Kopu Water founder explains why aluminum bottles outshine plastic and glass

Recyclability claims are not enough for hospitality clients looking for products that “actually eliminate landfill waste,” Justin Mahy, the founder of Kopu Water, a US-based premium water brand, tells Packaging Insights.

Mahy details why sustainability concerns and aesthetic considerations led the luxury water brand to select aluminum bottles from Trivium Packaging instead of glass or plastic bottles. Kopu Water builds partnerships with upscale hotels, resorts, restaurants, cruise ship lines, and arenas.

Trivium Packaging aluminum bottles for Kopu Water are described as sleek, infinitely recyclable, and made from 25% recycled content. To ensure the success of its aluminum packaging, Kopu Water developed its Aluminum Stewardship Program (KAS).

KAS is a front- and back-of-house recycling system designed to fit within luxury environments while ensuring bottle recovery is visible, trackable, and effective at scale.

Slashing hotel waste

Mahy says that Kopu Water also partners with metal wholesalers and has a network that spans the US. “Recycling infrastructure including back-of-house and client branded front-of-house receptacles are provided and a pick-up service is scheduled at a cadence that aligns with the client’s needs.”

“Onboarding at the launch with hospitality properties energizes the servers, managers, and stewards and sets up the partnership for immediate success,” he adds. 

Kopu Water points to data suggesting that the hotel industry alone produces 290,000 metric tons of waste annually, including billions of pieces of single-use plastic. “Kopu Water has already helped luxury properties cut up to 52 tons of landfill waste per year.”

“Hospitality clients are attracted to an authentic impact and moving away from the days of mere storytelling and narrative,” says Mahy. 

Aluminium recovery rate

Of all aluminum ever created, 75% is still in use today, says Mahy.Mahy explains that aluminium is “recyclable everywhere, and in demand due to the residual value of the packaging.”

“Of all aluminum ever created, 75% is still in use today. This dynamic is driven by market economics. Where glass has a negative residual value, aluminum cans and bottles are worth over US$1,000 a ton. Headwinds for glass are winds at the back of aluminum.” 

The company founder says that Kopu Water tracks and measures waste reduction and recovery rates. “We provide regular reporting to clients on capture rate, which includes the recycling of empty Kopu Water bottles, soda, beer, and energy drink aluminum cans.”

“Kopu Water works with property leadership to grow success and often surpasses 100% capture rates due to pick up of non-Kopu beverage bottles and cans.”

Mahy adds that he envisions Kopu Water’s aluminum recovery model being replicated in other sectors of the travel and F&B industries.

“Kopu Water is leading the movement of consumer products brands taking stewardship of their packaging. Thought leaders have pressed this need for more than a decade, and Kopu Water has assumed leadership in the beverage category by ‘walking the talk.’” 

He argues that “over time, acknowledging responsibility for packaging waste will move far beyond F&B and travel. Otherwise, our future will look like the science fiction cartoons with humanity living in one giant landfill.”