It’s no secret that our bottled water comes from a spring 60m underground that produces a naturally filtered supply of mineral-enriched, great-tasting, pure water. And that info is made even better when we can say that bottled water has the lowest carbon footprint of any packaged beverage. It helps give our customers a sustainable choice for their bottled water while boosting our own green credentials.

Responsible sustainability

There’s a large spotlight being shown on most environmental matters these days – and rightly so. It means all companies, including Thirsty Work, need to work harder to minimise their environmental impact and introduce and maintain sustainable working practices for the good of the planet. So what’s really involved in the water for our bottled water coolers that ensures a low carbon footprint?

Let’s start with the water itself. As we said, it comes from an underground spring, 60m underground near the Wenlock Edge, near Church Stratton in the Shropshire Hills AONB. This is located within a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and sees the water rise through layers of Silurian Limestone, becoming naturally filtered along the way with a high level of natural mineral content.

With stainless steel pipes in place to bring the water from the source up to the surface, the process is done with all due care, attention, and understanding of the environment. The preservation and long-term sustainability of their underground spring is a prime focus for our supplier, alongside a responsible bottling process that’s all done on-site.

Every step of the process is completed with as little impact on the environment as possible with reliance on renewable energy having a major influence. The on-site biomass boilers generate carbon-neutral energy, the plant itself is powered by solar panels, while a palletiser system streamlines an energy-efficient bottling line.

Proven low carbon footprint

Even throughout the bottling process, water waste is kept to an absolute minimum. Any water that is ‘wasted’ during the process goes full circle, going back through the system to be bottled with the next batch. The spring company has also invested in increased warehousing for the on-site storage of all their water bottles, including both our 18.9-litre and 13-litre bottles, resulting in reduced transportation to get our water to us.

With all these benefits combined, we’re pleased they align with our own ethos of sustainability and eco-friendly practices to maintain a low carbon footprint. And, with each of our 220,000, 18.9-litre bottles that sit on our customer’s water coolers, it means we’re drastically reducing – and taking out of circulation – the amount of single-use plastics that could end up either in landfills or the ocean.

To reinforce the low environmental impact of bottled water, the Natural Source Waters Association (NSWA), with support from WSP, has developed an updated soft drinks sustainability roadmap. This “highlights the sustainability performance of natural source waters in comparison to other soft drink categories.”

The results show natural source bottled waters have the lowest overall combined emissions and therefore the lowest carbon footprint. And find out more about our own commitment to reducing our environmental impact by reading our environmental policy. This focuses on the areas where Thirsty Work really makes a difference.

Stay sustainable with Thirsty Work

When your home, business, or organisation wants to share in our green efforts with one of our bottled water coolers, contact our customer team today on 01392 877 172 or emailing hello@thirstywork.com. They’ll give you a no-obligation free quote or get you started with your risk-free, 10-day water cooler trial today.