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PATH Water

Let’s be clear: bottled water is an ever growing problem around the world. Rather than using tap water, where it is safe (perhaps with a filter), or creating good public water systems, an ever-growing number of people are getting their H20 in plastic water bottles. That plastic contributes to climate change (lots of oil to make the bottles and for transporting water in trucks and not pipelines), contributes to plastic pollution, often is (far less) healthy than getting water for your tap, and is FAR FAR less expensive (for the individual and society) than filling up a glass from the tap.  Simply put, we have a serious drinking problem — the bottled water phenomena.

Thus, count me as a bit wary when I received (after the fold) a press release email for PATH Water — an aluminum can bottled water. Seriously, is it that much better to have a can to (hopefully) recycle rather than the plastic to (hopefully) recycle. In my doubting mind, I asked for a sample to figure out what I thought. A bit later, those two pictured bottles …

So, before anything else, the ‘drinking’ and use experience.  I referee (a lot of) soccer — sometimes over 10 hours in a weekend. And, thus go through lots of (refilled) water bottles (filled from tap, not plastic). And, water is the primary ‘fluid’ drunk in my household. So, how did PATH stand up: out of the bottle, their reverse osmosis water was about the best (perhaps right wording might be ‘least’) tasting water I’ve experienced from a bottle.

And, after having drunk their water I’ve been refilling PATH Water’s bottles because they are sturdy and more comfortable to drink from than the dozen or so different metal (or refillable plastic) bottles in the closet.

As to recycling: aluminum is far less energy intensive to recycle than plastic, far more likely to recycle than plastic, and far less damaging to the environment than plastic if thrown away. From PATH Water

Aluminum is a much more highly valued commodity than plastic, therefore companies have more incentive to recycle and reuse that recycled material in future. Not only do people recycle aluminum at twice the rate of plastic, but the process of recycling, transportation, and distribution aluminum has a significantly smaller carbon footprint (range from 10-50% depending on the material compared to) compared to other liquid packaging alternatives like plastic or glass. Aluminum is infinitely recyclable, while plastic often gets downcycled, resulting in more waste.

Thus, if one is going to be ‘single use’ water bottle, perhaps PATH Water is providing a better solution than plastic.

Now, the PATH Water team seems focused on helping drive down the plastic water bottle program including through education in California public schools.  Thus, this isn’t solely about building up gross revenue.

Now, I still stand behind ‘fill up from the tap’ but if PATH can have some people buy their bottles and then reuse them … time after time … they are providing a real service. (And, well, hopefully putting themselves and ‘disposable water bottle’ providers out of business.)

Hello Adam,

I wanted to see if we can schedule an interview with two Silicon Valley innovators who created a solution for the single use plastic water bottle by bringing PATHWater to market – an aluminum, sleek, lightweight, reusable and infinitely recyclable water bottle.

In addition, these millennials are positively impacting thousands of kids teaching them about sustainability and water. Gulshan Kumar and Shadi Bakour of PATHWater have reached more than 3,0000-5,000 students throughout the California area and have visited over 50 school sites to help educate the students and bring awareness about hydration and how to decrease their carbon footprint. They are activists trying to end plastic waste and encourage a more healthy and sustainable lifestyle. With recent studies showing that more than 90% of tested water brands contain microplastics, consumers are seeking alternatives to buying water in plastic bottles this interview is timely. Their company PATHWATER

PATHWater is leading a huge movement and was recently featured by Sweetwater Schools as seen in this article here: http://nutrition.sweetwaterschools.org/advocating-sustainability-montgomery-middle-school/  In addition, to their focus on being a resource for schools their company PATHWater is on the forefront of reducing the amount of plastic bottles that end up in a landfill. Some counties in California are banning plastic bottles and because of that they have partnered with PATHWater to ensure that there students are properly hydrated and that there students are living more sustainable lives. Schools that are moving to aluminum bottles instead of plastic bottles are saving money as it relates to waste management.

For every bottle refilled of PATHWater they are saving 5 bottles from going to a landfill.  The average American uses 126 plastic bottles per year which ends up in a landfill.

STATS WHY BOTTLED WATER IS A CONCERN PULLED FROM NEWS

• The energy we waste using bottled water would be enough to power 190,000 homes
• Americans used about 50 billion plastic bottles last year
• Making bottles to meet America’s demand for bottled water uses more than 17 million barrels of oil annually – enough to fuel  1.3 millions cars for a year
• With recent studies showing that more than 90% of tested water brands contain microplastics, consumers are seeking alternatives to buying water in plastic bottles
• A Sperm whale that was washed up on a beach in Spain has 64 pounds of plastic waste in its stomach

QUESTIONS FOR INTERVIEW 

• What is the average amount of water intake you should be drinking?
• What is BPA?
• How can you reduce your carbon footprint immediately?
• How long does it take for a plastic bottle to decompose?
• What is the recycle rate for plastic bottles?
• How big is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?
• What is the recycle rate for aluminum ?
• T/F by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the worlds oceans?
• How many plastic bottles did the average American use last year?

Read their piece by LA Tech News here: https://latechnews.org/today-is-earth-day-april-22-2018/

BIO PATHWater

We are on a journey to bring the plastic crisis to the forefront, teach others to protect the environment, and provide options to reduce and reuse.

PathWater has been strongly involved in the community! The PATHers actively go out and attend local beach cleanups once a month!

Website:

http://www.drinkpathwater.com/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/pathwater

SCHOOLS IMPACTED

California schools include: Sweetwater USD (San Diego), Burbank (LA), San Dieguito (San Diego), Hayward USD (Bay Area), Parajo  Valley USD (Bay Area), Live Oak USD (Bay Area) and Placer Union (Sacramento). In addition, they are leading frequent ocean clean ups across California too.