Why Robinetto?
1 billion fewer bottles. It is possible, and it is simple.
The Belgian beverage industry brings 5 billion packages to the market every year. 1 billion is therefore only 20 %. If we were to consume water in Belgium as our northern neighbours do, we would already achieve our goal. Indeed: Belgians drink 126 litres of bottled water per year, whereas the Dutch drink 24 litres. That makes a difference of more than one billion packages. All these packaged beverages must also be transported. That means several millions of freight miles per year. You don’t have to be a scientist to understand that this transport and the accompanying mountain of waste account for an enormous amount of Co2 emissions. Whereas an alternative exists that is much more sustainable, easier ànd cheaper: the water that simply comes from the tap. It is clear: packing and transporting water is absurd. With Robinetto, we offer solutions to drink in a more sustainable, less complex and cheaper way.
Robinetto, is...
Tapped water in a beautiful glass, with the right temperature, with or without bubbles.
Served with a smile according to the rules of art.
A well-tapped glass of water has a value. This is reflected in a correct price. And this price is partly determined by the context. You will find more information about this when you click on our waterFAQs
Those who opt for Robinetto, opt for clear communication: tap water is qualitative and sustainable water.
Not only are we honest about Robinetto being tap water, we are proud of it.
We draw the water into the container that you use on site: a glass at a pub or at home, a cup at a festival, a bottle on the table in the restaurant. And for the road, you choose your own personal reusable bottle.
Why is Robinetto needed?
The Problem
In Belgium, we throw away more than 2.5 million of beverage packages every day. That means: more than 100,000 every hour. We drink more than 1.4 billion litres of bottled water and the same amount of soft drinks. All of it not only needs to be packaged, but also to be transported (ànd stocked ànd cooled down).
Trucks drive millions of miles to transport all these packages and drinks, and after their use, we are left with a mountain of waste and a gigantic amount of Co2 emissions.
Did you know that 80 % of the volume of soft drinks (which equals 1.1 billion litres) consists of water that has been needlessly packed and transported? Soft drinks can easily be ‘assembled’ on site, by mixing water and concentrate.
And of course we also consume beer (about 0.8 billion litres per year), that also needs to be packaged and transported.
In Belgium, we throw away more than 2.5 million of beverage packages every day. That means: more than 100,000 every hour
The solution
Reducing the number of transport miles, the amount of energy that is used and the heap of waste, is actually very simple:
Instead of drinking packaged water and using it to make fizzy drinks, we use tap water. In Belgium, one person drinks 126 litres of bottled water every year, whereas the Dutch only consume 24 litres, and the Swedes not more than 10 litres!
We use large packages wherever possible, we tap the bar as much as possible, and we avoid disposable packaging by using reusable cups at events.
We work with local products as much as possible (local syrups for fizzy drinks, local beer), so that transport miles are reduced. And tap water, of course, is produced locally.
The beverage industry often proposes recycling as a solution. However, recycling only helps to reduce the amount of waste but does not solve the essence of the problem. We continue to package and transport water. Moreover, the entire recycling process requires additional transport and a lot of energy. The figures also show that we are still a long way from complete recycling. According to the most recent fact check from Recycling Network Benelux (in Dutch), the actual recycling percentages in Belgium vary between 50 % (for cans) and 65 % (for beverage cartons and plastic packaging). In addition, recycled plastic from beverage packaging is not reused on a 1 to 1 basis for beverage packing, but often to a large extent downcycled into materials for textile, carpets, mattress fillings and the like. Beverage cartons are not used at all to make beverage cartons again. (You can find more about the recycling of different materials at FostPlus).
You too can join Robinetto!
Whether you are an organization, a company, or simply a conscious citizen, you too can be part of the Robinetto network.