Bottled Water Bests Soft Drinks in U.S. Sales for First Time

The bottling segment of the plastics industry is projected to grow by more than 6% over the next three years, according to Mark Garrison, senior v.p. of membership and business development at the Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS). This data point can be found in the recently released PLASTICS Market Watch report: Plastic Bottles Today: Innovating to Reach Today’s Consumer.

According to PLASTICS, plastic bottles and jars represent approximately 75% of all plastic containers, by weight. Moreover, the organization projects continued growth across products and sectors, including beverage, food and water, household, pharmaceutical and automotive chemicals and fluids.

Meanwhile, bottled water consumption exceeded carbonated soft drinks in sales in the U.S. for the first time last year, growing by 8.5%, according to Beverage Marketing Corp. Also in 2016, plastic accounted for 41.2% of all beverage packaging units, according to this group.

The increased consumer demand for plastic bottles underscores the timeliness of the new report which examines the trends that shape the plastic bottling sector. Said Garrison, “Recognizing this upward trend, we’ll unveil the Bottle Zone at NPE2018: The Plastics Show, as its will prove an invaluable resource for companies that work with PET preforms, blow molding, molds, labeling, filling, closures, design and inspection equipment.”

The Bottle Zone will cover more than 50,000-ft² and feature more than 40 industry leaders presenting the latest advancements, technologies and supplies in bottling manufacturing.

The new report provides insight for the entire plastics industry and supply chain, as well as brands and other stakeholders, into the growth and usage of plastics for bottling and containers. Bottlers are currently using PET to develop lighter packaging that saves costs in raw polymers, energy and transportation. The PET bottle designs are also more attractive to consumers in packaging and sustainability. The PLASTICS report attributes PET’s significant growth to the high ranking of bottling in terms of plastics industry’s employment numbers, dollar value of shipments and capital expenditures.

Among the report’s key topics are: innovation, plastic bottle economics, bottling equipment & machinery, and recycling progress.