The focus on our natural resources and how we make the most of them is greater than ever. Water is mankind’s No. 1 resource. As population levels continue to increase and more people are living in cities than ever before, access to affordable water has taken on an even greater significance. With the global consumption of water continuing to grow substantially, so too does the market for bottled water. This is illustrated by a 28 percent increase in sales from 2007 to 2012. During that period, water accounted for 37 percent of the total global soft drinks market, amassing volume sales of 229 billion liters, whereas carbonated soft drinks totalled 36 percent, and juices, nectars, other soft drinks, isotonics and teas made up 27 percent. Within the bottled water market itself, still water dominated the sales charts, accounting for 86 percent of the total, with sparkling or carbonated water accounting for only 14 percent.
Of course, there are several different types of naturally occurring potable water. Well water, spring water, mineral water, purified water and distilled water all are quite different, which has a lot to do with the location of the water’s source and the processes that the water goes through before it reaches the point where it is collected prior to being sold to consumers. Well water, for example, usually is trapped and stored between layers of permeable rocks and soil. It is similar to spring water in the sense that both are produced from natural aquifers located around rock beds and soil, but spring water emerges naturally at the ground surface. Mineral water can come from either a well or a spring but must contain a specified amount of certain trace minerals, such as calcium and magnesium. Purified water is produced by any process through which contaminants and minerals have been mechanically filtered or processed. The term is used loosely sometimes to describe water that has been treated to neutralize— but not necessarily to remove — contaminants that are harmful to humans or animals. Distilled water is one version of purified water produced by distillation, a process by which water is boiled until it is converted to vapor and then condensed, leaving solid contaminants behind.Whatever the type of water, producers’ needs in terms of bottling and hygiene remain the same. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which was used to contain 85 percent of all bottled water sold in 2012, now is the packaging material of choice in this growing market.