Letztes Update: 08. Juni 2024
The article discusses how waterdrop® promotes sustainability and enhanced hydration at the Boss Open, highlighting innovative solutions for athletes.
What do the ocean and tennis courts have in common? For waterdrop®, the answer is clear: neither should be places where plastic bottles are seen. The Austrian microdrink manufacturer is working tirelessly on multiple fronts to make this vision a reality. This year, the World Oceans Day coincides with the start of the Boss Open in Stuttgart on June 8th. For waterdrop®, this alignment is a sign, reinforcing their commitment to supporting the ATP as a premium partner and as the official and exclusive hydration, electrolyte, and bottle partner. Their mission? To eliminate single-use plastic bottles from tennis.
The measures to achieve a completely single-use plastic-free event are extensive. Spectators are prohibited from bringing single-use plastic bottles to the Stuttgart ATP tournament (June 8th – 16th, 2024). Additionally, no beverages in plastic bottles will be sold within the event. However, attendees are encouraged to bring their own reusable containers made of steel or other sustainable materials. At the entrance, guests can dispose of their single-use plastic bottles in large waterdrop® bins, which will be collected and returned to recycling stations in Germany.
To ensure that guests stay well-hydrated in the summer heat, numerous water stations will be available throughout the venue. Tennis fans can fill up their bottles for free. Those without their own bottles can use reusable hard plastic cups, which can be returned at the end of the event. All players and staff will be equipped with waterdrop® bottles and microdrinks. Visitors can also purchase these stylish bottles at the waterdrop® Hydration Court. An exclusive waterdrop® Steelbottle in the Boss Open design will be available for the event. In the VIP area, guests can enjoy one of three delicious waterdrop® mocktails, ranging from Thyme Twist to Pomegranate Cosmo.
"Every year, more than ten million tons of waste end up in the world's oceans, with plastic bottles accounting for about one-sixth of the total. That's too much! We've focused our plastic-free mission on the tennis sector, where we can perfectly combine our mission to encourage healthy hydration and reduce plastic usage," explains Martin Murray, CEO and Founder of waterdrop®.
"We've aligned the entire concept of the Boss Open to avoid plastic. This makes the event the first ATP tournament to be entirely free of plastic bottles, and we're very proud to have achieved this milestone. We start collecting visitors' water bottles even before they enter the event, recycling them for a good cause. The proceeds from the recycling will be donated to the Plastic Bank," says Edwin Weindorfer, CEO and Founder of the Emotion Group, which organizes the tournament.
"waterdrop® is the perfect partner for the ATP Tour because they share our mission: to develop a more sustainable future for tennis on all levels," says Daniele Sanò, Chief Business Officer of the ATP Tour. "It's always exciting to see how the right partners with a vision and innovative approaches can create change together."
This year's Boss Open also features a special partnership: waterdrop® has teamed up with the Upper Austrian company Imhotep.Industries, which will showcase its atmospheric water generator "Phantor" on-site. Based on the latest scientific findings, the device condenses water from the surrounding air. Guests of the Boss Open can find and test this innovation next to the waterdrop® stand, of course, with a microdrink in their cup.
The young company has recognized the high demand for safe and clean water—750 million people on Earth lack access to clean drinking water. This need led to the creation of Phantor. The machine can produce water for remote locations, infrastructure, and ecological agriculture without waste, all with a minimal carbon footprint. Depending on the size of the Phantor, between 500 and 10,000 liters of pure drinking water can be generated. The "harvested" water undergoes various filtration steps to achieve WHO-certified drinking water quality, including UV sterilization, mineralization, and bacterial filtration.
The atmospheric generator cools the water to about 6-8°C during extraction. Simply put, air is drawn in and cooled below the dew point, the temperature at which the moisture within the air condenses. This water is then collected. By directing the already cooled and dried air, energy efficiency is increased by up to 30 percent. Control units adjust the operation based on environmental and weather data. Phantor can draw energy from various sources, making it adaptable to the local energy supply: grid operation, renewable sources like wind power, photovoltaics, battery storage, or combinations thereof. For temporary emergency supplies, backup generators can also be used.
"The commitment of waterdrop® and Boss Open to combine sustainability and sportsmanship impressed us from the start. Promising change and environmental awareness is one thing, but implementing it is another. Therefore, it's an honor for us to be part of this groundbreaking event," says Walter Kreisel, CEO and Co-Founder of Imhotep.Industries.
"We are very excited to be part of the Boss Open in Stuttgart alongside waterdrop® and to support a cause close to our hearts: clean drinking water for everyone! This collaboration once again shows what companies can achieve together," adds Walter Kreisel.
"Our mission is to motivate people to drink more water so they can lead healthier, longer, and more sustainable lives." – Martin Murray, Founder and CEO of waterdrop®
Founded in Austria in 2016, waterdrop® aimed to revolutionize the beverage industry with the world's first "microdrink." The business idea is as simple as it is ingenious: a compact, sugar-free cube that dissolves in water, providing a unique taste experience through natural fruit and plant extracts. waterdrop®'s mission is to encourage people to drink more water sustainably. The manufacturer almost entirely avoids using plastic in production and drastically reduces its CO2 emissions. Compared to other beverage manufacturers, waterdrop® saves 98% of plastic. The packaging materials for the drink cubes are also recyclable. The brand specializes in developing beverage technologies, water bottles, and filtration systems, covering the entire spectrum of sustainable water drinking.
Your customers also actively contribute to environmental protection: In collaboration with the Plastic Bank, waterdrop® commits to collecting one plastic bottle from nature for every pack sold.
Just six years after its founding, the company boasts over 2 million online customers, employs more than 300 people, is listed in over 20,000 retail stores, and operates more than 40 of its own stores in Europe and the USA. The products are currently distributed in Europe, the USA, Singapore, and Australia.
Imhotep.Industries is the innovation hub of the clean tech company neoom. With its atmospheric water generator PHANTOR, Imhotep.Industries addresses the pressing issue of water scarcity. The mobile water giant PHANTOR can efficiently extract up to 10,000 liters of fresh water from humidity. This makes PHANTOR a key solution for water security in areas without groundwater or seawater, for remote locations, and as a water backup solution. All these use cases are possible because PHANTOR is designed for both stationary and semi-stationary use and features software to maximize energy efficiency by using weather data to determine optimal operating times. The award-winning PHANTOR sets new standards in atmospheric water generators with its pioneering low energy consumption. A sustainable water solution is essential for a greener world without emissions, residues, chemicals, waste, and with more independence for all of us. #infinitewaterforallofus
At the Boss Open, waterdrop® is making significant strides in sustainability and hydration. Their innovative approach not only supports environmental goals but also promotes better hydration habits among attendees. This initiative is a testament to how technology and sustainability can go hand in hand in modern events.
In a related note, the development of sustainable fish packaging solutions is another example of how companies are embracing eco-friendly practices. By using smart and green solutions, these companies are reducing their environmental footprint, much like waterdrop® at the Boss Open.
Furthermore, advancements in technology continue to surprise us. For instance, the solar-powered outdoor security cameras by IMOU highlight how solar energy can be harnessed to power everyday devices. This innovation not only promotes sustainability but also ensures security with minimal environmental impact.
Lastly, the introduction of liquid cooled AI data centers is revolutionizing how we think about data storage and energy efficiency. These centers use advanced cooling techniques to maintain optimal performance while reducing energy consumption, aligning with the sustainability goals seen at the Boss Open.