The Canadian Soft Drink Industry

Environmental Issues

One environmental issue that soft drink companies have faced is waste remaining from packaging. Waste reduction is important everywhere and particularly for large urban centers that are rapidly using their landfill capacity and are experiencing difficulty and expense in finding and using acceptable new landfill sites. The reduction of materials in packing cartons can potentially provide both financial and environmental benefits. In the food and beverage industry in general there are some difficulties with reducing bulky packaging. Plastic and cardboard can help protect food during transportation. There is a trade-off between the volume of packaging materials needed to identify brands and increase the attractiveness of a product on the one hand, while minimizing packaging requirements from an environmental and cost control point of view, on the other hand.

Since 1977 the soft drink industry has reduced the amount of plastic used in its PET bottles by almost 30%. Packaging materials used by the industry, including cardboard, plastics, and aluminium, are either recyclable or re-usable. Bottle deposit laws and other regulations to ensure recycling and re-use of packaging are a significant regulatory concern to the soft drink industry. The industry has been actively involved in provincial recycling systems throughout the country and has participated in environmental stewardship organizations across Canada.

In several Canadian provinces, PET containers used for soft drinks, water, juice, liquor and other new-age beverages are collected for recycling through deposit return programs. Depending upon the province, a deposit/refund of 5-cents or 20-cents provides an incentive to consumers to return the container to a collection center. All beverages packaged in PET, whether consumed at home or away from-home are included in the program. According to the Canadian Bottled Water Association (CBWA), 97% of the population in Canada have access to recycling facilities, and PET recycling rates range from 60% to 85%.

According to a March 19, 2008 press release by Refreshments Canada "PET" beverage containers (of which water bottles are included) account for 0.3% of solid waste generated in Canada.

Source: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada