Monday, February 18, 2013

Refill your water bottle...Cola?

 I am against packed water...not because I am anti-globalisation /anti-MNCs or something...but just because I cant see so many pet bottles littered around the country with a sure shot future of never getting recycled.

And thats the reason why you would rarely find me having water from a pet bottle. Ghar se botal le jao yaar. Also, I dont mind drinking water from a public tap...because thats what I always used to do...before the advent of packed water, RO or Eureka Forbes water purifier!

But these days considering the quality of water available and secondly the mass phobia of tap water being dirty...people always look for packed water...as it would be hygienic and clean. And there are numerous articles on how pet bottles are refilled with tap water...and thats why people have started going for   costly packed water or branded packed water. Its also not rare to find water pouches being sold in the basti.

Though its not comfortable for me to be carrying a bottle everywhere...its actually a pain...but then I say to myself...at least I am contributing to sustainability on this planet.

Was travelling to Nellore last week and saw a water vending stall at the railway station. This stall being run by a company gives you refills of your favourite pet water bottle. Cool idea to save atleast some pet bottles to be thrown away. By the way the common pet water bottle has a long life if you have ever reused it for filling water.

I think...if not brilliant...it is definitely a great idea to reduce the huge load of pet bottles on this planet and in our country. Would love to see such kiosks at all stations. Refill for a one litre bottle costs Rs 3. What more do you want in life.

As now most of us consider RO water as pure...this can  urge customers to go for a refill than to spend on another pet bottle.
I am sure this must be going on at other prominent places in India...but I discovered it in Nellore. It could be a good revenue model for companies like Bisleri, Coke or Pepsi...and it would be much better for them to spend money on such kiosks than to do some silly CSR projects.








Part 2

Ab baat chal hi padi hai to main apne khayalaat...aerated drinks ke baare men bhi likh daaloon. Another great source of pet bottles is our Coke Mobile and Pepsi bottles. If you order cola anywhere...thats what you get ...a 500ml pet bottle...to be used and thrown...millions of them across India.

Now, I dont know what economics made our good old glass bottles to go away. You consume your cola and give back the bottle...to go back to the factory and again get refilled. Even the caps of the bottle are recycled.

It would be great for our Cola giants to actually start promoting these glass bottles and make that as their CSR project.

What we can take on is that the next time we have a party at home...we order for cola or soda in glass bottles rather than pet bottles.

Considering our pace of development...the mantra for liquids would definitely be refill.