Saving the ocean: one plastic-less bottle at a time

Choose Water’s Plastic-less Bottle is an environmentally friendly & biodegradable replacement to the damaging plastic bottle.

A environmentally friendly & biodegradable replacement to the damaging plastic bottle

Choose Water is an ethical bottled water company based in Edinburgh & London that donates 100% of any profits to their charity partner Water For Africa. Not only do their bottles not damage the environment, but they also help provide clean water to those who need it the most! Choose Water bottles are 100% plastic free, and the company say they are going to prove that we don’t need plastic anymore.

Biodegradable single-use containers made from environmentally-friendly materials

British social entrepreneur, James Longcroft, wanted to sell bottled water with 100% of the proceeds going to providing clean drinking water in Africa—however, he was aware that plastic was not the way to go, so he developed this cool new solution to his charity’s dilemma.

Longcroft is the brains behind Choose Water: the water will be sold in biodegradable single-use containers made from environmentally-friendly materials that he says can fully decompose in three weeks.

Longcroft determined that the bottle itself must be completely biodegradable, sustainable and non-toxic in any way to either marine or land ecosystems, while at the same time still look like a bottle, cost the same for the end consumer and keep the water inside fresh for months. .

The Choose Water team are currently raising money on Indiegogo to finance the manufacturing and distribution of the Choose Water bottle. 

If everything goes to plan, they hope to see their bottles in stores by the end of this year for about $1.20/€1 per bottle, with all profits channeled directly to charity.

The containers’ exterior is made from compressed recycled paper that is then coated with a waterproof liner. While Longcroft is unable to disclose the materials that make up the liner until his patents are cleared, he says that they are all affordable and sustainably sourced.

Longcroft also points out that the ingredients have even been shown to benefit the planet by “neutralising soil acidity and providing nutrients to aquatic environments”.

His charity, Water For Africa, is dedicated to creating clean water projects throughout the African continent.

Source: GoodNewsNetwork

Water for Africa believes in investing in lifetime support of all water projects in Africa

Water for Africa is currently based both in the UK and The Gambia. The UK arm is focussed on targeting funding for projects in Africa and managing the budget, allocating of resources and procurement of goods and services to be used on the projects within Africa. 

The Gambian base currently implements the projects on the ground. They have worked within a private and public partnership with all profits, after operating costs, reinvested directly in the communities that need the greatest help and support.

Water for Africa believes in investing in the model to provide lifetime support of all water projects in Africa, through to continuous support, training and service to ensure all of the boreholes, equipment and services remain updated and viable, a key criticism of aid for water in the past, was that the deterioration and lack of continuous support for the water sources mean that the wells are now falling into a state of disrepair and as such are no longer working. 

It is Water for Africa’s vision to provide each country with the necessary trained people and support to provide spare parts and service.

Source: Indigogo