Does the carbon dioxide released from fizzy drinks affect the atmosphere?

Asked by: Jed Fitzharris and Adam Tempest

Fizzy drinks do release carbon dioxide (CO2), but this pales in comparison with overall human CO2 emissions. A can of pop contains 2-3g of CO2 – a tiny proportion of the six tonnes of CO2 per year (or 17kg per day) that the average person in the UK is responsible for.

What’s more, the CO2 pumped into carbonated drinks is usually a by-product from power plants – meaning it would have been released into the atmosphere anyway.

Read more:

• How would fizzy drinks behave in space?
• Quick Q&A: Why does cola taste nicer out of a glass bottle?
• Why are raspberry drinks blue?
• Does tapping the can stop a drink fizzing over when you open it?

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