What happens the day the bottled water critics are in the majority and consumers boycott water in plastic bottles imported from a faraway place? That day Belu, and companies that might follow in its footsteps, will be rewarded for their forward thinking. Because Belu mineral water is special. It is a product, which was created with the intention of doing good things in the world. The company was set up by a group of friends, environmentalists and companies that wanted to create a business that would make a positive difference.
The founders wanted to talk about sustainability, about protecting our drinking water and the environment, about waste and about climate change. Engaging people through involvement is Belu's main method to get these issues out in the ether. Belu’s director, Reed Paget, says, "We could have written a book about the things we wanted people to know, but we found that we would reach more people more effectively by using a product as a means of communicating a range of issues in a more fun way. People don't just want talk and information anymore. They want tangible examples that make the messages real and meaningful."
Belu engages its customers in both indirect and direct ways. Indirectly by responding to the typical complaints of those against bottled water by creating a more sustainable alternative overall and thereby making other consumers aware of these issues and the solutions. Directly by asking its customers to take action and help the company develop its product.
Belu gets its water from springs in Shropshire and The Black Mountains here in the UK, which minimises the considerable 'drink miles' attached to a bottle of Evian, Vittel or Volvic. Belu does make a profit, but it doesn't go to shareholders. According to Belu, 100% of profits go to clean water projects in developing countries as well as in the UK. Customers are directly encouraged to suggest which clean water projects Belu should spend its profits on. And Belu listens. "For example," Reed says, "We had lots of teachers and children writing to us suggesting that we should clean up streams and rivers in the UK and our 'Adopt-a-stream' project was born out of that.
Then there is the compostable bottle made from corn. Belu makes sure it only buys non-GM corn in order to support non-GM farmers. Although it still seems to be a bit of a science to compost the bottle at home, Belu gives quite a detailed explanation of how to do it on its website, where it also makes a point of the environmental benefits of home composting the bottles ("It doesn’t require chauffeuring to a recycling centre, incinerator or landfill"). Belu also tries to get more customers to try and compost the bottles at home by asking for new ideas and notes on how to do it in an easier and more efficient way. It even offers an open invitation to involve its customers in sustainable innovation and development, too, by donating a bottle of champagne to the person who can come up with the fastest way of composting a bio-bottle at home.
If customers are not up for the challenge of composting their water bottles themselves, they are encouraged to recycle them in the same way as they recycle plastic bottles. The ‘bio-bottle’, as Belu calls it, can be commercially composted back into the soil in about 12 weeks. Consumers can theoretically 'commercially compost' their Belu bottles if they are lucky enough to live in a borough, such as Hackney in London, which can provide its residents with green bins (or blue bins) for food waste.
Reed says, "At the moment, I would tell people that the best thing would be to home-compost the bottles. If that's not an option, recycle it as you would recycle plastic or you can put it in a green bin and it could get composted commercially with your banana peels and other food waste”. According to Reed, the problem with commercial composting right now is that the people who sort it don't necessarily know that the bottle can be composted with food waste and would just throw it away. However, Reed hopes that as more companies start using compostable packaging, the composting – or reuse – facilities will improve. As well as lobbying for more green bins, Belu also puts pressure on the recycling and composting industry to keep up. He says, "In our children's time the oil is going to run out, we will have no more plastic made of petro-chemicals and we will have to use 'plastics' made of biodegradable materials, such as rice or corn. At Belu we would like to inspire other companies to think, 'Why wait for the oil to run out? Why not just switch now?’” So, in the transition period, Belu's bio-bottle might not be used to its full potential, but it's a pioneer and an incentive to us all, consumers and businesses, to push for the infrastructure that is needed.
Helping the planet
"The potential for helping the planet is enormous," said Mai Simonsen, one of the founding members of Belu. "This can dramatically reduce the amount of rubbish going into landfills and gives everyone an easy way to help protect the environment."
Belu have created their own mark, 'Penguin Approved', which means that the company's initiatives, such as bottling British water, using corn bottles and converting to wind energy, are all geared towards avoiding contributing to climate change. Belu offsets any remaining CO2 by investing in clean energy projects.
The company's clean water projects include installing wells and hand pumps for 10,000 people in Tamil Nadu, India. And in the UK, it is helping fund the ‘rubbish muncher’ that is cleansing the River Thames of 45 tons of plastic bags a year. This is part of Belu's programme to clean rivers and streams in the UK. Belu estimates that the company will soon be able to donate £1m a year to clean water projects.
Thanks for telling me more more about ecover. I had been buying their products after seeing them at some eco style hostels. I'm glad their commitment is deep rather than just surface.
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Paul
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If you want to buy a bottle of water then buy Belu - or better yet buy ONE water (Global ethics - www.we-are-one.org.uk) which funds playpumps in Africa from the profits...the bottles aren't corn starch (aren't there problems with corn starch degrading and tainting the water???) but can be recycled and used to make stationary items for the schools and communities that have the playpumps installed...all together a good idea!
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Sarah
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I'd be interested to find out more about Viridisplay that David Alan Foster mentioned in his post... I couldn't find a website. I found an interesting American article about alternatives to vinyl-based signage and am also wondering if there is a similar company in Europe? Anyone know?
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Clare
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Well, there are plenty of people who will continue to drink bottled water (maybe in part because they feel it is better/healthier than other alternatives that are available when they are out or 'on the go'). So, to me it seems a wholly positive step to give bottled water fans a more ethical and considered choice.
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Mike
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Bottling water (privatization) is neither green nor sustainable. It's great that the plastic is compostable and more Earth friendly, but sucking up our most precious resource and selling it for inflated prices has to stop. Read the NRDC reports on bottled water and the marketing scam that it is.
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Eric
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I love the concept of Belu and wonder how Belu can be used in a business environment. Currently we have big bottles of water delivered every week to our office. I know that even bottled water is not totally pure. Would we be best off just using filter water, therefore cutting out water mileage?
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Mike Radcliffe
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I got involved with this whole "green" thing a few years ago through the books "Cradle to Cradle" and "Biomimicry," which actually gave great case studies of companies not just doing the "right thing" but also being more profitable for it -- even if it's socially profitable. Belu is such a company, and I hope more companies here in the States and around the Planet start to get it through their thick skulls. For my part, Viridisplay is a new firm designing "green" exhibits and displays -- particularly for companies like Belu!
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David Alan Foster
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