The recipe for modern Coca-Cola is still a closely held secret, but known ingredients include sugar, caramel coloring, caffeine, vanilla, and, of course, carbonated water. About 79 billion gallons of carbonated water are used worldwide each year to make Coke, while a further 8 trillion are used in manufacturing plants involved in the process of getting Coke to market.
As Coke is bottled and sold in over 200 countries around the world, the company has come under severe criticism concerning its water use. Almost 800 million people in the world do not have access to clean water and this situation is exacerbated in regions where groundwater is used and polluted by industry.
More about water conservation:
- The Coca-Cola company is currently investing in water conservation projects with the goal of replenishing the same amount of water they use each year by 2020.
- It is estimated that a single cup of coffee requires about 37 gallons of water to produce (with the majority used to grow the beans).
- The UN estimates that around 90% of wastewater produced in developing countries is allowed to drain without treatment into natural water sources.