Like many Canadians, our industry is committed to reducing our environmental footprint and greenhouse gas emissions. The beverage industry through innovation is reducing the water required to produce beverage products and as a result our entire industry uses just .002% of all annual water withdrawals in Canada.
Research shows that an overwhelming majority of Canadians consume tap water in their homes. Bottled water is not a replacement for and does not compete with tap water; rather it competes with other bottled beverages. In fact, must consumers enjoy bottled water only when on-the-go.
In terms of our product’s packaging, PET plastic bottles are one of the most environmentally efficient consumer packaging in the market. As PET is 100% recyclable and can be re-used many times to create new bottles using less energy than virgin material, it is inaccurate to categorize them as “single-use.”
Throughout Canada, including the GTA, the recycling of our industry’s PET containers supports the development of a circular economy and local recycling jobs. Our industry also helps to fund and operate recycling programs which ensure 70% of our products are recovered for recycling, and we work to constantly improve. For example, in Manitoba an industry-led program has increased recycling rates by 50% in just four years, the greatest ever increase in container recycling for the province.
To learn more the industry funded not-for-profit organization Canadian Beverage Container Recycling Association (CBCRA) and Recycle Everywhere Manitoba please visit www.cbcra-acrcb.org