By Tadd Wooton
Photos by Christopher Brereton / picturehealing.com
Over the past couple of decades, Americans and capitalist economies around the globe have turned a healthy habit into a dirty one. According to data collected by the Web site “OnlineEducation,” it takes 17 million barrels of oil every year to make water bottles for the U.S. market alone. Vapur Inc. is lethally serious about reversing that trend or, better yet, stopping it altogether.
Based in Westlake Village, California, Vapur has created the most portable water bottle on the planet. It is called “The Anti-Bottle,” and arrives with the vision of eradicating one-time-use disposable water bottles. This invention is capable of just about anything. In fact, you might say a device like this puts the “able” in capable. Check out this list of abilities: reusable, foldable, washable, attachable, freezable, identifiable, portable, durable, refillable, sustainable, and collapsible.
How did this product come about? In recent years Vapur’s founders, David Czerwinski, Brent Reinke, and Jason Carignan, picked up on two painful observations:
First, the highly inefficient and needless formula of sourcing, building, filtering, bottling, transporting, selling, consuming, and trashing of water bottles. Second, the unwitting contribution of consumers to this thriving industry.
This trio of innovators felt a calling to create an environmentally safe product that would drive consumers to be more thoughtful about their buying habits. Vapur’s mission challenges all of us to simply step back and think about the wastefulness of the entire water bottling process. Mr. Czerwinski, CEO of Vapur, reminds us that we are “dealing with a product that is freely dispensed in virtually every American household.” I guess, technically, it is not free, but if you compare the incremental cost (and waste) involved with buying and trashing a single water bottle versus pouring two cups of water from the fridge into an ultra-convenient canteen, their product is sort of a no-brainer.
With so many companies donning their environmental badges, Mr. Reinke clarifies that “being green is certainly important to the mission of the company, but creating innovative products that are actually useful is the primary goal.” Being green is simply a value-added perk that keeps customers coming back and reinforces the brand.
Vapur’s reusable bottles are made from durable FDA-approved polymer, which is a very strong and pliable plastic. The inner layer is odorless, tasteless, stain resistant, and BPA-free. It is a wonder to me when such an obvious and practical product like this is released, because…well…hasn’t this already been done before? Don’t I already have several of these? Not to mention that ideas like this singe my entrepreneurial nerves, particularly in the why-didn’t-I-think-of-that-years-ago section of my brain. Even if I had thought of it, I doubt I would have analyzed it as deeply as the team at Vapur. Mr. Carignan, Vapur’s Chief Design Officer, discusses how the fundamental vision of the company goes one giant leap further: “Offering stylish products that trendsetters crave is the essential ingredient to our brand of innovation and unmatched convenience.”
After only a few minutes with the folks at Vapur, you quickly sense that this is not just about reusable water bottles, but, in fact, there is a major movement afoot. This company is well-positioned to be a leading innovator in the quest for conscientious consumption. It is clear that Vapur and The Anti-Bottle give new meaning to the phrase “Drink Responsibly.”
