The AIG Women's Open raises the bar on increased sustainability with water refill station
The AIG Women’s Open, being played at Carnoustie from August 19 – 22, will showcase an innovative solution for how a major women's sporting event can deliver a viable alternative to reliance on single-use plastic water bottles.
Founded on a commitment to sustainability, the Championship will deliver a purified drinking water solution involving on-site refill stations and reusable stainless-steel bottles developed by Bluewater, a Swedish company that innovates commercially viable ways to keep event goers hydrated and safe.
“We are honoured the AIG Women’s Open chose to use Bluewater’s portable touch-free water refill stations and stainless-steel bottles to help them eliminate the use of polluting single-use plastic bottles, most of which end up in landfill or the ocean where they break down into health-threatening micro-plastic particles,” said Bluewater founder Bengt Rittri, a Swedish environmental entrepreneur.
Bluewater, which has sustainability at the heart of its business mission, specialises in innovating and delivering water purification solutions for home, commercial and public use, especially at festivals and events.
At the AIG Women’s Open, eight Bluewater stations have been sited at key indoor and outdoor locations for use by players, event staff, media, and public attendees. The stations, which carry pro-sustainability messaging by event partners Mastercard and adidas, deliver free water that has been purified to remove all known contaminants and then carefully remineralised for improved taste and hydration.
In addition, event attendees can purchase the refillable Bluewater bottles, which come with a lifetime warranty. Bluewater also pledges to collect one kilo of plastic from a seashore for every bottle sold using a block-chain alternative to recycling where people are paid to return plastic waste to certified recycling centres.
Each AIG Women’s Open player, and their caddie, competing in the Championship have also been presented with their own individual Bluewater bottle, which keep liquids inside warm for up to 24 hours and chilled for 12.
“This year has seen Bluewater contribute to the sustainability efforts of the three Major Championships played in the UK: The Open, The Senior Open Presented by Rolex, and the AIG Women’s Open. Golf has been shown to bring important physical and mental health benefits to players and these latest involvements demonstrate how important a sustainability bonus for the planet the game also brings,” said Bengt Rittri.
