Launch of “self-cleaning” water bottle aims to tempt consumers away from plastic bottles

22 Oct 2018 --- LARQ, a US health and wellness brand, has introduced a water bottle that harnesses “self-cleaning” technology to provide people with access to clean drinking water: sans plastic bottles. The technology also hopes to elevate the LARQ bottle over reusable bottles that consumers may find collect bad odors over time.

“We know that pure water on-the-go and stinky bottles are the two primary pain points affecting one’s adoption of reusable bottles,” says Justin Wang, Co-founder of LARQ. “LARQ's proprietary UV-C LED technology is integrated into a beautifully designed product that delivers pure water from a self-cleaning bottle and directly addresses these complaints.”

Leveraging advanced technology, the LARQ Bottle uses proprietary and patented UV-C LED technology to purify water and inner surfaces of the water bottle by eliminating harmful sources through a photochemical reaction. At the touch of a button, the LARQ Bottle eradicates up to 99.9999 percent of harmful and odor-causing bacteria and viruses. The technology activates every two hours in a self-cleaning mode, basking the water and the inner surface in purifying UV light to keep your water and bottle free of germs.

“UV Light has been demonstrated to be a safe and effective method to disinfect water,” says Dr. David Weber, MD, MPH Faculty at the UNC School of Medicine. “UV is environmentally friendly, leaves no residuals and is microbicidal, effectively killing germs.”

The bottle hopes to address what the company calls the most common consumer complaints raised about reusable bottles: odor and contamination, difficulty cleaning, and a shortage of on-the-go access to pure drinking water.

By emitting a UV-C light in the 280nm range – the optimal wavelength of light to eradicate bacteria and viruses, used in hospitals to sterilize surfaces – the LARQ Bottle is a safe, non-toxic and mercury-free choice. The professional-grade stainless-steel bottle is free of BPA, BPS, and Phthalates, making it unlike any traditional UV water purification technology on the market. The bottle is double-walled and vacuum sealed so it can keep beverages cold for 24 hours or hot for 12 hours.

Following a successful Kickstarter campaign that resulted in US$1.7 million, the LARQ Bottle is now available for purchase in five colorways, at a price point of US$95 at livelarq.com.

Reusable packaging options are increasingly appealing to consumers who are becoming more aware of issues around plastic production and waste. Although recycling has remained a prime focus in this debate, more people may be realizing the benefits that come with using less packaging overall and seeking out reusable options. 

Pepsi's recent US$3.2 billion acquisition of SodaStream, a home carbonation product that can replace the repetitive purchase of bottles of sparkling water, evidences this shift in thinking around reusing resources.

You can read more about reusable and returnable models of packaging here.

By Laxmi Haigh