The Pollution Effect of the Beverage Industry

Revealing how food and beverage companies are a significant cause of pollution 

Environmental pollution is one of the world’s biggest issues. Recycling rates are dropping, which means the general public isn’t doing a great job at protecting our planet. As trash piles continue to grow, landfill space is shrinking, creating more hazards to the environment at large. 

Let’s face it –– Earth is littered with plastic waste, toxic chemicals, and contaminated air. And who’s at fault for this mess? While regular human activity (or lack thereof) has a role in the affair, most of the blame belongs to those big-name soft-drink manufacturers. 

Here’s a short list of some of the effects that stem from the food and beverage industry:   

• Plastic pollution  
• Water pollution  
• Air pollution  
• Land pollution

Keep scrolling to learn what these issues mean for our future.  

The Big 4 Types of Pollution 

Sustainability is a growing challenge, one that’s lasted decades. It’s hard to imagine an environmentally friendly payoff when so many beverage markets act irresponsibly during production. Our drink and food industry is a staple, but if the bigger companies don’t clean up their behavior soon, expect the following risks to pick up 

• Endangered wildlife and vegetation 
• Compromised general health 

For context, let’s examine the environmental backlash in these four categories: 

 

Plastic Pollution 

Plastic is one of the most popular resources in the food and drink industry. This lightweight material is inexpensive, space-efficient, and easy to design, which is why many companies choose to store their items in plastic containers. But, although it might be one of the most accessible packaging materials, plastic is also one of the most disruptive. 

Much of the planet is swimming in discarded plastic. On average, the United Nations report close 300 million tons of wasted plastic every year. To put that into perspective, that’s nearly the same weight of the entire human population. 

The issue with plastic waste is a much deeper subject than we let on. It’s not just the insane quantity of litter, but it’s also the type of products that sabotages the environment. Plastic by itself is important, but when its content contains carbonated materials, we have a more serious situation on our hands. 

We have an overwhelming amount of waste taking up space in our landfills and much of it relates to plastic packaging. Plastic products are recyclable, but only a small portion of them get reused. Since plastic material has a lot of limitations, it cannot be recycled back to another form of plastic. So plastic bottles can NOT be recycled back into another plastic bottle, only select carpet, fabric, and lumber items.  

Basically, plastic is very porous and cannot be salvaged for carbonated beverages like soda or sparkling water. Any time you open a soft drink from a plastic bottle, carbon dioxide exposes the air. Once this happens, the bottle has virtually no use for fresh product. 

Bottom line, plastic is structurally imperfect, and heavily mismanaged by beverage companies. 

Water Pollution 

We often undervalue the novelty of a clean water supply. We can’t blame you, though. It’s easy to look past ocean life when bottled water is the convenient option. But have you thought about the problems that spill over from those products? 

To put it simply, our aquatic ecosystem is in trouble, and it’s the food and beverage providers orchestrating the conflict. Today’s global plastic dilemma creates major concerns for marine life, and it’s not slowing down either.  

Water contamination is a real-life threat to our planet. Today, more people die from polluted water than from violent activity (even war). 70% of this pollution stems from industrial waste and various types of chemical exposure.  

Clean water is essential to our livelihood, but much of it is in limited supply. Honestly, it’s disgusting to think about the amount of water bodies that go untreated. Lakes, rivers, and oceans are flowing with chemicals and toxins polluted from disposable plastic and manufactured ingredients used in sports drinks and soda. 

Air Pollution

Air pollution is one of the biggest environmental problems we face today. And even though we’ve seen a lot of progress in protecting air quality, an average of 9 out 10 humans are still breathing in polluted air. If we can’t slow down this trajectory, expect a higher risk of stroke, heart attack, respiratory disease, and several other health dangers.  

At the heart of these issues are several manufacturing plants. These production companies are responsible for the rise in plastic materials, and with more plastic in production comes heavier air pollutants.  

To put it simply, we may be in trouble if some of the bigger beverage giants don’t find a smarter alternative for their products. We need more sustainable packaging, otherwise it won’t be long until thermal pollution from plastic production compromises any breathable air we have.  

Land Pollution

Land pollution refers to the degradation of the Earth’s surface or soil. It’s often an act of negligence. When we pollute our land, we’re trashing the planet with wasted items. 

Though, there are dedicated landfills across the globe, we’re running out of room to contain solid waste. Each household produces tons of garbage per year. The irony is that many of these items can be recycled, but many people opt for the traditional trash-removal method. Unfortunately, that contributes to a bigger filth problem. 

When wasted items don’t find their way into a landfill, they often litter more than just the sidewalk. Disposable materials are virtually useless after a single use, but since they cost less and are easier to make, they make up a majority of the finished products.  

A strong retail presence is good for food and beverage providers, but the shelf life doesn’t last forever. The environmental consequences live on, though. When trash related to food and beverage items fill up our streets and vegetation, the beauty of our environment grows hampered.  

How Beverage Companies Can Build an Eco-Friendly Future

Pollution is a pressing issue; one that affects all of us. The world is facing a major waste problem, and it takes a concerted effort to neutralize it. Saving the planet is no easy feat, but a little initiative goes a long way.  

When it comes to environmental sustainability, one move from the big beverage companies can do so much. Food and drink companies have a lot of power, but it’s hardly used in a conscientious way. That can change with these two steps alone: 

Minimize the Plastic 

The Earth is heavily polluted by plastic, but we can thwart the contamination with more renewable products. Smarter alternatives exist and more beverage companies should start to get on board. If we want to see a decline in waste, it’s best to halt production of plastic packaging.  

A better solution is aluminum. This lightweight metal offers many renewable functions that other materials don’t have. As one of the sustainable resources, aluminum helps preserve products for significant periods of time. It’s lightweight, easy to manufacture, and highly recyclable, which is why some companies are opting for canned water packaging in place of plastic bottles.  

Let’s look at our newest hydration drink, for example. VOOZ is an all-natural thirst-quencher with vitamins, electrolytes, and amazing flavors. Unlike other sports drinks, VOOZ is exclusively available in aluminum cans. Not only does this material provide a cleaner, more sophisticated look, but it plays a key role in maintaining the freshness of the product. 

Simply put, we need to replace more plastic with aluminum. This alteration in production can help reduce waste hazards, while simultaneously boosting the quality of consumer products. 

For more information on VOOZ and its many benefits, check out this blog.