How Soda Affects the Environment

"Americans drink more water carbonated in soda than they drink plain from the tap." Source: Alan Durning, "Junk Food, Food Junk," WorldWatch, September/October 1991, in John Ryan and Alan Durning, Stuff: The Secret Lives of Everyday Things, Northwest Environment Watch, 4th ed. January 1997, 62.

"Making syrup is the second largest use of corn in North America; feeding livestock is the largest. On average, Americans consume 48 pounds of corn syrup a year."
Source: Alan Durning, "Junk Food, Food Junk," WorldWatch, September/October 1991, quoted in John Ryan and Alan Durning, Stuff: The Secret Lives of Everyday Things, Northwest Environment Watch, 4th ed. January 1997, 63.

"In 1999 [in the United States], 69.9 billion soft-drinks were packaged in cans, 25.2 billion were packaged in PET bottles, and 800 million were packaged in glass bottles."
Source: National Soft Drink Association, "Soft Drink History," NSDA.org

"In 1999, the Post-Consumer Recycling Rate for soft-drink containers was 55.3%."
Source: National Soft Drink Association, "Soft Drink History," NSDA.org

"Nearly 53 billion soft-drink containers were recycled in 1999."
Source: National Soft Drink Association, "Soft Drink History," NSDA.org

In 1999, 44 billion cans and bottles from soft drinks were thrown into landfills. Given the Coca-Cola Co.'s 44 percent market share, that means that 19 billion cans and bottles with Coca-Cola Co. labels were wasted53.8 million a day, 37,000 every minute. Those Coca-Cola Co. bottles and cans represent enough energy to light 1.47 million homes - a city about the size of Los Angeles - for a year.
Source: Container Recycling Institute, July 2001. www.container-recycling.org

  • In 2001, Americans spent over $60 billion on carbonated soft drinks.
  • During the same year, the average American consumed approximately 53 gallons of soft drinks.
  • Sales of carbonated soft drinks have grown by 2-3 percent annually.
  • The U.S. market includes nearly 450 different soft drinks.
  • One of every four beverages consumed in America today is a soft drink.
  • The average child drinks over 500 cans of soda a year.
  • Soda leaches calcium from bones, an alarming fact since osteoporosis is reaching epidemic proportions.
  • Globally, carbonated soft drinks are the third most consumed beverage.
  • The per-capita, annual consumption of carbonated soft drinks (7.7 gallons) is nearly 4 times the per-capita consumption of fruit beverages (2.1 gallons).
  • During the late 1950s the typical soft drink order at a fast food restaurant contained about eight ounces of soda; today a child order of soda is usually 12 ounces. A large soda is thirty two ounces and about 310 calories (source: Eric Schlosser, Fast Food Nation, 2001)
  • The average 12 ounce can of soda contains about 40 grams of refined sugars. Thats 10 teaspoons of pure calories. At 500 cans per year that's more than 62 pounds of sugar from soda alone.
  • According to the USDA, 25 years ago, teenagers drank almost twice as much milk as soda. Today they drink twice as much soda as milk.
  • Coca Cola spent $204 million in 2000 for advertising (source: CSPI)


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