One of the cornerstones waterdrop® is built on is sustainability. This is reflected not only in the packaging design, which can help you to save up to 98% of plastic and CO2 compared to using pre-filled beverages, but also in the collaborations sought with local and international organisations. In late 2020, we pledged to collect and recycle one plastic bottle that has ended up in nature for every 12-pack we sell. How does this work exactly?
Out of sight, out of mind
Every single second, 20,000 plastic bottles pass over the counter worldwide. That's an incredible 1 million plastic bottles per minute and 480 billion per year. Add to that thousands of single-use plastic products, such as straws, shopping bags and drinking cups. As a so-called throw-away society, one thing must be very clear: These tons of waste do not simply vanish into thin air, but all too often end up in our nature.
Back from nature
In order to counteract this alarming trend and set an active example, we are collaborating with the Canadian "social enterprise" Plastic Bank. In recent years, the organisation has established itself in various developing countries, where it not only combats environmental pollution with the help of innovative recycling systems, but also improves the quality of life of its volunteers locally.
From plastic waste to social plastic
Plastic Bank operates on multiple levels: In order to tackle the problem at its source, volunteers are mobilised to collect thousands of plastic bottles from coastlines, rivers and forests. These bottles can be handed in at various locations, so to speak bank branches, and exchanged for digital prepaid cards. These cards can in turn be redeemed for food, school fees, health insurance, access to medical care, internet, electricity and more. This is how waste becomes an uncomplicated barter currency that enables economically disadvantaged people to live a better life – in other words: social plastic.
Circular economy: what goes around comes around.
To ensure that the collected plastic waste is not just incinerated, it is sorted by colour and type, washed, finely shredded and processed into new products. An in-house blockchain platform ensures the security of the entire transaction and enables the real-time visualisation of any data. Thus, every single step can be digitally traced, which in turn guarantees transparency, traceability and fast scalability. There are currently over 400 collection points in the Philippines, Indonesia, Brazil, Haiti and Egypt – soon to be followed by Colombia and Vietnam.
Actions speak louder than words
Together, we want to contribute to the great efforts of the Plastic Bank. That's why, since the end of 2020, waterdrop® has been paying for one collected plastic bottle per 12-pack sold. This means that every single customer directly supports the cleaning and restoration of our nature and helps to secure a regular income for people in developing countries. In other words, 4 times more plastic is collected from the environment than our little cubes need for their packaging. This officially makes us a plastic-positive company.
