The Water Brands We're Thirsty For

"One of the worst culprits of single-use plastic waste are plastic water bottles that are discarded as soon as the drink has been finished."

According to our research, plastic water bottles can take a rather shocking 400 to 1,000 years to decompose. Furthermore, it takes a staggering 3x the amount of water to produce a plastic bottle than it does to actually fill one.

But many smart, environmentally-conscious individuals & businesses are coming up with alternative, innovative ways to combat this plastic epidemic.

We’ve gathered up a selection of eco-friendly, beautifully packaged & designed water brands out there making a splash.

Facts & Figures

  • 69%

    The average aluminium can is made from 68% total recycled content.

  • 8m

    Approximately 8 million tonnes of plastic ends up in our ocean each year.

  • 60%

    60% of the human body is made up of water.

  • 1000

    Plastic water bottles can take between 400 & 1,000 years to decompose.

  • 3x

    It takes 3x the amount of water to produce a plastic bottle than it does to fill one.

  • 24m

    24 million litres of oil is needed to produce billions of plastic bottles.

Emanuele Pizzolorusso's Refillable Bottles

Playfully named Phil The Bottle this design tackles the serious problem of plastic waste. With the goal of encouraging people to “Phil up” at free water sources, the packaging lists fountain locations in & around 10 specified cities. Brilliantly thought out & beautifully designed, Phil is a celebration of simplicity & minimalism. The concept disregards the notion that we must be “sold” water with clever concepts, marketing strategies & images of mountains. Instead, it embraces the fact that we can access it at no cost & spells this out in gorgeous sans serif typography. We love it.

 

Source: dezeen.com

“Single-use plastics have contributed to huge rubbish patches in the oceans. Recycling plastic bottles is possible, but uses a lot of energy, & single-use plastics are often instead shipped to landfill sites.”

Boxed Water

As we become increasingly aware of the damage we are causing to our planet Boxed Water is creating a “better” alternative to single-use plastics. With a minimal, yet bold packaging design they are portraying themselves as a brand that has the purest of intentions. Their message is that Boxed Water Is Better – better for the planet, better for us. And you better believe it. Boxed Water has a 1084% lower impact on our ozone than plastic & that’s just the tip of the iceberg. They have every right to brag about the facts & that’s exactly what they do. Boxed Water is Better they say, & we say….yes, yes it is.

 

Source: lovelypackage.com

Re:form - Student Project

Although Water covers 70% of our planet, unfortunately only 3% is fresh water. The drinkable type that doesn’t make you ill, is in fact much harder to come by than we believe, especially in nations much poorer than ours. Inspired by a study in Singapore in which sewage was transformed into a perfectly drinkable water source, Erik Berger Vaage created Re:Form. Re:Form envisions a way to make effluent drinking water more accepted in Western Society. The modern identity gives filtered water a new sense of life. It feels clean, current & far away from it’s journey to the shelves. A concept well thought out, we like the way Erik has considered water from a different viewpoint. Are we so caught up on how we package our water, that we aren’t thinking enough about where it’s coming from?

 

Source: packagingoftheworld.com

“Billions of non-biodegradable plastic water bottles end up in landfills each year.”

California's Sparkling Waters Culturally Aware Brand, Student Project

An identity full of life & colour, California Sparkling Waters are a breath of fresh air in amongst a sea of minimalism & bold, sans serif typography. Looking more like craft beer cans than sparkling water, these designs disrupt the norm & bring something different to the table. Drawing inspiration from the Californias urban scene, the identities of each flavour in the range revolve around stereotypes that are a dominant part of the culture. Perfectly illustrated with their own characters, each one is full of personality, something which we feel is lacking in this industry. It’s a yes from us.

 

Source: thedieline.com

CanO Water - The Leading Alternative To Single-Use Plastic Bottles

In a similar approach to Boxed Water, CanO Water’s eco friendly message takes pride of place in their identity. They boast that their aluminium cans are a “solution to plastic pollution” making it back to shelves in just 6 weeks after recycling & trumping plastics with their argument that aluminium is infinitely recyclable. With a simple, no frills identity this identity does what it says on the tin & sometimes that’s all you need to communicate a strong message. “Don’t bottle it” they say, & we totally agree.

 

Source: worldbranddesign.com

“Approximately 8 million tonnes of plastic is ending up in the ocean each year, aluminium cans are an infinitely recyclable alternative to plastic bottles.”

LIFEWTR

Driven by the belief that art is as essential to life as water is, LIFEWATER uses its products to get emerging artists they exposure they deserve. Every six months their bottles change, as they launch a new series of designs focused on a unique aspect in art – they call this thirst inspiration. As creatives ourselves & big believers in collaboration, we are totally here for this brand. These are just a few of our favourite releases & we can’t wait to see future designs.

 

Source: packagingoftheworld.com

“LIFEWTR believes inspiration is as essential to life as water, because it moves us forward by unleashing our creative potential.”

Water For Change

Packaging their products in recyclable board cartons, Water For Change not only strive to have a positive impact on the environment, they strive to change the lives of those less fortunate. Through the sales of a product that is bought by thousands of people every day, Water For Change help contribute to the developing world. For every one carton that is purchased 10 litres of water is donated to those in need. A brand with this kind of social purpose is definitely worth a mention.

 

Source: competition.adesignaward.com

After Hangover Water

& so it turns out that magic potions truly do exist. Perfectly crafted for the morning after the night before, After Hangover Water is full of everything we need to recover from alcohol. Grape sugar for energy, vitamins & minerals to put the mind & body at ease & electrolytes to quench our thirst. All the good things inside a cute little bottle. A bottle that looks straight off the pharmacy shelf, & has that reassuring “I can help” look. We couldn’t miss this one off the list.

 

Source: drinkafter.co/en/

Mineral Water Structural Packaging Design Concept

Similarly to water, glass is a pure substance & is considered to be one of the safest types of packaging for human health. This idea of purity, is what inspired Bulaquqa’s identity. Stripped back to the bare minimum, the design draws attention to the form of the bottle. The subtle ripple effect on the packaging creates the sense that the glass & the water are almost one seamless entity. Each as pure as the other. In our opinion, this is minimalism done right.

 

Source: worldbranddesign.com

Wato Drink Packaging Design

When the heatwave of summer 2018 hit Sweden, the brilliant idea for Wato Water was born. A unique product with a unique identity, Wato is a sugar-free fizzy drink that helps you stay hydrated. Their range includes both caffeinated & non caffeinated offerings, with the lines on the outside working as a visual indicator of how much is each drink. The straighter the lines the less caffeine in the drink. A simple system that works across the identity, adding personality & character & proving that branding doesn’t need to be complicated to be effective.

 

Source: mindsparklemag.com

“Over 9 million cans are recycled every hour, worldwide. Aluminium recycling prevents close to 170 million tonnes of greenhouse gases from entering the environment every year.”