How Pepsi and Coke make millions bottling tap water, as residents face shutoffs

[douglas9]

In recent weeks, on a quiet stretch of Detroit’s west side dotted with vacant homes, a 262,000 sq ft Coca-Cola manufacturing facility has buzzed with activity, even as many businesses in Michigan were ordered by the state to temporarily close to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

Coca-Cola churns out a number of beverages here, including Dasani, the company’s well-known bottled water that generated more than $1bn in US sales in the past year, according to the market research firm IRI.

It’s a good time to be in the water business: as the coronavirus outbreak spread in the US throughout March, bottled water sales increased 57% over the same period last year.



https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/apr/23/pepsi-coke-bottled-water-consumer-reports

[BeckyDem]

1. Outrageous.

[CaptYossarian]

2. This is crazy. Maybe not for Flint residents, however.

What else is crazy is the amount Coke and Pepsi spend on advertising. I think about that whenever I see Amish people bringing a case of Pepsi to their buggy in the grocery store parking lot. I've seen that quite a bit over the years. Don't ask me how they keep it cold though.