Bluewater joins the Volvo Ocean Race to help turn the tide on plastic

Volvo Ocean Race has teamed up with Bluewater, to provide innovative new water purification solutions in all our Race Villages to turn polluted and waste water into clean drinking water. 

Bluewater, the world leader in delivering crucial water purification solutions for homes and businesses, will provide high quality, safe to use, drinking water to visitors at Race Villages in Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Auckland, Itajaí, Newport, Cardiff, Gothenburg and The Hague.

The on-demand drinking water is free of contaminants such as micro-plastics, chemicals, pharmaceutical byproducts and toxic metals. The units will remove the need for thousands of single-use plastic bottles that are polluting and impacting upon the health of our oceans.

Bluewater join the Volvo Ocean Race Sustainability Programme, alongside Sustainability Partners 11th Hour Racing and the Mirpuri Foundation. The work includes groundbreaking Science and Education Programmes helping the Race take action to prevent plastics polluting our seas by maximising our impact at host cities.

At Ocean Summits in Alicante and Cape Town a range of experts have presented innovative solutions to the plastic problem. By minimising the footprint of our Race Villages and providing inspiration to visitors we are able to leave a positive legacy for the future health of our oceans. The programme is also a proud supporter of the United Nations Environment’s Clean Seas campaign. 

Anne-Cecile Turner, Sustainability Programme Leader for the Volvo Ocean Race, said: “We are delighted that Bluewater has joined the Volvo Ocean Race as our official water provider. Their innovative purified water solution will supply clean drinking water and significantly reduce single-use plastics at all our stopovers.

“By embedding sustainability into every aspect of the race we are committed to maximising our positive impact, minimising our footprint and leaving a valuable legacy that will inspire others to join our campaign for plastic-free, clean seas.”

In December, in partnership with the Race’s Founding Sustainability Partner, 11th Hour Racing, Bluewater delivered clean drinking water for visitors to the Volvo Ocean Race stopover in Cape Town, South Africa. A severe drought meant the city was unable to meet public demand for drinking water from municipal sources.

Bluewater used its advanced water purification technologies to reuse non-potable water to generate pristine water from four water stations able to deliver up to 32,000 litres of water per day avoiding the use of up to 50,000 single-use plastic bottles.

“Bluewater’s engagement in Cape Town and our ongoing relationship with the Volvo Ocean Race will allow us to showcase how our leading-edge, safe and reliable technology delivers safe drinking water, even from sources previously considered unsafe for human consumption such as grey water,” said Anders Jacobson, co-founder and chief executive of Blue AB, the sustainability-focused holding company that owns Bluewater. 

Bluewater founder, Bengt Rittri, a Swedish environmental entrepreneur, added: “We want to show how our technology can help improve access to clean drinking water as we travel around the planet with the Volvo Ocean Race and thereby contribute to drastically reducing consumption of single-use plastic water bottles.”

“It is unacceptable that throwaway plastic bottles are shipped from one side of the world to another in their billions, polluting air and ocean environments, the food and water people drink, and, ultimately, human bodies.” 

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