The non plastic water bottle with a conscience.
The problem with plastic is a huge and we have only just started to tackle it whilst half of all plastics have been created in the last 15 years. Production increased exponentially, from 2.3 million tons in 1950 to 448 million tons by 2015. Production is expected to double by 2050, so we need to do something about our consumption now before we doom future generations. Every year, about 8 million tons of plastic waste escapes into the oceans from coastal nations. That’s the equivalent of setting five garbage bags full of trash on every foot of coastline around the world. With single use plastic accounting for 40% of all of the plastic used worldwide there is a huge capacity for that industry to change with the new technological advances and materials that are now available.
Aqua British is an artisan company funded by BVG distributors and has found a solution to the production of plastic pollution, in the form of a bio-bottle. Their new water bottles are 100% biodegradable and no crude oil is used in their production. Also their lids and labels are completely plastic free, they are breaking into the UK market and beyond to offer a sustainable and ethical solution which is as convenient as regular bottled water.
It is made from sugar cane and corn which is also unbreakable and compostable whilst pulling C02 from the atmosphere when it grows. This is a by-product of the sugar and farming industry much of which would just be disposed of. PLA is the new non plastic on the block, it is made from plants and doesn’t put extra carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, it is able to be recycled 20 times which is much higher than plastic and if it is taken to industrial composting centers it biodegrades within 6 months. The plastic we are currently producing is massively damaging to the planet, for 1kg of plastic production 6kg of carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere. As well as contributing to global warming plastic is slowly covering the earth which is especially visible in our oceans, so the idea of plastic bottle that can biodegrade as well as being recycled is at the forefront of the food and drink industry.
Whilst companies have been working on better more sustainable options for consumers they have had their draw backs, the lids and labels have often just been made out of standard plastic. Half of all plastic produced has been made in the last 15 years and often there is no other alternative to single use plastic, Aqua British is changing that. The bottles decompose within 6 months with the standard single use plastic taking 450 years in comparison, and with 7.7 billion plastic bottles being thrown away in 2017 the possibility of change is huge.
The water inside is from Berrington spring a protected area in Herefordshire, going through seven layers of rock which gives it the purity and crystal clear taste. Consumers are aware of how much plastic is damaging the environment and often are persuaded to pay a little more for products if they are sustainable. Many companies including hotels are feeling the pressure to put investment into sustainability as consumers now look for alternative options to the traditional materials that have been used previously. The bottles are as strong as glass and ten times lighter, totally unbreakable with the portability of plastic.
Single use plastic is still so prevalent in society because it is so useful and easy to produce, and although there is a growing movement of zero waste living, for the everyday person that it not really possible. With Aqua British putting money into the infrastructure of recycling and composting in the UK we may be able to stop polluting the planet with unnecessary plastic. So why not try and save the planet one bottle of water at a time, switch to Aqua British.
