I walked this morning on streets in a suburban New Jersey community which revealed what garbage has been thrown out of cars and may say something about the economy. Here’s what I saw:

Sorry major beer brewers. The bottles and cans I saw were all craft beer. Only one can of Bud.

Whoops Coke and Pepsi: generic soda rules the curbs.

Plastic water bottles: the most popular item. Alas every one was a no-name product.

Conclusions:

Brand consumers are environmentalists who care about their communities and don’t toss their trash into the street. Possible.

More likely: Even in a relatively affluent neighborhood people are price conscious and brands are not as strong as they used to be.