Workers packing one drink with lunch
A sealed 330ml can gives you one drink without a partly used bottle to carry home. Sainsbury's lists the DASH Mixed Pack as 12 × 330ml; its sparkling-water listings also include larger individual bottles.
Who is each format for?
Shoppers checking sugar and flavour
Similar-looking sparkling drinks can have different ingredients. Sainsbury's describes its DASH Mixed Pack as having no sugar or sweeteners, while M&S lists apple juice concentrate and sugar in its 330ml Sparkling British Apple Spring Water can.
Plain-water and mineral-water drinkers
If you want unflavoured sparkling water, check the exact pack rather than choosing by brand alone. Perrier and S.Pellegrino describe canned formats, while Tesco and Sainsbury's list sparkling-water multipacks in bottles.
What should you check before buying?
Decide whether the drink must be a can and whether it must be plain water; then compare the serving size and ingredients of the packs that meet those conditions.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Serving and pack size | Check whether 330ml describes each can or the whole pack. Count the containers and compare total volume: 12 × 330ml is 3.96 litres. | I want one sealed drink beside my lunch, rather than a larger bottle to carry after opening. |
| Ingredients and sugars | Read the ingredients and nutrition information for the exact flavour. Sainsbury's lists its DASH Mixed Pack as having no sugar or sweeteners; M&S lists sugar and 7.6g sugars per 100g for its apple can. | Flavour appeals to me, but I want to know whether the drink contains sugar or sweeteners before I choose it. |
| Plain or flavoured | Check whether the drink is unflavoured mineral or spring water, or contains fruit ingredients, flavourings or acids. Confirm that the multipack comes in cans if that format matters. | For lunch, I would rather have plain sparkling water than a fruit-flavoured drink, even if that means choosing bottles. |
| Disposal | Check your workplace or local collection instructions for empty cans. North London Waste Authority, for example, says to empty and rinse aluminium cans without crushing them. | I need to know where the empty can goes at work or at home, rather than assume both collections use the same instructions. |
What can catch you out?
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Assuming every sparkling-water can contains plain water
Fruit ingredients, flavourings and acids change what is in the drink; some products also contain sugar. Sainsbury's lists the DASH Mixed Pack as unsweetened, whereas M&S lists sugar in its apple sparkling-water can.
Read the ingredient list and nutrition information for the particular flavour rather than relying on the words ‘sparkling water’.
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Choosing by the number of containers alone
Twelve 330ml cans and twelve 500ml bottles provide different total volumes and serve different packing preferences. Pack count alone cannot tell you which format meets your needs.
Compare individual serving size and total litres after deciding whether cans, plain water or flavour are essential.
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Expecting a branded multipack to contain cans
A brand's individual canned format does not identify the containers in a particular multipack. Tesco and Sainsbury's list S.Pellegrino sparkling-water multipacks in bottles.
Check the container type and size on the exact product listing before ordering.
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Using the same recycling instruction everywhere
Instructions for presenting empty cans can differ between household collections and workplaces. North London Waste Authority advises residents to empty and rinse aluminium cans and not crush or flatten them.
Follow the instructions for the collection you actually use, including your workplace's arrangements.
Which brands and ranges are relevant?
Brand ranges help narrow the choice, but the container and ingredients still need checking on the individual product.
DASH
A flavoured sparkling spring-water option in a 12 × 330ml canned Mixed Pack listed by Sainsbury's.
- Sainsbury's describes that pack as having no sugar or sweeteners.
- The flavoured drinks contain ingredients such as fruit extracts, flavourings and acids; they are not plain mineral water.
S.Pellegrino
The manufacturer describes a 330ml can of carbonated natural mineral water; Tesco and Sainsbury's list bottled multipacks.
- The manufacturer identifies the 330ml can as a plain mineral-water format.
- Check the exact multipack format: the cited supermarket multipacks are bottles.
Perrier
Perrier describes carbonated mineral water in a slim-can format.
- The manufacturer describes its plain mineral water as having no sugar.
- Check the container count and format on the retailer listing if you need a multipack of cans.
Highland Spring
A plain sparkling-water choice when bottles also work for your lunch routine.
- Tesco and Sainsbury's list an 8 × 500ml sparkling-water bottle pack.
- Highland Spring's stated sparkling range includes bottles, not a canned multipack.
Tesco
An own-label route for plain sparkling mineral water in bottles.
- Tesco lists British Natural Mineral Water Sparkling in a 12 × 500ml bottle pack.
- That pack has larger individual bottles rather than 330ml cans.
Sainsbury's
Its own-label sparkling spring-water multipack is a plain-water bottle option; the retailer also lists DASH canned drinks.
- Its British Bottled Sparkling Spring Water is listed as 12 × 500ml.
- The own-label pack is bottled; the listed DASH canned pack is flavoured.
M&S
An individual 330ml flavoured sparkling spring-water can is described in its Food range.
- The Sparkling British Apple Spring Water product is a single 330ml can.
- It contains apple juice concentrate and sugar, with 7.6g sugars per 100g listed by M&S; check the pack count if you need a multipack.
Joybuy options for packed lunches
These options include flavoured 330ml canned multipacks for one drink with lunch and plain sparkling-water bottle multipacks for those who prefer unflavoured water.
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DASH Water Raspberry Sparkling Water, 12 × 330ml
The 330ml cans offer individual drinks to pack with lunch. This is raspberry-infused sparkling water rather than plain mineral water; check the current label if particular ingredients or nutrition values matter to you.
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DASH Water Grapefruit Sparkling Water, 12 × 330ml
This pack provides twelve individual 330ml cans for lunches or office storage. It is grapefruit-infused rather than plain sparkling water; read the current label for its ingredients and nutrition information.
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DASH Water Orange Sparkling Water, 12 × 330ml
The twelve 330ml cans suit someone who wants to take one drink with lunch. Orange-infused sparkling water is a flavoured choice, not a substitute for plain mineral water; check the label for the exact ingredients.
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San Pellegrino Sparkling Natural Mineral Water, 6 × 0.5L
Choose this bottled multipack if plain sparkling mineral water matters more than a can. Each 0.5L bottle is larger than the 330ml cans shown here, so check that it fits alongside your lunch.
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Highland Spring Sparkling Spring Water, 8 × 500ml
This pack offers individual bottles for someone who prefers plain sparkling water. They are 500ml bottles, not cans; allow for the larger container when packing lunch.
Common questions
What makes a sparkling-water multipack practical for an office lunch?
Start with the size of each drink and its container type, then check the ingredients and total pack volume. The DASH Mixed Pack listed by Sainsbury's contains twelve 330ml cans, totalling 3.96 litres; a larger bottle may suit you better if you want more than one drink during the day.
Does sparkling water always have no sugar or sweeteners?
No. Sainsbury's describes its DASH Mixed Pack as having no sugar or sweeteners, but M&S lists apple juice concentrate and sugar in its Sparkling British Apple Spring Water, with 7.6g sugars per 100g. Check the ingredients and nutrition information for the exact drink.
Can sparkling-water cans go in household recycling in England?
Metal is included in England's default household dry-recycling collection requirements from 31 March 2026, according to the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. Follow your local presentation instructions: North London Waste Authority, for example, says to empty and rinse aluminium cans without crushing or flattening them.
How do I check whether Perrier or S.Pellegrino comes in a canned multipack?
Check the container type and count on the specific retailer listing. Perrier and S.Pellegrino describe canned formats, while Tesco and Sainsbury's list S.Pellegrino bottled multipacks; a brand's can format does not establish the format of every multipack.
Must unopened sparkling-water cans be kept in the office fridge?
Check the storage instructions on the drink you buy. For its Sparkling British Apple Spring Water can, M&S specifies a cool, dry place and advises opening with care because the can is pressurised; chilling is not stated as a storage requirement for that product.