April 17, 2024. After learning about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, an immense collection of 1.8 trillion pieces of mostly plastic waste adrift in the North Pacific Ocean, Eliza Becton, a mechanical engineer turned industrial designer from Yale and RISD, was shocked. It was tragic to see us polluting our oceans—which ultimately meant polluting our drinking water—with plastic bottles and containers, many of which had once contained that very same drinking water. What actions could we take to address this terrible, wasteful cycle? Eliza would eventually meet, and start working with two graduate business students in environmental advocacy, Sean Grundy and Frank Lee from MIT Sloan, who shared her concern for the plastic pollution issue. Together, they resolved to launch their efforts within the beverage industry.
Fact: the world’s largest beverage companies are also the world’s biggest plastic polluters. They have been polluting plastic at an increasingly monstrous rate for decades. Their pollution is so extreme that U.S. states and environmental groups have taken to suing beverage companies for endangering environmental and public health and misleading consumers on the recyclability of plastic.
600 billion plastic bottles and containers are produced each year for water alone. Less than 30% will ever be recycled. The remaining waste will end up in landfills, streets, fields, and waterways. Those waterways run to the ocean, where plastic bottles—and the microplastics they degrade down into—join other waste to become another 14 million tons of plastic added annually to our largest bodies of water.
Be part of the solution.
Replace bottles with Bevi to cut plastic waste and offer healthy drinks in your commercial space. Download Bevi’s Environmental Sustainability Report to learn more.
Consider: every 16 oz. plastic bottle of water is manufactured using 179 oz. of water and enough oil to fill a quarter of that bottle. Getting one bottle from factory to fridge generates 78.9g of carbon emissions, which multiplied by the number of plastic bottles sold annually across the globe, equals the carbon footprint of 12.5 million cars. That means a staggering amount of energy—and water—is wasted every year producing hundreds of billions of plastic water bottles.
Also consider: bottled beverages may not be all that safe to drink. A liter of bottled water has 240,000 detectable plastic fragments in it. Every bottle. These microplastics are a growing hazard to our health; they are being found everywhere—in our hair, lungs, arteries, blood, brains—and have the potential to cause serious health complications. And there’s 252% more PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic in the bottles used for soda than those used for water, which raises questions about its microplastic content.
All of the plastic that is dumped into our ocean at first required energy to manufacture it and a supply chain to distribute it. All of that plastic, in the end, floating in the ocean, eventually becomes part of the water we drink. It enters the food chain, so it becomes a part of the food we eat. Plastic is doing damage to our planet—and, in the end, it’s doing damage to our health. No wonder three out of every four people support a worldwide ban on single-use plastics.
Eliza, Sean, and Frank started Bevi over 10 years ago because they believed people shouldn’t have to choose between sustainability and convenience. You shouldn’t have to choose what’s good for you and what’s good for the environment. Bevi is designing a world where you can do both.
Bevi offers a wide variety of healthy beverages without single-use containers, in a format that is just as convenient—and more fun—than bottled alternatives. Our bottleless machines pour still, sparkling, hot, cold, flavored, and enhanced water on-demand.
Bevi will soon replace single-use bottles and cans in all the places they’re frequently consumed. There will be a smart water cooler to greet you as you go about your day: in the office, at the gym, at school, and even in restaurants and bars. It will be far more cost-effective than buying single-use containers, with all of the same flavors, fizz, and fun, and without the egregious plastic waste in our oceans.
Looking to reduce your carbon footprint—plus reduce costs and get delicious filtered water on tap? Get a quote for a Bevi machine.
We’re drinking so.much.water.
In 2022, the average American consumed 46.5 gallons of bottled water, compared to 36 gallons of soda. This is the most ever, surpassing carbonated soft drinks for the seventh year in a row.
But it comes at a major cost—most water is consumed from single-use plastic bottles. The production and disposal of these containers has a big impact on greenhouse gas emissions, the leading cause of climate change.
Millions of plastic containers are thrown away every day all over the world. But there are steps you can take to drink—and live—more sustainably. First, here are three main ways single-use water bottles contribute to climate change.
Extraction of Fossil Fuels
Single-use water bottles are made from plastic, which is a petroleum product. The extraction and processing of petroleum releases greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere, which contribute to climate change.
Production of Plastic
The production of plastic also releases greenhouse gasses into the air. In fact, it’s responsible for about 4% of global gas emissions. The water bottling process releases 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year.
Disposal of Plastic
As you’ve noticed, single-use water bottles are often not recycled. Every year, 38 billion disposable containers (86%) end up in landfills in the US, according to the Container Recycling Institute.
When plastic breaks down in landfills, it releases methane, a greenhouse gas that is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
Ditching the single-use plastic habit is easier said than done—it’s a behavior that permeates our lives, whether we’re at the grocery store, attending a baseball game, or stepping up to the refreshment line at the movie theater.
But there are a number of things that we can do to reduce the environmental impact of single-use water bottles, including:
Drink from a Reusable Container
This might be the simplest and most impactful change you can make. A reusable container can help you reduce your reliance on single-use bottles. There are so many different options available—find your favorite by shape, size, color, lid, or budget.
Drink Tap Water
Tap water is often a safe and reliable source of drinking water. If you live in an area with high-quality tap water, then this is a great option.
Drink Water from a Dispenser
When you’re in the office, at the gym, or on the road, filling your reusable thermos or jug from a water dispenser is a great way to get flavored, filtered, still, or sparkling water.
Recycle Plastic Water Bottles
If you do use a single-use container, make sure to recycle it. Every time you recycle, you help lessen the amount of plastic that ends up in landfills.
By making small changes in our everyday lives, we can help to reduce the environmental impact of single-use water bottles and make a difference in the fight against climate change.
Short answer: yes. Google any popular water brand and you’ll usually find a page devoted to its sustainability policy. But what does that really mean for us and the planet?
If you check out the sustainability statements of bottled water companies such as Pure Life, Poland Springs, Dasani, or Aquafina, you’ll see they share some things in common. These brands—and about a dozen others—are owned by BlueTriton, an American beverage company that was formerly a subsidiary of Nestlé.
BlueTriton describes itself as “a guardian of its resources and a provider of fresh water.” It is “committed to minimizing the environmental impact of our operations” while “making strides on our journey to use more recycled plastic” and “exploring new materials for alternative packaging solutions.”
According to BlueTriton, these include:
But the fact remains that even with these steps to minimize their carbon footprints, these companies crank out plastic water bottles—billions of them every year—many of which end up in landfills. That’s about as far as you can get from a sustainable business.
But we don’t just drink water from single-use bottles. We drink a loooot of other beverages.
In fact, The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo and Nestlé are ranked as the world’s top plastic polluters according to Break Free From Plastic, whose latest global Brand Audit report serves as notice to companies fueling the climate crisis.
Coca-Cola has been the world’s top plastic polluter by a significant lead every year since the global brand audits began in 2018. PepsiCo has come in as the #2 top polluter
every year except 2019 when it was #3.
With over 500 brands, Coca-Cola is the largest drinks producer in the world. It generates 3,224,000 metric tons of plastic each year and sells more than 100 billion plastic bottles every year—200,000 per minute on average.
But worst of all, most of this is thrown into the trash. Only 12% of plastic bottles in the US are recycled. This means that the vast majority of Coca-Cola’s bottles end up in landfills or incinerators.
Here’s how companies such as Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Nestlé contribute to plastic pollution every day:
Using single-use plastic packaging.
These companies are the world’s largest producers of bottled water, snacks, and other beverages. These products are often packaged in single-use plastic containers.
Not using recycled plastic.
When these giant companies do use plastic, they often use virgin plastic, which is made from petroleum. This contributes to the extraction of fossil fuels, which is a major contributor to climate change.
Not recycling their plastic waste.
Although these corporations do recycle some of the plastic waste created in the production process, it’s estimated that only a small percentage of this waste is actually recycled. This means that most of it ends up in landfills or incinerators.
Coca-Cola said that it intends to sell at least 25% of its brands in refillable and returnable glass or plastic bottles by 2030. But it has a history of breaking promises and still has a long way to go to address the problem. Meanwhile, Coca-Cola remains one of the world’s biggest plastic polluters.
Now that you know the extent of the issue, let’s take a look at some of the solutions, starting with the term “sustainability”.
You’ve heard “reduce, reuse, recycle,” but what the heck is sustainability, really?
One of the best definitions of sustainability comes from something known as “The Brundtland Report” published by the United Nations in 1987.
>> Sustainability is “development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs”.
Pretty great, right? Think long term. Don’t short change the future.
We also love this one from the Environmental Protection Agency because it expands its perspective beyond human needs to include all of the natural world:
>> Sustainability is based on a simple principle: Everything that we need for our survival and well-being depends on our natural environment. To pursue sustainability is to create and maintain the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony to support present and future generations.
Yes! Humans and nature need to live in harmony.
And this one from UCLA sums it all up well:
>> Sustainability is the balance between the environment, equity, and economy.
Bottom line: Sustainability means it’s important to use our resources wisely and protect them for the long-term good of the environment and all living things.
Heck yeah they are. Bottled water companies, office water bubblers, and point-of-use (or “bottleless”) water dispensers have three very different approaches to sustainability.
Bottled water brands (as we just described) are the worst offenders. Some claim to limit their environmental impact throughout their production process, from water sourcing to packaging, but they are in the business of producing and selling single-use plastic.
Traditional office water bubblers are slightly better. Instead of a single serving of water, they let people refill a cup, mug, or thermos from a large, central container. It does reduce the number of individual water bottles, but it’s basically just a bigger plastic jug and it has to be delivered, usually by a big, gas-guzzling truck.
Bottleless water dispensers, on the other hand, focus on reducing the environmental impact of single-use plastic bottles by dispensing water locally. These point-of-use machines connect directly to the local water line so there’s no water delivery needed. They filter, purify, and (in some cases) flavor what comes out of the tap for the cleanest water with the smallest environmental impact.
While bottled water companies, office bubblers, and water dispensers have sustainability efforts in place, bottleless machines have a much greater potential to reduce the environmental impact of single-use plastic bottles.
If you are looking for a sustainable way to drink water at your work, gym, apartment, or hotel, a local water dispenser is a great option.
Here is a comparison of the sustainability efforts of bottled water companies and water dispensers:
| Bottled Water Companies | Bottleless Water Dispensers | |
| Water Sourcing | Bottled water companies often try to source their water from sustainable sources, but are doing a less-than-ideal job. For example, Pure Life is working to source its water from springs that are protected by national parks. (Is that what we want?) | Bottleless water dispensers provide high-quality local tap water that is filtered and purified. |
| Packaging | Bottled water companies use mostly virgin plastic and some recycled materials in their bottles. They try to lower the impact by reducing bottle weight. For example, Aquafina has reduced the weight of its bottles by 30%. | Bottleless dispensers eliminate the use of single-use plastic bottles. This can save a significant amount of plastic waste, as an office with 50 employees can use up to 7,000 plastic bottles per year. |
| Bottling Operations | Bottled water companies actually use water to bottle water (!) but are trying to reduce their water use in their bottling operations. For example, Dasani has reduced its water use by 20%. | By definition, bottleless dispensers don’t bottle water at all. They dispense local water at the source, saving water and energy used in bottling operations. |
| Distribution | Some bottled water companies are working to reduce their carbon emissions from distribution. For example, Poland Spring is using more fuel-efficient trucks to deliver its water. | Bottleless dispensers use less energy because they dispense local water. There’s no need for refrigeration or water delivery and they don’t require fuel to transport the water. |
Plastic pollution is a major environmental problem, and there are many things that we can do to reduce it. Here are some of the most important steps that we can take:
Reduce our use of single-use plastics.
Single-use plastics are those that are used once and then discarded. They include items such as plastic bags, straws, and water containers. We can reduce our use of single-use plastics by bringing our own reusable bags when we go shopping, using metal straws, and drinking tap water instead of bottled water.
Recycle plastic waste.
When we recycle plastic, it is converted into new products, which helps to reduce the amount of plastic that ends up in the environment. We can recycle plastic by sorting our waste and placing plastic items in the recycling bin.
Support businesses that are committed to reducing plastic pollution.
There are many businesses taking steps to reduce their use of plastic. We can support them by shopping there and letting them know we appreciate their efforts.
Shop Without Plastic and Blueland offer sustainable alternatives to disposable products. Brands such as Patagonia, Allbirds, and Seventh Generation are well-known for their environmentally friendly practices.
Get involved in advocacy efforts.
There are many organizations that are working to reduce plastic pollution. We can get involved in these efforts by volunteering our time, donating money, or signing petitions.
For example, you can get action alerts from Food and Water Watch, Open Space Institute, and Oceana, just three of many organizations dedicated to saving the planet.
Avoid buying products that are packaged in plastic.
If you do buy products that are packaged in plastic, choose products that are made from recycled plastic.
Educate yourself about plastic pollution.
The more you know about the problem, the more likely you are to take steps to reduce it. Learn more at sites such as Break Free From Plastic, Water.org, Clean Water Action, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, and Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS). This blog post is a good start!
Talk to your friends and family about plastic pollution.
The more people who are aware of the problem, the more likely we are to find solutions.
There’s no time to waste. By following these tips, we can help to reduce plastic pollution, protect the environment, and create a more sustainable future for all.
Learn how you can help unbottle the future at Bevi.co.
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 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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
If you think your office is on the road to sustainability, you’re probably starting to take some positive steps toward lowering your environmental impact. Even so, a recent report might have you wanting to check in with your employees about your sustainability report card from their perspective.
In a survey of 2,000 office workers, intranet company Unily found that 83% of employees felt their employer wasn’t doing enough to tackle sustainability issues, and 65% also said they would be more likely to work for a company with a strong environmental policy. In the age of the “Great Resignation,” it’s clear that you can’t afford to fall behind competitors on the sustainability front.
If you want to get smart about sustainability in your office, one easy way forward is with a Bevi smart water cooler. Why choose Bevi? It turns a human necessity into a unique office perk that can be customized by each and every employee, save your company money, and prevent plastic bottles from ending up in the landfill. It’s even more than that, too…
Meet Bevi: The Smart Water Cooler from Bevi on Vimeo.
While some snacks and break room diversions can be fun extras, a refreshing glass of water is something we can all agree on as being essential to get us through the workday. The best part is that, with Bevi, coworkers don’t have to agree on anything past that.
With over 48,000 drink combinations to choose from with our Standup 2.0, a glass of Bevi water is customizable from the temperature to the bubbliness to the flavor and enhancements. What’s more, it’s a delightful addition to any office that will provide a natural place for coworkers to gather and get back in the habit of in-person collaboration.
Speaking of flavor and enhancements, you’ll have the power to decide what’s in your glass and what’s not, with complete transparency around the nutritional value of any additions. For starters, all of our flavors and enhancements are sodium-free, gluten-free, vegan, and devoid of any artificial ingredients. They’re made from real fruit essence to create delicious combinations like Blackberry Lime, Strawberry Lemongrass, and Peach Mango.
If you need a boost, try one of our healthy enhancements, Electrolytes, Caffeine or Immunity. Staying healthy at the office is easy with a fun way to hydrate and extra health benefits in every glass.
In addition to investing in your employees with a healthy refreshment option, Bevi water coolers are a smart investment when it comes to the bottom line. On average, our machines are 40-60% less expensive than purchasing single use bottles and cans.
They’re also a time saver, eliminating extra tasks for your office manager so they can increase productivity in other areas of the business. Gone are the days of lifting heavy water jugs and cases of seltzer water. Because our water dispensers are internet-enabled, we do the monitoring and restocking for you. All the necessary parts–flavors, filters, and CO2 levels–are seamlessly replaced to keep your office happily hydrated.
Your recycling bin is about to get a whole lot lonelier. One Bevi machine can displace over 30,000 bottles and cans per year. Bevi customers have saved over 200 million bottles to date, not to mention the oil necessary to make plastic bottles or the carbon emitted once they’re filled with water and shipped all over the country.
Want to motivate your team to up their sustainability game? You can monitor your own machine’s impact by navigating to the “Explore” tab on the touchscreen. A real-time counter shows the bottles and cans you’re saving, as well as what that translates to in terms of carbon and trees.
It’s clear that employees want their workplaces to take a more active role in sustainability efforts, and the Bevi Standup 2.0 water dispenser is an easy way to invest in the health of your workforce while also being mindful of the environment.
With thousands of possible drink combinations, every employee will find their favorite flavor and keep track of their personal sustainability journey as well. A Bevi water dispenser in the office means happier employees, lower costs, and a visible commitment to sustainability.
Ready to join over 4,000 companies using Bevi today? Get a quote for your office today.
As an Office Manager, there may be multiple reasons why you’re looking to cut costs around the office. Perhaps you’re looking to set aside money for other initiatives like company events, professional development, and additional office perks—or maybe you were asked by upper management to improve cash flow.
Whatever the reason may be, there are many ways to trim office expenditures without sacrificing quality and comfort—it may just take a bit of creativity, research, and planning.
Not only will the tips highlighted in this blog post save your business money in the long run, but they will also help your office become more sustainable. Win-win!
Let’s take a look at 10 different ways you can efficiently cut costs around the office.
Office snacks are always a hit amongst employees. Unfortunately, these costs can add up over time, especially if you’re paying the full retail price and frequently restocking your snack cabinets.
Though large boxes of single-serving chips and cookies are convenient, they could be costing you more money than you think (and tons of wrapper waste!).
One way to save money on office snacks is to buy products that come in single, large containers. Encourage employees to portion out their own servings using cups or small bowls. Not only is this a cheaper alternative to traditional single-serve packaging, but you’ll also be reducing your plastic use.
Take a moment to look around your office. Do you notice multiple staplers or rolls of packing tape collecting dust or taking up space in a supply cabinet?
Think about how often your employees use certain office supplies—staplers, hole punches, scissors, labels, etc—and start a shared space where employees can access common office supplies.
It may sound elementary at first (remember fighting over the fruity-scented markers in fourth grade?), but trust that your employees will respect this new initiative.
Try placing a sign by the shared supplies reminding people to return anything they borrow once they are done using them. If you’re including single-use products like paper clips or sticky notes, remind employees to only take what they need.
When LED lights were first introduced back in the 1960s, they were insanely inexpensive (think $200 per bulb). Thanks to improvements in technology, LED bulbs are now considered cheaper than traditional incandescent bulbs.
Take a stroll around your office space and note areas that currently use either fluorescent or incandescent lighting. If you work in a large office or in a shared commercial space, you may need to work with lighting professionals to make the switch. But trust us, it will absolutely be worth the effort considering LED lights are 75% more energy efficient than incandescent lights.
It’s estimated that the average full-time employee costs a company $725 a year just on printing habits. Of course, this is only an average and will not apply to everyone in your company, considering everyone’s specific printing needs.
Regardless of how much you currently spend on ink, paper, and printer maintenance, cutting down on printing costs is as simple as encouraging employees to go digital. Urge workers to only print what they absolutely need and stick to black and white ink when possible.
If you spend a lot of time and money restocking your company fridge with cases of bottled water and flavored seltzer, you’ll be thrilled to know we offer a cost-saving (and environmentally-friendly) solution.
By switching to a smart water cooler like Bevi, you will be saving roughly 30,000 bottles and cans a year, along with saving on beverage costs.
On average, a glass of water from the Bevi machine costs roughly $0.20 per 12 oz glass—less than half of what you’d pay for bottled, flavored, and sparkling water.
In addition to being better for the planet, your employees can make custom drinks with over 12 flavors made from natural extracts and no artificial ingredients, enjoy water enhanced with Caffeine or Immunity (a vitamin blend), and rally around the real-time counter that shows how many bottles your office is saving.
It’s estimated that air conditioners account for one-fifth of the total electricity used in buildings around the planet. When you consider the other objects that also use electricity such as machinery, electronics, and kitchen appliances—that’s a large piece of the pie.
If you can open a few windows to bring in fresh air when it’s nice outside, you may be able to get your office air conditioner a break. Plus, welcoming in fresh air is shown to improve mental health.
Purchasing brand-new office furniture can get expensive very quickly, with the average office chair costing between $150-$300.
Instead of buying your office furniture and decor from a known retailer, take a look at local secondhand stores or online marketplaces for great deals on gently used furniture. It may take some research before you find a bargain, but once you do, you’ll be on your way to cutting down office expenses in no time!
When packing up to leave for the day, it can be easy to forget to turn off or unplug your tech. Leaving technology plugged in overnight (and especially over the weekend) can cause your energy bill to skyrocket.
To save both time and money, use surge protectors to power up your most used technology around the office. That way, all your employees need to do is flip the power switch before leaving the office, as opposed to unplugging every power cord.
Even in the digital age, there will almost always be a need for office supplies such as paper, envelopes, file folders, labels, and tape.
Look for office supply companies that offer discounts when you buy wholesale, such as Staples or Amazon.com.
Before buying wholesale, it doesn’t hurt to take inventory of supplies you already have to avoid overspending. If you have an overabundance of paper clips or sticky notes sitting in your supply cabinet, you can probably scratch those from your list.
Listen, forgetting to turn off the lights happens to the best of us, especially after a long day at work. With many other important things occurring during the work day, switching off the office lights may be at the bottom of your to-do list by the time you pack up for the evening.
That’s why another great way to cut costs is by investing in motion-sensor lights. In addition to being economical, they also remove some responsibility from the last employee to leave for the day. Those employees will seriously thank you!
Cutting costs around the office doesn’t need to be a daunting task, especially if you only choose to implement a few of these tips at a time.
Not only does reducing your office expenses improve your business’s cash flow, but you will also be doing the planet a huge favor by trimming your energy bill and eliminating excessive waste.
Do you have other cost-saving tips you’d like to share? Send them our way on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn!
In July of 2020, Bevi users reached a notable milestone: They helped save the planet from 200 million plastic bottles. Eliminating the need for plastic bottles and cans is a driving force behind the concept of the Bevi office water dispenser. So much so, that a user can see just how many bottles a particular machine is saving with a counter right in the Bevi touchscreen.
While that may be the most obvious indicator of a positive effect on the environment, there is more behind Bevi’s approach to supporting sustainability in the workplace.
Before you ever grab a beverage at work, a good deal of energy has gone into getting that bottle of water into the office refrigerator. The source for more than half of all bottled water comes from springs and aquifers. Moving all that water to a bottling facility requires energy for pumps and trucks. The bottles it goes into also require significant resources to produce. In a 2007 study, the Pacific Institute found it took the equivalent of approximately 17 million barrels of oil to make all the plastic for bottled water consumed by Americans in 2006. That’s was enough energy to power 1 million vehicles for a year. More recent research at Stanford University in 2018 put the oil consumption number for plastic bottle production at 50 million barrels per year.
But that’s not the only area where fossil fuels come into play. Still more are used in transporting the 50 billion plastic bottles used each year in the U.S. from the manufacturer to the bottling facility.
Finding a better way to do something often requires doing it differently. Point-of-use office water dispensers, such as those from Bevi, connect to an existing water line. From there, the water can be dispensed still, sparkling or flavored right into a glass or reusable beverage tumbler. This not only cuts out the need for plastic bottles and aluminum cans, it eliminates the substantial amount of fuel needed to source, bottle, and transport the water.
While point-of-use water dispensers are certainly more environmentally friendly, there are additional ways to shrink the carbon footprint of your glass of water. By connecting water dispensers to the internet, some manufacturers are able to monitor specific aspects of their machines, such as filter life and supply levels of flavors and CO2. With this information, maintenance and restocking calls can be more accurately scheduled, minimizing the fuel consumption of service vehicles.
In addition to using machine data to schedule flavor and CO2 refills, Bevi has made the service process even greener. Bevi uses flavor boxes made from recyclable materials that can also be easily recycled after use. And the flavor bags, which are made from recyclable #7 plastic, are accepted in some community recycling programs.
There’s nearly universal agreement that staying hydrated throughout the day is important to staying healthy, feeling good, and being more productive. How each of us does that is a personal choice, but we believe a choice that’s good for people as well as the environment is one worth offering. It’s an idea that has caught on with many companies and their employees. You can read about them here. We’re proud to be part of our customers’ efforts to save 200 million plastic bottles and we continue to look for ways to help them stay healthy and be greener.
From a nightclub stage, a comedian riffs about trash and recycling. “With trash, if there’s something you don’t want anymore, you throw it away and you never see it again. But with recycling, you toss it in the bin and it comes back as something else you will eventually have to get rid of all over again.”
While this open-mic-night insight may not be entirely accurate, it does hint at an awkward truth surrounding recycling: Using bottles and cans means always having to deal with them when we’re done.
On average, Americans crack open around 1500 bottles of water each second. That translates to 90,000 every hour and 2.2 million every day. From a human health perspective, it’s good that we’re drinking so much water. However, for the health of our planet, the effects aren’t as beneficial.
While most of those plastic bottles can be recycled, a large percentage of them aren’t. Dr. Peter Gleick, the author of “Bottled and Sold: The Story Behind Our Obsession with Bottled Water,” says only 30 percent of those bottles make it into the recycling bin. The rest wind up in landfills, incinerators, or littering the land and the ocean. In fact, a widely reported study by the World Economic Forum and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation determined that by the year 2050, the ocean will contain more plastic than fish. And many of those fish will have ingested a significant amount of that plastic.
Another thing to consider is putting water in aluminum cans instead of plastic bottles. Take a look inside the fridge in just about any office kitchen, breakroom, or cafeteria and you’ll likely see the most popular waters, seltzers, and flavored beverages in shiny aluminum rows.
Along with being easier to stack and taking up less fridge space, cans have a much higher recycling profile than their polyethylene cousins. Cans in the U.S. are recycled at rate of 50 percent, distinguishing them as the most recycled beverage container in the world. Plus, the high recyclability of aluminum means that 75 percent of all aluminum produced is still in circulation, and each regenerated can uses 90 percent less energy and produces 90 percent less emissions compared to producing a brand new can.
The environmental attractiveness of recycling cans is increasing demand. However, the problem with that is there are not enough cans in circulation right now to meet that demand. More will need to be made from scratch, and creating a new can produces double the greenhouse gases of a plastic bottle. So, while we’re improving sustainability through recycling, we’re working against that by adding carbon through can manufacturing.
Staying properly hydrated and preserving the environment don’t have to be so complicated if you consider an alternative to bottles and cans. Smart beverage dispensers, like those from Bevi, let you get that drink without the plastic or aluminum middleman. They not only supply pure filtered and sparkling water right into your reusable tumbler cup, they let you easily add electrolytes to boost your hydration and flavors to elevate your mood.
At the same time, you could be replacing 30 thousand bottles and cans each year, and as the standup comedian would point out, “never having to deal with them again.” And that may be the most refreshing part of that drink of water.
For those of us returning to our offices, the workplace we step back into will look different from the one we left.
Desks will be farther apart. Hand sanitizer dispensers will be as ubiquitous as light switches. And floor signage and tape lines will physically define boundaries within even the most open of office plans.
It will be different in another way that may not be so apparent: It won’t be as green as it was before the pandemic. Nearly all of the changes we’ll encounter are being made to keep us safe, which is obviously important. At the same time, what’s helping keep us healthy could have the opposite effect on the environment.
For instance, coffee shops are no longer accepting reusable containers and restaurants are relying on disposable menus, plates, and plastic utensils. Even if you opt for takeout or delivery, your meal will likely be packed in a Styrofoam container that makes its way to you in a plastic bag. The result is a lot more waste.
All of that waste is being dramatically compounded by a growing reliance on single-use plastic for so many other items, such as bottled water, bags, and packaging. Trying to stem that rising tide with recycling is also becoming more difficult as material-recovery facilities (MRFs) have slowed or halted their operation while they struggle with keeping workers safely apart along recyclable sorting conveyor belts.
Here’s the good news: As we all head back to work, we can bring sustainability with us. Here are a few simple things each of us can do to flatten the Plastic Curve.
Wear a mask. Wash a mask. Consider wearing a mask made of washable fabric in the office. It’s one way to protect your co-workers. Plus, you can launder it after two to three uses, instead of disposing of it.
Commute cleaner. Employers are incentivizing their employees to drive to work rather than use public transportation. However, a healthy compromise could involve employers also providing incentives for walking or biking to work, both of which limit social contact and greenhouse gasses.
Use, clean, repeat. Consider bringing your lunch and snacks with you in a reusable container. It can be safely cleaned with soap and hot water, ideally in your dishwasher. There are also reusable solutions for food, cleaning, and personal care items to help cut down on plastic use at home. TerraCycle’s Loop program delivers products in durable containers that you ship back for cleaning and reuse once the product is gone.
A number of companies are releasing touchless water dispensers, which will provide a safe way to use a reusable cup or beverage tumbler at work and avoid cracking open and disposing of a bottle or can.
Starting July 13, existing and new Bevi machines will enable you to use your smartphone to dispense beverages so you never have to touch the machine. We think that’s a great way to stay hydrated, stay safe, and contribute to sustainability at work.
We know a lot of businesses and people were committed to creating sustainability at work before the pandemic came along. We believe that how you stay healthy and how you head back to work are your choices to make. And while things will certainly look and feel different when we walk back through the door, many of those differences can create new opportunities for sustainability. We’re committed to finding them, and sharing them with all of you.
If you’d like to learn more about sustainability, we’ve put together a number of good reads on the subject.
Whatever your company vibe, Bevi can slot right in and reinforce it—it’s all about making it uniquely yours. That’s easier said than done, so for some added inspiration, consider these other easily-customizable ways of incorporating a Bevi into your culture:
For a pre-planned way to make Bevi your own, check out our annual Halloween Costume Contest.
Every year leading up to Halloween, our customers dress up their Bevi and share the images and videos with us—and we’re always pretty blown away by the results. We’ve seen creepy Frankenstein monsters, adorable Minions, and everything in between.
After Halloween, we announce the winner in a few different categories, and each winner gets a Bevi Swag Bag: there’s Best Countertop, Best Standup, Best Dressed as Bevi, and Best Overall.
There aren’t tons of rules and restrictions, so the contest is simply a take-it-and-run-with-it chance to get your office into the Halloween spirit, rally together to create an epic costume, and create a Halloween decoration that fits and reflects your vibe as a company.
If you’re laid-back and witty, maybe you create a pun-tastic costume that matches that unique company humor. If you’re hip and trendy, maybe you make a bold statement with an eclectic design. If you’re bright and bubbly, maybe you create a charming, heartwarming costume that brings added cheer to the office. It’s totally open—think of it as a chance to put your company culture into costume form.
Every upcoming event and holiday brings with it a special chance to celebrate your company’s culture, boost morale, and add some festive spirit to the office. You probably already do a lot to mark these special events in the office, and your Bevi machine can make for an added opportunity to mark these occasions.
For example, let’s say you want to celebrate the start of spring (only a few weeks away!). Dress up your Bevi with flowers and bright colors, and consider adding “spring intentions” to the machine—whether it’s spring cleaning the office, enjoying the sunshine, or making a commitment to healthier hydration. Your Bevi can help your office mark special events, build excitement, and reinforce shared values and goals.
Whether you’re a rapidly growing company with a constant influx of new people, or a small team with a fairly stable staff, creating opportunities for people to connect and get to know each other beyond quick email exchanges and routine meetings can often do a lot to strengthen your culture.
But, creating those opportunities can often be difficult (too many busy schedules), time-consuming, and expensive. Not to mention, everyone tends to communicate digitally these days.
Allow Bevi to help!
Use your Bevi as the upgraded, smart water cooler that it is, by using it to spark upgraded water cooler chat—with ice-breakers.
One way to do this is to do a version of the “candy introductions” ice-breaker: assign a question to each flavor in your Bevi, and write those questions on the machine. Then, whenever someone fills up at the Bevi with another person around, they have to answer the questions based on their chosen flavors. These can be simple questions like “Tell me about your favorite vacation,” or more heavy-hitting—whatever you’d like to spark conversations and help your team get to know each other better.
If you’re looking to build camaraderie through some friendly competition inside your office, Bevi can help. Use your Bevi to hold office-wide hydration contests—break up into teams, set a goal and a timeline, track your water consumption, and offer a prize for the winner. This can be part of a broader wellness initiative while allowing for some cross-department bonding.
Eager to find ways to incorporate Bevi into your culture? Check out our options to find the best fit for your office.
Always wanted to know how exactly your favorite Bevi flavors are made? Mystery can be alluring, but not when it comes to our food—then it’s just off-putting. If you’re like us, you feel better when you know where your food comes from. So, we’re here to bare our souls. Let’s get into it.
Every flavor starts with an idea. From our minds to your taste-buds, new flavor development is a top priority for Bevi!
We start by zooming out, taking stock of all the possible flavors out there. We break down our flavors into categories (think “Citrus” and “Tropical”), and then we identify what categories we need to flesh out and where the latest trends are heading.
From that exercise, we come up with a handful of ideas and ask for feedback from our most important critics: our end users. Recently, this meant gathering around 4,000 survey responses asking you to rank our flavor concepts, so you could guide us in creating flavors you would love.
Based on that feedback, we narrow down our list, and voila, we have a few bold new flavors to pursue.
We’re picky. We work with only the best-of-the-best partners to develop our flavors. We choose our flavor partners carefully to make sure we’re 1) getting the best possible flavors, and 2) working with companies that align with our commitment to sustainability.
Aka, where the magic happens. How do we get from a full lemon to that tart lemon taste that bursts through in our classic flavor? Glad you asked. The exact process here can differ from one flavor to the next, so we’ll break it down for three of our most popular options. Drumroll, please…
Lemon: Our signature Lemon flavor comes from lemon essence. Here’s how it works: we start with lemon peels, cold-press the peels to get oil, and then make an extract with those oils. Easy-peasy lemon squeezy (don’t hate us…we had to). In keeping with our commitment to sustainability, no part of the lemon goes to waste: the rest of the fruit is used by our suppliers to make juice concentrate that can be used for many other applications.
Cucumber: We craft our refreshing Cucumber flavor using cucumber essence extracted through maceration, which is simpler than it sounds. Here’s how it works: start with the whole cucumber. Soak the entire vegetable in liquid. Extract the flavor from the liquid. Pretty simple.
Strawberry Lemongrass: Our Strawberry Lemongrass flavor is, predictably, a combination of Strawberry and Lemongrass. To get the Lemongrass flavor, we start with the entire lemongrass plant. From there, we use a distillation process to extract the oil. Here’s how it works: steam goes through the lemongrass, the vapors are collected, and then the vapors are cooled to condense and produce a liquid. The water is drained off, leaving the lemongrass oils behind. The Strawberry flavor, meanwhile, comes from a strawberry essence created through a maceration process—which, as with the cucumber flavor, means that the entire fruit is soaked in liquid, and then the resulting liquid is concentrated.
Our flavors have to taste just right, that’s a given. To make sure they do, we test our samples internally and, when possible, take them to a high-usage site to get user feedback, so we can make sure our flavors knock it out of the park every time. Beyond nailing the taste, one of our chief criteria here is whether it is “sessionable”—i.e., will we all want to drink a full bottle of this?
We’re perfectionists (and really, would you have it any other way?). We often go through six or seven rounds of samples to find the right balance. Once we’ve landed on that perfect recipe, it’s finally time to share it with the world. Ta-da.
And that’s it—now you know the mystery behind our magic. This road map gets us from initial inspiration to our delicious assortment of bold flavors. Have you tried them all yet?