The EC’s proposal about single-use plastic items opened a public debate.
We cannot tolerate the litter we find on the beach, in the forest or simply in our street; in plastic but also on paper, glass or steel… The plastic industry leaders replied that the plastic material was not the issue, rather it is what human beings do with it that creates the problem. It is true that « a PET bottle doesn't leap into the ocean all by itself » or there are some way to differently manage the single-use plastic items as reming The roadmap for sustainability published by United Nations Environment Programme. However companies (Ikea, Coca Cola, BBC, Ryan Air…) are implementing policy to stop, reduce or change plastic packaging use in their business. Governments also initiated new laws to limit plastic in packaging or are foreseeing to (re)introduce reusable packaging with a deposit system.
Today water bottled business will be highly impacted.
HOD water business model is an option:
the bottles are reused in a closed loop system (with a deposit system to secure it)
all the plastic packagings are directly and properly recycled by the bottler
this is a local business (you do not drink water bottled 500 km away)
From today HOD water business model, we still can improve it working on
bottle design for better marketing and logistic efficiency
delivery service and tools adapted to home life (crate, rolls…)
new distribution methods (drive-in supermarket or service station…)
different dispensing systems (pump, valve…) to complete the today coolers
...
HOD is a concrete answer to water quality (mineral and spring water) and to single-use plastic issues. The success of HOD companies in the islands (places with great restraint on logistic and packaging) demonstrated it.
There is a window to develop HOD water business in Europe and it starts today.
