Bottled water is a £2 billion market in the UK, but at what cost?
In this episode, FuturePlus CEO, Alex Smith sits down with Anthony Newman, CEO of Ape2o, who's on a mission to eliminate single-use plastic water bottles through innovation, not shame.
After witnessing the devastating impact of marine plastics on turtles in Australia's Great Barrier Reef, Anthony knew he had to act. The result? High-tech water refill stations that deliver chilled, filtered, and even sparkling water for just 25p, while saving thousands of bottles from landfill.
We explore the economics of disrupting a billion-pound industry, the operational challenges of scaling refill infrastructure, why convenience always trumps good intentions, and how bold buyers are essential for sustainable innovation to succeed.
Key topics covered:
- Why water on-the-go costs twice the price of petrol (and what that really means)
- The capital-intensive reality of building sustainable infrastructure
- How to attract consumers to better choices without shaming them
- Why 10% of turnover (not profit) goes to ocean conservation
- The role of regulation in driving business behaviour change
