Words by Smiley Team
A sustainable water brand has become the official partner of UK and England Athletics.
Water in a Box, a British boxed water brand, has partnered with Run for All – a nonprofit events company that holds charity running and walking events – to become the 2022 Official Finish Line Water Partner. The cartons will be given to all runners at the finish line of 16 races across the country, from the Sheffield Half Marathon to the Nottingham 10k.
Water in a Box is one of the many companies seeking to take climate action by putting the environment first. It was founded in 2014 when one of the creators was inspired to make a change after coming face-to-face with the sheer amount of plastic being dumped into our oceans.
Taking its brand name literally, the water cartons are made from recycled cardboard boxes and have a lower carbon footprint than all other forms of bottles or containers.
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The partnership will make British sporting events more sustainable with less unnecessary plastic waste by providing 30,000 cartons.
“This is a step in the right direction towards reducing plastic water bottles at sporting events," says David Grannell, the managing director of Water in a Box.
“Our mission is to show that there is a better way to consume water on-the-go that doesn’t needlessly harm our environment. We came up with a simple solution; repackage British spring water into a renewable, recyclable and lightweight cardboard box.”
Run For All is a series of runs that commemorate the lasting legacy of the late amateur athlete and fundraiser, Jane Tomlinson CBE. Jane made headlines around the world by taking part in a series of incredible endurance events – despite being diagnosed with an incurable cancer.
This is the first time that the event has partnered with a sustainable water brand in an effort to make the events eco-friendlier and more sustainable.
“We are proud to be collaborating with a brand with sustainability at its core," says Tristan Batley-Kyle, Director of Events at Run For All. "We are committed to finding new ways to increase our sustainability as a company, and being able to offer an alternative to plastic for our finish line water is one step in that journey."
“We should all try to make more mindful decisions when it comes to food and drink on the go to help and preserve our environment”, adds David.
TAKE ACTION: Take part in or organise a beach clean-up near you.
DONATE: Donate to a non-profit tackling plastic pollution globally, such as Sea Life Trust.
