International Bottled Water Association | NEWS RELEASE | April 18, 2025
Bottled Water’s Earth Day Actions:
Reduce plastic pollution and use of vital resources
Alexandria, VA – On Earth Day and every day, the bottled water industry strives to reduce its environmental footprint and actively educate consumers about the importance of disposing containers properly, so they do not become plastic pollution, says the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA).
This year’s Earth Day theme of “Our Power, Our PlanetTM encourages people to “get involved and make a difference for our planet,” and organizers are requesting that the public pledge their “Earth Actions” on social media. The bottled water industry will be posting its Earth Day actions on our social media channels during the week of Earth Day (April 21 – 25, 2025).
IBWA’s Bottled Water Matters Facebook and Instagram Earth Week Posts-
Bottled water products packaged in single-serve PET plastic containers already use the least amount of water and energy compared to all other drinks (soda, juice, teas, energy drinks) packaged in cans, cartons, or glass, and the industry continues to work hard to reduce its impact on the environment. In addition, plastic container alternatives (cans, cartons, or glass) use, on average, 3 to 14 times more resources (energy, GHG) and generate more solid waste. #EarthDayPledge #LessResourcesLessWaste
Bottled water companies provide safe and healthy hydration products in 100% recyclable packaging. All empty plastic bottled water containers, which include individual-sized bottled water containers and larger-sized bottles (such as 1-, 2.5-, 3-, and 5-gallon containers)—are all 100% recyclable and can be reused to create new products, including new bottled water containers. Recycling plastic bottled water containers helps achieve a circular economy and reduces the need for virgin plastics and decreases the use of resources. Comment your #Pledge to recycle below! #EarthDay
On #EarthDay (and every day) #pledge to respect our precious environment. Hang on to those empty food wrappers and drink containers until you find a proper recycling bin (for bottles and containers) or trash (for non-recyclable packaging). You can play a big part in helping to stop plastic pollution by never littering! People create pollution by improperly discarding consumer packaging of all types—plastic, paper, cans, and glass. People have a role in helping to end pollution. Pledge to always#packitout and #beapartofchange! #peoplepower
Recyclable plastic packaging should be praised for being an environmentally sustainable way to improve everyday life. Food and beverage plastic packaging has improved health, safety, and convenience in our everyday lives. It extends the shelf life of food items, prevents contamination, reduces transportation costs because it’s lightweight, lets you inspect products before purchasing because it is clear, and helps lower costs of food because it is inexpensive to produce. The plastics used for bottled water (typically PET, HDPE, and PC) are FDA-approved for food contact and are safe and hygienic packaging solutions for bottled water—enabling safe and healthy bottled water to be available anywhere, anytime. #SustainableSolutions #EarthDay
Every day, bottled water drinkers illustrate their #pledge to care for the environment by not being #litterbugs! Research by Keep America Beautiful’s 2020 National Litter Study,that sorted and counted litter by container type, shows that people who drink bottled water litter less than people who consume most other packaged drinks! Bottled water drinkers choose water instead of other less healthy drinks because they care about their health, and they hang on to their containers to recycle, either at home or on the go, because they know this small act can have a BIG POSITIVE IMPACT on the environment. #EarthDayPledge
The litter rate for the following drinks (per 1,000 drinks sold) is
– Liquor and Wine – 47.6
– Beer – 17.2
– Sports and Energy Drinks – 9.2
– Soda – 5
– Juice – 3.6
– Bottled Water – 3.4
– Tea and Coffee – 1.7
The week of Earth Day, IBWA is highlighting the bottled water industry’s remarkable resource efficiency through our social media channels. Posts explain how bottled water requires significantly less water to produce than other packaged beverages, has the beverage industry’s smallest energy footprint, emits fewer GHGs during production, and generates less waste than all other packaged beverages.
“Throughout the week, we’ll share details about the benefits of our lighter-weight packaging, recyclability, and healthy hydration,” says Jill Culora, IBWA’s vice president of communication. “The bottled water industry continues to implement measures to further reduce its already small environmental footprint. These sustainability efforts, combined with consumers’ growing preference for healthy hydration, help bottled water maintain its position as America’s favorite packaged beverage—a title it has held for the past nine years and is forecast to retain for the foreseeable future.”
So, what can you do to help reduce the impact of plastic on the environment? Pledge this Earth Day to:
- Shop wisely. Buy products that are packaged in 100% recyclable containers and packaging.
- Purchase items that include recycled materials.
- Always recycle your recyclable plastic food and beverage containers.
-##-
Media Contact:
Jill Culora
[email protected]
703-647-4609
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.
