Bottled Water Makes Push for Number One Packaged Beverage

Despite some recent battles, bottle water appears to be poised to become the number one packaged beverage in America by next year, reports Beverage Industry magazine, citing a recent Harris Poll. The poll found that 96% of Americans think they should be drinking more water, while 95% believed that bottled water was a healthier choice than soft drinks. These beliefs are helping to push the beverage to the number one spot mentioned above.

Bottled water pits the desire for a healthy lifestyle against the need for sustainable packaging and packaging processes, with much of the criticism of the product based on the package more than the product itself. There are those, however, that argue water is a commodity that is available almost everywhere through the tap and that paying for bottled water is not necessary. Others question the quality of tap water and see bottled water as a healthy alternative. Regardless, the increase in sales and popularity is more telling than any of the arguments for or against. In the future, the industry may use new packaging and processes to further increase waters hold on the market.

From our perspective as a machinery manufacturer, the equipment for the bottled water industry may be more standardized than any other industry, though there still exists some variation. Typically, bottled water will be packaged with an overflow filling machine while using a spindle or chuck capping machine to seal the package with a screw-on type cap. The common, clear plastic bottles make a wrap labeling machine a frequent addition to a packaging system for water as well. Larger container, such as three or five gallon bottles, will use custom packaging machinery that normally rinses or washes, fills and caps the containers. Rinsing equipment, bundling machines, coding equipment and packing machinery may also all be added to a bottled water system based on a number of factors, including production demands and simple desire, among others.

Again, variation does exist in the industry, but is not as abundant as one might see in other industries. If the industry does move away from the classic plastic bottle in an effort to allay the concerns of consumers and foster sustainability, the result may be a greater variation in the bottles and the equipment used to fill, cap, label and otherwise package bottled water. Currently, it appears that bottled water will continue to grow in popularity as a healthy option to soft drinks and other beverages even with the concerns mentioned above.

Liquid Packaging Solutions manufactures packaging machinery for a wide range of industries, including the Bottled Water Industry. For more information on packaging equipment for bottled water, contact Liquid Packaging Solutions to speak with a Packaging Specialist.

For the full article and survey results, visit Beverage Industry Magazine online.