
the fact that it has the smallest water and energy use footprint of
any packaged beverage. On average, only 1.4 liters of water
(including the 1 liter of water consumed) and 0.21 mega joules of
energy are used to produce 1 liter of finished bottled water.
Most bottled water is packaged in 100% recyclable PET #1 plastic
and HDPE #2 plastic, which are the plastics most recognized by
consumers as being recyclable and the most recycled plastics in the
world. Consumers can be confident about recycling plastic bottled
water containers because they are among the few consumer packaging
types that are universally recyclable across the United States. Not
all cities and towns recycle glass bottles and laminated paper
cartons, which are most commonly comprised of multiple layers of
paper, plastic, and aluminum or wax.
PET plastic bottled water containers are the most recycled
containers in U.S. curbside recycling programs, accounting for
52%. PET plastic bottled water containers are a valuable
resource because they can be recycled and used over and over
again.
Recycling facilities know that there is a huge industry demand
for post-consumer PET and HDPE plastics. Many bottled water
companies use recycled PET and HDPE plastic to create new bottles,
which helps to reduce their environmental impact further because
they aren’t using virgin plastic.
“Helping people make healthier choices is at the core of the
bottled water business,” says Culora. “Consumers have made it clear
that there’s a demand for safe, healthy, and convenient bottled
water, as they are responsible for propelling bottled water to the
title of America’s most popular packaged beverage, by
volume.”
Whether you are at home, in the office, or on the go, IBWA
encourages all consumers to make healthy hydration a part of their
lifestyle and select bottled water as their packaged beverage of
choice. And, of course, always recycle your empty containers—with
the caps on.
For more information about bottled water, visit IBWA’s
website: www.bottledwater.org.
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The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) is the
authoritative source of information about all types of bottled
waters, including spring, mineral, purified, artesian, and
sparkling. Founded in 1958, IBWA's membership includes U.S. and
international bottlers, distributors and suppliers. IBWA is
committed to working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA), which regulates bottled water as a packaged food product, to
set comprehensive and stringent standards for safe, high-quality
bottled water products.
In addition to FDA regulations, IBWA member bottlers must adhere
to the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice, which mandates
additional standards and practices that in some cases are more
stringent than federal and state regulations. A key feature of the
IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice is a mandatory annual
plant inspection by an independent, third-party
organization.
- Bottled water is America's favorite drink
Jill Culora
International Bottled Water Association
7036474609
jculora@bottledwater.org