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Americans now drink more bottled water than soda

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S

Saya

Member
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For the first time ever, Americans drank more bottled water than soda in 2016.

After a decades-long growth streak, bottled water sales by volume surpassed sales of soft drinks last year. Total bottled water volume grew nearly 9% in 2016, reaching 12.8 billion gallons, according to research and consulting firm Beverage Marketing Corporation.

That’s 39 gallons of bottled water per person, compared to 38.5 gallons of soda. According to Beverage Marketing, per capita soda consumption regularly exceeded 50 gallons in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

The reversal of fortunes has been traced to Americans’ changing tastes and growing concern about sugary beverages.

“Bottled water effectively reshaped the beverage marketplace,” Michael C. Bellas, Beverage Marketing’s chairman and CEO, said in a statement. “When Perrier first entered the country in the 1970s, few would have predicted the heights to which bottled water would eventually climb. Where once it would have been unimaginable to see Americans walking down the street carrying plastic bottles of water, or driving around with them in their cars’ cup holders, now that’s the norm.”

However, some critics question if the apparently healthy adjustment is as positive as it seems.

“Bottled water is the marketing trick of the century,”John Jewell wrote in The Weekin 2014.

Companies selling bottled water, he argues, have managed to convince people that buying water is a healthier choice than sugary soda.

But the truth is, the comparison is a case of false equivalence. Bottled water isn’t simply an alternative to soda – it’s an alternative to tap water, which is free and much more eco-friendly. By buying bottled water, consumers aim to establish themselves as savvy and health-conscious, even though they could simply drink a glass of tap water that is 2,000 times less expensive.

While bottled water is often marketed as the better, safer option, companies do not have to share the same basic information that all tapped water suppliers do. In a 2008 study, the Environmental Working Group found 38 pollutants in 10 brands of bottled water. Two of the 10 brands tested were chemically indistinguishably from local tap water.

However, bottled waters sales will likely only continue to grow in the coming years. PepsiCo and Coca-Cola are seriously investing in bottled water brands. Pepsi even bought a 30-second Super Bowl ad to debut the company’s new premium bottled water brand, “LIFEWTR.”

Right now bottled water is bigger than soda – and beverage giants aren’t going to miss out on sales.
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Sinfamy

Sinfamy

Member
That's a step in the right direction, next step buy water filters and stop giving out your hard earned rupees.
 
C

CrispyBoar

Banned
That's what everyone should be doing. I'm drinking more bottled water nowadays & have only drunk Sodas occasionally.

Don't want watter bottles, get a water filter.
 
P

Plasmid

Member
I've been off soda for 2 months now and i love it. I can't even drink a soda without it tasting too syrupy and gross. Although water doesn't have much flavor, it's better in the long run.
 
K

Kas

Member
Here's my question

Is any of this affected by the things like the Flint water crisis and things like the PFOA found wells here in NH where more water is being consumed simply because there's no other water to drink?
 
M

medrew

Member
Why does California bottled spring water taste terrible. I remember having Arrowhead (and another) and it was nearly undrinkable. Guessing it is the mineral content?
 
G

Genryu

Banned
I've been drinking mostly water for about a year now with only an occasional soda, and it's pretty great.

Greddleok said:
Why?
Click to expand...

flint-water.jpg
 
M

Mr.Shrugglesツ

Banned
Kas said:
Here's my question

Is any of this affected by the things like the Flint water crisis and things like the PFOA found wells here in NH where more water is being consumed simply because there's no other water to drink?
Click to expand...

This has nothing to do with the flint crisis.

The solution to the flint water crisis is an emergency call to get fucking pipelines replaced immediately through a federal/state infrastructure plan.
 
T

Trace

Banned
Good, now time to stop buying Bottled Water and drink filtered tap water outside of rare circumstances your tap water is literally undrinkable.
 
S

sphagnum

Banned
I drink 2 or 3 bottles of water at work a day, but it's from a reusable bottle that I fill up from the water cooler.

I only drink soda when I eat out and even then I usually get water.

Definitely different from when I would drink multiple cans a day in high school.
 
A

Aquavelvaman

Banned
I have a dedicated water filter and it's pretty awesome. One-touch to dispense 1 cup or fill up a 550ml bottle with filtered water. Instantly dispenses cold water, hot water, tap-temperature water, or 37-degree water to warm a baby bottle. It's great. I don't even have to boil water to make tea because the hot water comes out at about 95 celsius.
 
G

Greddleok

Member
Beren the Empty-Handed said:
You're joking, right?
Click to expand...
Why would I be joking? I never been to California...is the American water system that bad? Like why would it be so gross that you can't drink it?

Genryu said:
flint-water.jpg
Click to expand...

The image just shows discoloured water. Is it not potable, or is it that you feel icky drinking something that's brown? If it's not potable, why the fuck doesn't the local government do something about it?

From the replies it seems like I'm ignorant on how American tap water is. Seems so weird that you can't just drink from a tap...in fucking America. I thought it was a 1st world country.
 
P

Paz

Member
Greddleok said:
Why?



Can't be THAT bad!
Click to expand...

In Flint's case the water is laced with high levels of lead that can give you heavy metal poisoning / brain damage.

In other places cases the water can taste disgusting enough that yes people will pay for bottled water if they can afford it, the water where I live in Australia isn't terrible so I still drink tap water but damn the stuff I've tasted out of taps while traveling the world has been a lot better (and worse) so there's a huge variance.

People also do things like buy a non 50c bread because they can and because taste matters.
 
B

Breads

Banned
Greddleok said:
Why would I be joking? I never been to California...is the American water system that bad? Like why would it be so gross that you can't drink it?



The image just shows discoloured water. Is it not potable, or is it that you feel icky drinking something that's brown? If it's not potable, why the fuck doesn't the local government do something about it?

From the replies it seems like I'm ignorant on how American tap water is. Seems so weird that you can't just drink from a tap...in fucking America. I thought it was a 1st world country.
Click to expand...

Is your google broken? People are telling you very specific things you could have looked up before continuing the hot takes. A crisis is a crisis. Not sure what platitudes have to do with anything. Definitely doesn't make the water safer to drink.
 
C

clav

Member
Still doesn't change the fact that people are still buying soda in large quantities.

Also all that plastic.

RIP planet.
 
A

A Fish Aficionado

I am going to make it through this year if it kills me
Greddleok said:
Why would I be joking? I never been to California...is the American water system that bad? Like why would it be so gross that you can't drink it?



The image just shows discoloured water. Is it not potable, or is it that you feel icky drinking something that's brown? If it's not potable, why the fuck doesn't the local government do something about it?

From the replies it seems like I'm ignorant on how American tap water is. Seems so weird that you can't just drink from a tap...in fucking America. I thought it was a 1st world country.
Click to expand...
Lead is pretty toxic. Affects child development.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lead-poisoning/home/ovc-20275050
 
N

Nostremitus

Member
Greddleok said:
Why would I be joking? I never been to California...is the American water system that bad? Like why would it be so gross that you can't drink it?



The image just shows discoloured water. Is it not potable, or is it that you feel icky drinking something that's brown? If it's not potable, why the fuck doesn't the local government do something about it?

From the replies it seems like I'm ignorant on how American tap water is. Seems so weird that you can't just drink from a tap...in fucking America. I thought it was a 1st world country.
Click to expand...
It was giving people Legionnaires disease.
 
B

Beren the Empty-Handed

Member
Greddleok said:
Why would I be joking? I never been to California...is the American water system that bad? Like why would it be so gross that you can't drink it?



The image just shows discoloured water. Is it not potable, or is it that you feel icky drinking something that's brown? If it's not potable, why the fuck doesn't the local government do something about it?

From the replies it seems like I'm ignorant on how American tap water is. Seems so weird that you can't just drink from a tap...in fucking America. I thought it was a 1st world country.
Click to expand...

Maybe you should google the Flint water crisis.
 
B

big ander

Member
Greddleok said:
Why would I be joking? I never been to California...is the American water system that bad? Like why would it be so gross that you can't drink it?



The image just shows discoloured water. Is it not potable, or is it that you feel icky drinking something that's brown? If it's not potable, why the fuck doesn't the local government do something about it?

From the replies it seems like I'm ignorant on how American tap water is. Seems so weird that you can't just drink from a tap...in fucking America. I thought it was a 1st world country.
Click to expand...
People have already told you to use google but I'll go one further: Flint Water Crisis Fast Facts



Flint is a special case tho—tap water in places like socal may have an odd taste that's not to certain preferences, but it's absolutely potable. (I actually live in socal and like the tap water fine—still use a filter jug though, which tastes a little bit better and keeps the water very cold.)
 
G

Greddleok

Member
Breads said:
Is your google broken? People are telling you very specific things you could have looked up before continuing the hot takes. A crisis is a crisis. Not sure what platitudes have to do with anything. Definitely doesn't make the water safer to drink.
Click to expand...

Google is less interesting than asking people who deal with it and getting personalised responses. That's the whole point of a forum is to hear things from different people from around the world with different experiences.

So as I asked, why doesn't the local government fix it?
 
D

Dali

Member
Greddleok said:
But why not just drink tap water?



Same with everyone, I'd love to find a drink that isn't mostly water, but apparently they don't exist.
Click to expand...
Tap water tastes bad. At this point someone usually lauds how great their tap water is and the tap water I drink must be inferior. I've not liked the smell or taste of any tap water I've had in any state or city I've ever been to. Most bottled water tastes like tap water. The only bottled water i found o actually don't mind is smart water. After years of drinking it I finally read the bottle and saw it was distilled. Made sense I would like it as I only routinely drink distilled water.
 
Haunted

Haunted

Member
Kinda shocking that there ever was a time where people bought more soda than water. Like, that sounds completely crazy to me.
 
A

Android18a

Member
I can't even imagine undrinkable water coming from the tap. Maybe once or twice a decade if something goes wrong for a day or two but as a general state of affairs? That's shocking. Drinkable tap water should be a given in any country that can afford to provide it.
 
D

DigitalRicket

Member
Reusable water bottles with a wide mouth filled with filtered water is where it's at. Stash a few lemon slices in the filtered water pitcher and have yourself a smooth tasty beverage.
 
S

Subpar Scrub

Banned
I drink water most of the time but still drink a can of Pepsi max and stuff every couple of days. Should probably reduce that a bit too.

I only drink soft drinks with sugar in them if I'm using them as mixers at a party, so not super often. Maybe 700ml every couple months.
 
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