The new BMC data shows the overall consumption of bottled water has increased by 4.1%, building on 2010’s solid growth.
In 2011, total US bottled water consumption increased to 9.1 billion gallons, up from 8.75 billion gallons in 2010. While all other major beverage categories such as carbonated soft drinks, milk, and fruit beverages continue to suffer declines in consumption, bottled water rates head in the opposite direction.
Per-capita consumption is up 3.2% in 2011, with every person in America now drinking an average of 29.2 gallons of bottled water last year.
Gary Hemphill, managing director, information services at BMC, said: “All signs point to US.consumers’ already displayed thirst for bottled water continuing in the years ahead. Changes in per capita consumption indicate persistent interest in a product that consumers embrace as a healthful alternative to other beverages.”
“Indeed, bottled water added more gallons to its per-person consumption rate in 10 years than either ready-to-drink tea or sports beverages reached by the end of that period,” he added.
“In fact, neither even reached five gallons per US consumer by 2011. Bottled water proved itself to be not only a key component of the liquid refreshment beverage market; it also proved itself to be poised for future increases in per capita consumption.”
Chris Hogan, IBWA’s vice president of communications, said: “Bottled water is a safe, healthy, and convenient packaged food product, which is comprehensively regulated at both the federal and state level. Strictly regulated as a packaged food product by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), bottled water is a safe, refreshing, convenient, and consistently reliable beverage choice. By mandate of federal law, the FDA regulations governing the safety and quality of bottled water must be as stringent as the EPA regulations which govern tap water.”
The bottled water industry is also utilising a variety of measures to reduce our environmental footprint. All bottled water containers are 100% recyclable. Although bottled water makes up only 0.03% of the US waste stream, according to the EPA, the bottled water industry works hard on a number of fronts with recycling advocates, communities, and our beverage and food partners to increase recycling rates.
Between 2000 and 2008, bottled water companies reduced the weight of PET resin plastic single-serve bottles by 32%.
Source: IBWA
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