as someone working in the bottling industry I've always found this hilarious.

Yes, soda and water are essentially free. Ok, not free, but the cheapest part of the bottling process. It's the materials, transportation costs, etc... that drive the price.

They could fill the bottle with air and it would still cost about a buck a bottle.

But your right, it boils down to what people are willing to pay for it.
Greg | 07.30.07 - 8:23 am | #

The funny thing to me is that my wife is still going to buy bottled water, and probably Aquafina whenever it is on sale. According to her it is just convenient to have a bunch of bottles she can keep chilled, drink, and dispose of rather than have to spend her time doing something similar herself even if it would save her money. As long as the water is safe, she's got no complaints.

The market will so easily correct for this it's ridiculous. Water bottlers who ship water in from pristine arctic flows can label their products as such, and consumers can choose to read the label. Or not.
Jim | 07.30.07 - 2:39 pm | #

I think most people were aware of this all along. At least I was. And it's not like they are filling up the bottles with a hose from the backyard - the water goes through an intense purification process that beats anything you could come up with at home.
August | 07.30.07 - 2:46 pm | #