Who Owns Aquafina?

Aquafina does not hold independent sustainability certifications. The brand is not listed on the Leaping Bunny or PETA Beauty Without Bunnies databases, as those are not applicable to a bottled water product. No organic certification applies to purified water.

PepsiCo has committed to designing 100 percent of its packaging to be recyclable, compostable, biodegradable, or reusable by 2025, though the company acknowledged in its 2023 ESG Summary that it did not fully meet this target on schedule. Aquafina's primary packaging is PET plastic, which is technically recyclable but has low actual recycling rates in most U.S. markets.

PepsiCo met two of its 2025 water stewardship targets ahead of schedule, including a 25 percent improvement in water-use efficiency in high-water-risk areas, according to the company's 2023 ESG report. Aquafina production facilities are included in these figures.

In 2020, PepsiCo introduced Aquafina in aluminum cans for foodservice, citing reduced carbon footprint per unit compared to single-use PET bottles. Aluminum has substantially higher recycling rates than PET plastic in the United States.

PepsiCo's broader science-based climate targets, validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), include a 40 percent absolute reduction in Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to a 2015 baseline. Aquafina production sites are covered under these targets.

False and Deceptive Marketing Lawsuit (2025): In April 2025, the Plastic Pollution Coalition filed a complaint in the District of Columbia Superior Court against PepsiCo, Inc., alleging "false and deceptive marketing" of Aquafina bottled water. The complaint alleges that PepsiCo markets Aquafina as "pure water, perfect taste" and states on packaging that the bottle does not contain bisphenol-A (BPA), despite independent laboratory tests that reportedly detected BPA in Aquafina samples. PepsiCo disputed the allegations. The case was pending as of June 2026.

LA County Plastic Pollution Lawsuit (2024): In October 2024, Los Angeles County filed suit against PepsiCo and The Coca-Cola Company, alleging they deceived the public about the recyclability of plastic beverage packaging. The lawsuit specifically cited Aquafina PET bottles as part of the alleged deception. The case was ongoing as of June 2026.

Municipal Water Source Disclosure (2007): Advocacy groups challenged PepsiCo in 2007 over Aquafina's labeling, arguing that "pure water" language was misleading when the source was treated municipal tap water, not a natural spring. PepsiCo agreed to add the phrase "Public Water Source" to Aquafina labels. No regulatory penalty was imposed; the change was made voluntarily following sustained media coverage.