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bonaqua® Marks Latest Sustainability Milestone with Launch of Mineralized Water in Returnable Glass Bottles

ByE NEWSSeptember 15, 20235 Mins read573

B2B Collaboration Enables Industry-First Rollout in Hotels

HONG KONG SAR 15 September 2023 – bonaqua®, Hong Kong’s leading bottled water brand¹, has been promoting sustainable development for years. Echoing the brand’s mission to continuously explore sustainable solutions, bonaqua® became a sponsor of this year’s “ReThink Sustainable Development Business Forum and Solutions Expo” (ReThink Expo). A “bonaqua® Sustainability Journey and Refill Station” was installed at the expo to showcase the company’s commitment to improving packaging and promoting sustainability over the years. Meanwhile, bonaqua® unveils its mineralized water in returnable glass bottles, marking a pioneering B2B collaboration with the hotel industry. This collaboration advances bonaqua®’s sustainability vision through a 100% returnable glass bottle design.

bonaqua® is one the sponsors of this year’s “ReThink Sustainable Development Business Forum and Solutions Expo”. Senior management team members from The Coca-Cola Company and Swire Coca-Cola attended the event, interacting with industry professionals and sharing bonaqua®’s sustainability achievements and package transformations at the “bonaqua® Sustainability Journey and Refill Station”.

bonaqua® believes that the introduction of its new returnable glass bottle products to the hotel and B2B industries can help drive corporate commitment to sustainability. Starting in September 2024, bonaqua® mineralized water in returnable glass bottles will be available at different hotels, motivating hotel guests and its employees to adopt these eco-friendly alternatives and develop recycling habits.

Designed with eco-friendly elements including recycled materials, bonaqua® mineralized water in returnable glass bottles is specially designed for the needs of the hotel industry, who shares a common aspiration on sustainability. Key features of the new bonaqua® mineralized water in returnable glass bottles include:

Recyclability: Made of high-quality food-grade glass, bonaqua® mineralized water in returnable glass bottles is designed to be 100% recyclable and returnable, significantly reducing carbon emissions.
Durability: bonaqua® mineralized water in returnable glass bottles has a shelf life of up to 365 days.
Compatibility: bonaqua® mineralized water in returnable glass bottles currently comes in 250ml and 750ml bottles, catering to different needs of the hotels. For example, the 250ml bottle can be used for business conference participants, while the 750ml bottle can be placed in guest rooms for daily consumption. (Placing two complimentary 750ml bottles in each guest room will help reduce refilling frequency and staff workload.)
Easy operation: The returnable bottle crates are light-weight and space-saving, easy to store and transport for easy daily handling by hotel staff.
Established transportation system: A bottle return mechanism is set up with participating key customers. Multiple transportation solutions are available to suit different customer needs, supported by a professional logistics team to ensure proper recycling.

The introduction of bonaqua® mineralized water in returnable glass bottles also aligns with The Coca-Cola Company’s vision of a ‘World Without Waste’ – a global commitment to collect and recycle every bottle or can that the company sells by 2030.

Marella Canepa Risso, Franchise Operations Director, Hong Kong and Macau at The Coca-Cola Company (Left), and Connie Yeung, General Manager of Swire Coca-Cola Hong Kong (Right), showcased bonaqua®'s newly launched mineralized water RGB at the event. They noted that orders for bonaqua® RGBs have been already received from hotels, and hopes that this collaboration with hotels will inspire other industries to prioritize sustainable development and work together for a greener future. — Marella Canepa Risso, Franchise Operations Director, Hong Kong and Macau at The Coca-Cola Company (Left), and Connie Yeung, General Manager of Swire Coca-Cola Hong Kong (Right), showcased bonaqua®’s newly launched mineralized water RGB at the event. They noted that orders for bonaqua® RGBs have been already received from hotels, and hopes that this collaboration with hotels will inspire other industries to prioritize sustainable development and work together for a greener future.

Marella Canepa Risso, Franchise Operations Director, Hong Kong and Macau at The Coca-Cola Company, said, “As Hong Kong’s most popular bottled water brand, bonaqua® has been continuously exploring packaging breakthroughs to reduce product packaging and increase bottle recyclability. We’ve also been promoting public awareness on sustainability through community campaigns such as ‘Power of Less’ and ‘Choose Less’, educating the public about proper recycling and engaging the community to build a World Without Waste together.” Marella added that the company has already been receiving orders for bonaqua® mineralized water in returnable glass bottles from hotels: “This is an industry-first rollout in the hotels. By joining hands with the hotel industry, we can make significant strides in sustainability. We hope that this collaboration will inspire other industries to prioritize sustainability and work together towards a greener future.”

Packaging innovations and sustainability efforts help establish bonaqua® as a sustainable brand

The “bonaqua® Sustainability Journey and Refill Station” at the Rethink Expo not only showcased various bonaqua® bottled water packaging designs, but also, with a water refill station, invited visitors to use their refillable water bottles and invite them to rethink their sustainability habits.

Bonaqua® believes that the introduction of RGB to the hospitality and B2B industries will drive corporate commitment to sustainability. At the same time, by encouraging guests and employees to use these eco-friendly alternatives and get into the habit of recycling, this campaign can raise public awareness around environmental protection and inspire them to adopt sustainable lifestyles.

Bonaqua® has continuously worked to improve its packaging with the goal of reducing carbon emissions and increasing recyclability. Over the years, it has introduced bottled water packaging options from “Lightweight Twistable Bottle”, bonaqua® mineralized water (two litres or less) made of 100% rPET recycled materials, and individual sale label-less bottled water. With the introduction of bonaqua® mineralized water RGB this year, the company is driving further collaboration between industries, further advancing toward its sustainability goals.

The launch of bonaqua® mineralized water in returnable glass bottles further enhances the brand’s commitment to a sustainable future. Since 2020, all locally produced bonaqua® mineralized water products (2L or below) have adopted 100% rPET (recycled plastics) for production of bottles, each of which weighs 11.8g (per bonaqua®’s 500 ml bottle), that is 52.8% lighter than a typical PET bottle found in the market, which weighs 18 – 32g², helping to reduce carbon footprint by 29% ³ as compared with most other brands in Hong Kong. In 2022, bonaqua® launched its first label-less bottled water for individual sale, further reducing packaging waste and improving recyclability through innovative product packaging.

Earlier this year, Coca-Cola Hong Kong staged the first-ever “Recycle Bar”, featuring 30 pieces of 3D-printed bar furniture made out of 18,000 recycled plastic bottles, as well as a collection of rPET-turned everyday items. The exhibit highlighted the importance and benefits of recycling plastic bottles. This time around, bonaqua® displayed furniture made from rPET at the ReThink Expo with a message loud and clear: used PET bottles can be given a new life – again and again – if returned and recycled properly.

If any customers are interested in learning more about the bonaqua® mineralized water in returnable glass bottles, please feel free to contact the Swire Coca-Cola Hong Kong customer service hotline at +852 2210 3888.

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¹Nielsen MarketTrack Service data shows that bonaqua® was ranked first in Sales Volume (Litre) in the Packaged Water category for the 15-year period ending November 2021 for Total Supermarkets, CVS, Drug Stores, Provision Stores and Soft Drink Outlets in Hong Kong.

2 bonaqua®’s 500 ml bottle weighs 11.8g, which is lighter than the typical PET bottle found in the market, which weighs 18 – 32g. (Source: New Life Plastics Ltd – https://www.nlplastics.com.hk/pet-hdpe/)

³Refers to bonaqua® 500ml only.
Based on research conducted by a local university, ‘Consequential Life Cycle Analysis Results for the Development of bonaqua® Environmental Claims’ (July 22, 2022)
Compared with the other top-selling bottled water brands in Hong Kong based on Neilson Retail audit (2021) for the 500mL plastic bottle category, the bonaqua® bottle has a total CO2e that is 29% lower than an average bottle.