Florence Baitinger
le 19/5/2011
Hi Niels, a few comments to provide you with more infos about the Gobi. i think we pretty much agree :-) We wanted a very simple design and if you look at it, it is very pure so the water is what you see the most and it does not have complicated features like a sport cap or some sort of filter. What we invented is the personlization system which we feel is key for people to adopt it in offices or kids in classes : that way you have no fears you might be drinking in someone else's bottle. And it adds a value compared to a standards single-use bottle that makes it attractive even for people not deeply commited to preserving the environment, which is one of our objective too.
As for your more technical questions about the LCA of the Gobi and the material. We worked 8 months on a preventive eco-conception programme to identify key impacts and take them into acount in our manufacturing choices. The material is called Tritan, it is the same that brands like Camel back use in the US for reusable bottles. it is both very resistant and very safe : no BPA, no oestrogenic activity and no other 54 substances we defined with the toxicologist expert in plastic migrations who helped us with this. the manufacturer (Eastman) tested this and we did too with an independant laboratory (on new material and after simulating 2 years of use and washing).
In terms of water consumption you're right, you use more water if you use a Gobi since you need to wash it : that is approx 60 liters extra-consumption per year which is quite easy to compensate since the average consumption for one day for a French citizen is 157 liters. As for other impacts (waste, climate change, terrestrial and marine eco-toxicity, land depletion, ...) the Gobi performs better than the reference. I can send you the report but it is in French !
I very much agree when you say they are no perfect solution and we are no gurus ! we feel that sometimes it'll be easier for users to buy a disposable bottle or use a disposable cup but if we manage to have them refill their Gobi before they leave the office and go for a movie or catch a train and realize it is handier and cheaper we progressiveley will make a difference in terms of waste prevention and change of habits and consumption.
To conclude let me just add that we are working on making access to tap water easier in France through our non-profit activity Eaupen (yes we are a tiny start up but with a non-profit activity !), we are referencing public fontains and mobilizing coffee houses, restaurants and shops to be places where you can refill your bottle.
I'll stop talking now ! let us see how people use it and learn from the experience :-)
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