Editor’s note: Since publishing this blog, Bevi has made even more progress on its mission to make the beverage industry more sustainable. See the latest in our 2024 Environmental Sustainability Report.
April 20, 2023. This Earth Day, we want to shine a spotlight on our Bevi community, whose dedication to our mission to ‘unbottle the future’ has made a lasting impact. Together, we’ve managed to save a whopping 350 million 12 oz. plastic bottles (and counting) from hitting the landfills.
Need a visual to really get the gist? If you stacked all 350 million bottles that have been saved from the landfill end-to-end, it would be nearly as long as 16 cross country trips from Boston to San Francisco!
But, what does this really mean in the grand scheme of things? It’s not just about choosing Bevi for your hydration needs. We’re working to completely disrupt the bottled water industry: from the plastic used to make each bottle to the amount of crude oil needed to develop that plastic in the first place.
Curious to understand why choosing a Bevi machine over plastic bottles makes such a big difference?
The lifecycle of a plastic water bottle, and how Bevi is disrupting the supply chain
The creation of plastic bottles is a resource-intensive process. Let’s take a deeper look at what resources are used to create a single plastic bottle, and how that relates back to Bevi’s mission.
It all begins with raw material extraction
Plastic bottles are typically created from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a type of plastic derived from petroleum and natural gas. Extracting these fossil fuels from the Earth takes large amounts of drilling and mining, which can result in habitat destruction, water pollution, and the release of greenhouse gasses.
Did you know it takes 4 oz of this crude oil to create just one plastic water bottle? That means, since Bevi’s establishment, our machines have helped to prevent the extraction of 1.4 trillion ounces of oil from the Earth.
Sneaky and harmful transportation costs
The transportation of plastic water bottles comes with a hefty environmental price tag. Once the bottles are manufactured, they must be transported to bottling plants where they are filled with water, often sourced from faraway locations.
This process requires substantial amounts of energy and generates considerable carbon emissions due to the fuel consumed by the trucks, ships, and planes responsible for moving these products around the planet.
Additionally, the long distances traveled by these vehicles contribute to air pollution, traffic congestion, and greenhouse gas emissions, all of which negatively affect the environment and contribute to climate change.
Yet with every pour from a Bevi dispenser, we’re slowly but surely changing behaviors and reducing demand for plastic. 350 million glasses of Bevi water equals 21.7 billion grams of CO2 that have been saved from the atmosphere thanks to our dedicated customers and end users.
Off to the landfill they go
When a plastic water bottle is casually tossed away, it embarks on a long, often destructive journey with significant environmental consequences.
If not properly recycled, the bottle can end up in a landfill, where it may take centuries to break down, leaching toxic substances into the ground and water sources.
Even worse, countless plastic bottles are improperly disposed of, ending up in our rivers, lakes, and oceans. In these environments, they degrade into microplastics, which are then consumed by marine life, threatening their health and well-being. This not only threatens the health and well-being of marine animals, but also has implications for the entire food chain, including those who enjoy eating seafood.
The ingestion of these microplastics can have a cumulative effect over time, with potential long-term health consequences that are not yet fully understood. It’s alarming to consider that these tiny particles can now be found throughout the food chain and in our own bodies.
Want to learn more about microplastics? Check out our blog post on the topic here.
So remember, when you choose Bevi over bottles, you’re helping to keep all of the world’s living creatures healthy (and healthily hydrated).
Ready to join us in our mission to save the planet?
Let’s continue to celebrate and promote eco-conscious decisions, as every ounce of plastic saved truly makes a world of difference for our planet and future generations.
If you’re inspired by the idea of creating a greener and more sustainable planet, consider getting a Bevi machine for your office or commercial space. Together, we can create a brighter, cleaner, and healthier future for our Earth—one delicious sip at a time.
Bevi staff
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