Bottles
Reusables
Provide filtered water or refill stations on-site for use with reusable cups or for water bottle refills.
Bars:
Serve water in reusable glasses or cups.
Offer water bottle refill stations.
Tip – Incentivize guests to bring their own reusable water bottles by offering raffle prizes. Join the #BYOBottle movement.
Events:
Provide guests with a refillable bottle for the event.
There are professional reuse systems with commercial-grade dishwashing services you can work with to either rent reusable bottles for an event or implement a fully managed reusable bottle program. These systems typically manage the logistics of collecting and washing the bottles.
There are also options offering user-pay systems for water refills to maintain water as a critical revenue stream for many venues and events.
Tip – Option to brand your bottles if used frequently. (If this is for a unique occasion or a one-time event, the recommendation is to use unbranded bottles that can be reused for other events to maximize the useful life of the bottles.)
Venues:
Beyond water, provide a drink machine like a soda fountain for refills alongside reusable cups, or serve drinks in reusable beverage containers.
Purchase non-water beverages in bulk to avoid plastic packaging where possible.
COVID Tip: Train bartenders to refill bottles using contactless pouring.
COVID Tip: Choose contactless systems designed for safety (touch-free sensors, sneeze guards, etc.).
Disposables
When reusables for all beverages are not applicable, choose disposable options compatible with available waste management infrastructure.
Approved disposable materials
Materials may include: aluminum and glass.
Aluminum is a solution when recycling infrastructure is in place. Aluminum is nearly infinitely and 100% recyclable and recycling infrastructure for aluminum is widely available globally because there is a high value for the material. These are options for water as well as other beverages (soda, juice, alcoholic beverages, etc.)
Be sure to avoid plastic-lined aluminum cans or bottles, particularly those with BPA lining, which is very harmful to human health.
Warning: Many waste management companies opt to not recycle glass because it is not profitable.
Glass bottles can be a great option when refilled and reused.
If disposable options are needed for water to serve as a revenue stream, switch to aluminum cans or bottles instead of plastic.
CALL OUT:
Paper Cartons or Tetra Pak
Paper cartons or tetra-pak options are some of the most prevalent alternatives to plastic water bottles on the market. These are often composed of multiple layers of different materials that need to be treated in a specialized recycling facility. The infrastructure to properly recycle these materials is not available everywhere.
How to make it work:
For closed venues or events: confirm with your waste haulier they can handle the product you are considering.
For takeaway: confirm that your municipality can recycle the product you are considering.