Charlie’s launches an Honest Water

Charlie’s launches an Honest Water

Charlie’s latest product initiative is doing its bit for the environment through the use of a new bottle made from plants.

With bottled water consumption increasing in New Zealand and around the world, the environmental impact of packaging waste is severe. Approximately 50% ends up in landfill and the remainder gets sent all the way to China to be down-cycled, adding further to the carbon footprint of this convenient commodity.

Now consumers can make a difference by choosing Charlie’s Honest Water. Its bottle, dubbed the ‘Eco-Bottle’, is made from Polylactide or PLA for short.

Developed with the assistance of Good Water, New Zealand’s first PLA water bottle, Charlie’s Honest Water ‘Eco-Bottle’ offers a packaging alternative made from renewable and sustainable resources - plants. This is unlike traditional PET plastic water bottles which are derived from oil, a non–renewable and non-sustainable resource.

“We have even used a biodegradable wood cellulose label” says Marketing Manager Ron Curteis. “So that makes our Charlie’s Eco-Bottle one of the most environmentally-friendly water bottles you can buy. That’s an honest attempt to reduce our impact on the environment, hence the Honest name.”

The Eco-Bottle can be recycled through normal curb-side recycling programme and as volumes grow it will necessitate specific PLA sorting at recycling centres.

Curteis commented: “Unfortunately PLA does not currently meet the bottling and shelf life requirements for juice products so we cannot use it for the rest of our Charlie’s range. However we are continuously looking at ways in which we can improve the environmental credentials of Charlie’s juice bottles. One day we hope that all bottles can be made from renewable plant based substances”.

With growing concern over the carbon miles from imported bottled waters, the good news is Charlie’s Honest Water is bottled locally at Kauri Springs in Kaiwaka, Northland. This natural spring is rich in Silica which is one of nature’s natural cleansing agents, and is important for healthy hair, skin, nails and eyes.

Honest Water is available in the 650ml Eco-Bottle in cafés and convenience stores nationwide.

ENDS