Go Fizz Free for your health and for the planet

Ahead of the COP26 climate summit this Autumn, Sugar Smart is bringing together the messages around public health and planetary health. After all, actions to support one usually support the other. And work on these issues must not be siloed and contradictory anyway. That's why this February we are shining a light on the environmntal impact of fizzy drinks, be they sugary or sugar-free. Whether you are an individual wanting to stay healthy, or make decisions that influence local food on offer, we encourage you to #GoFizzFree. 

Fizzy drinks pile on the empty carbs and a carbon footprint. In a previous blog, Sugar Smart explored the impact of bottled soft drink overconsumption on the climate, including water use, soil erosion, plastic pollution and local communities in detail. Here are some punchy facts to motivate you to kick the fizzy habit for a month - and for life.

Fizzy drinks carry a heavy carbon footprint: 

• One 330ml can of cola embodies the equivalent of 170g CO2. A can of diet cola is only marginally less impactful at 150g CO2. A glass of tap water only uses 0.03g CO2.

Fizzy drinks take up much more than shelf space:

• The UK land used to grow sugar beet, a key fizzy drink ingredient, is equivalent to the land used for all other vegetable crops combined.
• Sugarcane, another main ingredient, is a major contributor to deforestation. To meet current demand, farmers will need to cultivate nearly 50% more land by 2050.

Fizzy drinks pollute the body and the environment:

• In the UK, 43% of soft drink bottles are not recycled after use. These bottles take 400 years to fully decompose.

Fizzy drinks use a lot more water than they offer:

• It takes up to 310 liters of water to make one 500ml bottle of fizzy drink.

SUGAR SMART is a campaign run by Sustain. SUGAR SMART is one of the featured campaigns in the UK's Sustainable Food Places network.