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At the 27th General Assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), Swedish water purification leader Bluewater made a compelling call for the Olympic community to adopt new hydration solutions. Their message focused on tackling the growing issues of declining tap water quality and the environmental damage caused by single-use plastic bottles.
This announcement coincided with the launch of a four-year partnership between ANOC and Bluewater, driven by a shared commitment to developing cutting-edge water purification technology to create sustainable, health-focused drinking water systems for sport worldwide.
Philip Russell, Chief Purpose Officer at Bluewater Group, emphasised, “Access to clean and sustainable drinking water is fundamentally intertwined with the international sporting community.”
“Athletes can’t train and compete effectively without proper hydration, and now with the worrying trend of contaminants appearing in municipal tap water supplies and the growing concerns related to the health impacts of micro-plastic pollution, there is an urgent need to evolve our approach by which we provide drinking water for athletes, teams, staff and volunteers.”
For more than a decade, Bluewater has been at the forefront of creating advanced water purification systems that remove over 99% of contaminants from locally sourced water, eliminating the need to transport bottled water. Using reverse osmosis technology, Bluewater systems filter out heavy metals, parasites, viruses, micro-plastics, and harmful chemicals like PFAS. The purified water is then remineralised and chilled, providing a refreshing and sustainable drinking solution. Bluewater’s refillable stainless steel bottles, designed to last a lifetime, offer an ideal alternative to single-use plastics.
Gunilla Lindberg, Secretary General of ANOC, expressed her support for the partnership: “ANOC is committed to sustainability and to providing a platform for National Olympic Committees to share and exchange best practices on this critical subject. We recognise that technologies are fast evolving and we are excited by the scope of Bluewater’s water purification solutions for athletes, staff events and venues. Our partnership with Bluewater will help us in achieving our own pledge to minimise our carbon footprint while promoting effective pathways to avoid plastic pollution.”
Trust in tap water is rapidly eroding. A 2024 study published in Nature Communications revealed that over half of adults in 141 countries anticipate serious harm from their drinking water within two years. This lack of confidence is fuelling an unsustainable reliance on bottled water, with 600 billion plastic bottles being consumed globally each year.
According to the United Nations Development Programme, only 9% of global plastic waste is recycled. The vast majority ends up in landfills, is incinerated, or escapes into the natural environment, where it pollutes waterways, oceans, and the food chain. Researchers have also voiced concerns over the potential health impacts linked to the ingestion of micro-plastic particles and the chemicals they contain.
During Bluewater’s plenary session at the General Assembly, Philip Russell highlighted the company’s mission to revolutionise global access to clean, sustainable drinking water. “We stand at a pivotal moment for the future of our planet and the health of our athletes,” he said.
“Through this exciting new partnership with ANOC, we can help pave the way for a healthier, more sustainable approach to drinking water delivery that respects both our bodies and our environment.”
Ellie Aldridge, Bluewater’s Global Brand Ambassador and recent Olympic gold medallist in Women’s Kite at the 2024 Paris Games, attended the General Assembly. Ellie has witnessed the damage caused by single-use plastic pollution during her competitions on the world’s oceans. She now partners with Bluewater to promote sustainable hydration practices throughout the sporting world. At the Cascais conference venue, delegates were able to experience Bluewater’s purification technology first-hand and enjoy locally purified and remineralised water.
Through this new partnership, Bluewater and ANOC aim to inspire athletes and sports organisations to embrace sustainable hydration solutions, use refillable bottles, and foster a culture of mindful water consumption. Together, they seek to demonstrate that purified tap water can be a safe, reliable, and eco-friendly hydration source when processed with the appropriate purification technologies.