Environmentally friendly Dutch bottled water brand Bottle Up is looking to universities to fuel its UK expansion, co-founder Andrew Eversden says.
Bottle Up’s water comes in reusable 500ml containers made out of sugar cane resin and are so environmentally friendly that Eversden says users offset their carbon footprint within weeks, compared to the years it takes with conventional metal and plastic bottles.
He said that while Bottle Up is looking to grow its UK sales in general, universities are likely to be a good source of growth for it as “students are very eco-conscious”. Bottle Up’s bottled water is available in WH Smith travel stores, Co-op, Morrisons, BP garages and other retailers, as well as hotel giants like Accor, the owner of Novotel and Mercure, and universities like Imperial College in London and the University of Leeds.
Ahead of the key summer trading period, when demand for bottled water peaks, he said that Bottle Up was on track to hit its targets so far. He added that it is set to produce smaller bottles that “more easily fit in airline bags”.
The water bottles from Bottle Up that are sold in the UK are made in Wolverhampton and filled with pure British spring water from Elmhurst in Staffordshire to minimise their carbon impact.