PepsiCo’s efforts to improve the green credentials of bottled water come in the wake of a backlash over the the product's environmental footprint. Aquafina bottled water is essentially tap water, as PepsiCo made clear in 2007 when it said it would start labeling the products as such.
A recent report from the Pacific Institute found tap water uses just a fraction of the energy used to produce a liter of bottled water, which includes bottle manufacture, cleaning, filling, sealing, labeling, transport and refrigeration.
Retail volume of Aquafina water fell 13.5 percent in 2008 from the year before, compared to a 0.4 percent decline for the domestic water category, according to Beverage Digest. Aquafina is the No. 1 brand in the category with 13.4 percent market share. PepsiCo also produces Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Sierra Mist, Tropicana Juice Drinks and SoBe, among other products.
Earlier this week the company said its Quaker, Gatorade and and Tropicana business units will begin phasing out wood pallets in favor of plastic pallets that are about 30 percent lighter.