Alongside the established leaders of the beverage industry, smaller businesses with bold visions are also driving the future of sustainable hydration. In our first 'Start-up spotlight,' we’re featuring Open Water, an innovative company that’s reshaping the beverage industry with a focus on eco-friendly aluminium cans. Refreshment speaks with co-founder and chief brand officer, Jess Page, who shares how the company has made waves in reducing plastic pollution, ensuring high-quality products and supporting ocean conservation efforts.

What inspired the founding of Open Water, and what led to the decision to use aluminium packaging instead of other sustainable alternatives?

Every single minute of every single day, 1 million plastic bottles are used. Most of them end up polluting our oceans, where they break down into smaller and smaller pieces that eventually end up in our bodies. Open Water was started with the mission to change this and make a dent in this massive waste stream.

From the start, Open Water’s products were designed to be the most sustainable on the planet – from sourcing and packaging to donating a portion of every sale to ocean conservation non-profits. We considered all options, including cartons, but they have the lowest recycling rate of any beverage packaging, even less than plastic. Aluminium, the world’s most recycled packaging, is infinitely recyclable, lightweight and shatterproof, making it the obvious choice.

What factors do you believe are driving businesses to transition away from plastic, and what concerns do they typically raise when considering this switch?

In today's day and age, it feels like not a week goes by without a major announcement around plastic pollution. Aside from the environmental concern, we now know how microplastics have infiltrated our bodies. Partners who are committed to offering products that are better for the planet and their costumer's health tend to be a really strong fit.

Major hospitality brands and restaurant groups often have two main concerns: Can we provide consistent and on-time deliveries? And how will it affect costs? Open Water is in a pretty unique position with a very strong supply chain, letting us deliver to businesses nationwide in just two to five business days. On the cost front, we're able to work with partners to show that the sustainable option doesn't mean sacrificing anything on the bottom line.

Some brands are investing in recycled PET (rPET) rather than moving away from plastic entirely. Do you see rPET as a viable long-term solution, or just a temporary fix?

While recycled plastics have the potential to lessen the resources that go into creating the bottle, rPET bottles face the same end-of-life issues as plastic bottles made from virgin material: they rarely get recycled. And even when they do make it to a recycling bin, the material loses quality and volume in the recycling process. They can't be recycled forever like aluminium can.

The market for aluminium-packaged water has grown in recent years. How does Open Water differentiate itself in an increasingly competitive industry?

The category has certainly changed since 2014, when Open Water entered the market as the world's first aluminium bottled water brand. We like to think we played a key role in pushing some of the biggest beverage companies to offer aluminium packaging in their line-up, which we fully support.

Our main competitor remains the same as it was on day one: plastic bottles. We aren't a big faceless corporation – we are real people with a real story and a genuine mission. We've focused on providing a very high quality product with excellent customer service and distribution, and so far it's really resonated.

In an era of increasing scrutiny over corporate sustainability claims, how does Open Water ensure transparency and credibility in its environmental commitments?

Open Water has always backed up its sustainability claims with data. Part of remaining a trustworthy source of information is by not overstating things or making over the top claims. Open Water provides a better option than plastic bottles, glass and cartons, but it is still a physical product with a carbon footprint.

We're actively working to minimise our footprint through initiatives like local water sourcing via our Local Everywhere programme, reducing shipping and offsetting our emissions. However, refilling at the tap when it's safe to do so remains the most sustainable option. I think we might be the only water brand that prints this 'drink from the tap' message right on our packaging.

Lastly, and most importantly, we consistently revisit the data and work with third parties to ensure that our actions and messaging are accurate.

Open Water made a significant move by becoming the first bottled water brand to earn Climate Neutral Certification. What was the process like to achieve this, and what were the biggest challenges you faced along the way?

This was a big step for us. Every product has an environmental footprint, and we felt it was critical to address it. Every year, we measure, reduce and offset all company-wide emissions to get certified. While this comes with a cost, it aligns with our core values as a company.

What’s next for Open Water?

Our mission has always been to eliminate the need for as many plastic bottles as possible. By the end of this year, we'll have eliminated about 200 million of them, most of which have come in the last few years. We know plastic bottles won't go away entirely anytime soon, but our ultimate goal is to give everyone the option to pick Open Water over plastic everywhere they go. That means expanding our US retail footprint and joining up with more like minded partners who want to offer a water they can feel good about.

On top of additional distribution, Open Water recently evolved our brand and packaging, which we've seen immediately improve velocities. We are also exploring additional packaging sizes and formats for our line-up.