Water sold in aluminum cans to avoid plastic use is the latest trend in India – but costs six times than that of a mineral water bottle

• 'Responsible whatr' is the latest in the beverage industry and claims to be full of nutrients at a ph of 7.4.
• Sold in aluminium cans, the company says that the water isn’t pumped from the ground and is instead from a “completely natural source in the most natural manner straight from the Himalayas”.
• The idea behind using aluminium cans was to avoid plastic wastage.

From sparkling water to even the black water in India, the simple water has seen many trends come its way. And the latest in town claims to be responsible, quite literally.

'Responsible whatr' is the latest in the beverage industry and claims to offer water full of nutrients at a ph of 7.4.

Sold in aluminium cans, the company says that the water isn’t pumped from the ground and is instead from a “completely natural source in the most natural manner straight from the Himalayas”. The one-year old company has a manufacturing plant in Solan, Himachal Pradesh.

And that brings with it, a steep price of ₹60 for a 500 ml can, six times than that of a normal mineral water bottle. The water can be ordered online from their website and is also available in stores in Delhi and Mumbai.

The idea behind using aluminium cans was to avoid plastic wastage, as the metal is 70% recyclable and is in line with the Indian government’s vision of eliminating single use plastic by 2022. “It does not alter the freshness of the water when exposed to light or heat and the water remains fresh and cold,” says the company.

“Currently, the plastic waste generation in India is roughly estimated at 9.46 million tonnes annually, of which 40% remains uncollected. Keeping India’s plastic consumption in mind and the need to eliminate it, Aluminum was the natural choice for packaging for the brand. We are looking to hone in on this opportunity and grow our brand ‘Responsible Whatr’,” said Ankur Chawla, who founded the company along with Bhrigu Seth, and has over a decade long experience in the hotel industry.

But the idea of selling water in aluminium cans is not new. Beverage giant Pepsi has been experimenting with water in aluminium cans for its brand Aquafina.

Meanwhile, the Modi government too has been toying with the idea to avoid single use plastic. According to reports, the Indian government was in talks with the Steel Authority of India (SAIL) to produce these cans for the Indian railways.

But aluminium won’t exactly be the most eco-friendly move. According to a Reuters report, a 330 ml can of aluminium will make way for 1300 grams of carbon dioxide emissions. “Primary aluminum uses huge amounts of electricity and it’s also got some chemical releases of greenhouse gas emissions,” Martin Barrow, director of footprinting at UK-based non-profit consultancy the Carbon Trust told Reuters.

SEE ALSO:
‘Ring of fire’ solar eclipse images from the last 10 years that will inspire for what’s to come tomorrow