Processed and packaged water used for consumption is known as bottled water. With the rising popularity among the developing and developed regions, it is considered a convenient and healthy option for drinking purposes. Bottled water is considered free from all the impurities and retained essential minerals, with several functional advantages. The bottled water is widely sold across the globe in PET jars, known to have minimal impact on the environment.
There is a scarcity of drinking water among the entire global population. This fuels the urgent demand in the global bottled water processing market in every region, especially the underdeveloped and developing ones. The municipal tap water in these regions is not up to the safety standards and thus, is harmful for consumption, resultantly exhibiting a pressing need for a bottled water processing system. This is credited to the lack of proper regulations regarding the safety of tap water.
However, the bottled or packaged water is considered safe for drinking and contaminant-free, its packaging material has been in question by various research institutes. The regular plastic used in these bottles is known to contain harmful chemicals which tend to contaminate the water if stored at high temperature or longer duration. Thus, companies are now focusing on developing BPA-free plastic bottles to save the environment as well as to ensure extra safety.
The global bottled water processing market is widely classified into technology, application, equipment, and region. Based on the equipment, the market is divided into case packing equipment, filters, shrink wrappers, labeling, blow molders, fillers & cappers, and bottle washers. In terms of technology, the global bottled water processing market is segmented into chlorination, UV exposure, ultrafiltration, washing & filling, microfiltration, packaging, and reverse osmosis. On the basis of the application, the global market is segregated into flavored water, mineral water, still water, and spring water.
Geographically, the Asia Pacific region is likely to register the highest growth during the forecast period for the global bottled water processing market. In emerging nations like India, the bottled water processing industry is one of the most rapidly growing industries. As a result, it is foreseen to drive the market growth in coming years. The rise in demand for purified water in several regions is attributed to changing trends, rise in disposal income, bulk water purchase, increased water consumption, and growing retail industry.
The key players leading the global bottled water processing industry are Dow Chemical Co., Liquid Packaging Solutions Inc., Seychelles Environmental Technologies, General Electric, Velocity Equipment Solutions Inc., Alfa Laval, 3M Company, Lenntech B.V., Pall Corporation, Norland International Inc., and so on. According to reports, the Water Treatment Systems of Toray Industries Inc. and Dotcome, the Japan-based companies have come together in partnership with the Indian state government to set up a desalination project, aimed at eradicating water-related issues in the country.
