ABSTRACT
This chapter shows that how people can assess the water footprint of a beverage and considers cola contained in a 0.5-litre bottle made of polyethylene terephthalate. The overall operational water footprint per bottle of cola is thus no more than the half-a-litre of water used as an ingredient. The region of Andalucía in Spain is a clear hotspot since it is a water-scarce region with a large water footprint in relation to sugar beet production. The sugar cane in Pakistan heavily depends on irrigation; the blue water footprint constitutes 88 per cent of the total water footprint. Many sugar-producing countries are water-rich countries where the water footprint does not relate to water stress. The general findings with respect to the ratio of operational to supply-chain water footprint and the relative importance of ingredients, other inputs and overheads can be extended to other beverages similar to people hypothetical beverage.
