This is how much impact your soulbottle has – numbers that will surprise you!

As a social enterprise , the most important goal of our work is to create a positive impact on people and the environment . We achieve this, among other things, through fairly and sustainably produced products that make many people's everyday lives more ecological. We primarily use our marketing to raise awareness and invest considerable time and resources to establish a new way of doing business politically and socially . All our actions and decisions are ultimately based on a simple vision, our corporate purpose:

“All people like to act in a socially and ecologically sustainable manner, consume without unnecessarily burdening the planet, and have access to clean drinking water.”

With the soulbottle drinking bottle, we want to offer a product that supports you in consuming more sustainably and consciously. But is that even the case? Do we, with soulbottles, actually contribute to this vision? To get to the bottom of the difficult answer to this question, we asked you. Because if you don't know best, who does?!

We asked you – and learned a lot

About a year ago, we shared an impact survey across our channels and received incredibly valuable insights into the daily impact of our soulbottles from almost 700 people . You gave us a wealth of insight into everything from your purchasing motivations to usage and even their effectiveness . We are very grateful for your commitment, your trust, and your critical and insightful comments, and we are excited to share the survey's key findings with you.

The Big Picture - What did we want to find out?

Compared to the rest of the world , Germany ranks high when it comes to bottled water consumption. This is despite having direct access to clean drinking water from the tap. Furthermore, bottled water is over 300 times more expensive than tap water and generates vast amounts of avoidable plastic waste. The CO₂ footprint of imported mineral water is up to 1,000 times higher than that of tap water. In Germany alone, 1.9 million single-use plastic bottles are used every hour , and 68% of Germans use bottled water daily.

How to calculate impact

Impact means that a distinction can be made between direct and indirect effects . In the case of the soulbottle, the direct effects are primarily the avoidance of plastic bottles, plastic waste, and CO₂ emissions by switching to tap water. An indirect effect is, for example, when you change consumption habits beyond your drinking water consumption . These indirect effects are difficult to measure, but direct effects are easier.

Design of the survey

Before sending out the survey, we asked ourselves what information we needed from you for our impact calculation: How do you use your soulbottle – as daily companion or as a dust collector in your cupboard? Do you really drink from it Tap water or fill drinks from disposable/reusable packaging into the soulbottle How many of you have already primarily tap water drunk? How many soulbottles actually break or get lost? And have you perhaps even noticed an effect on your consumption habits beyond that, or is it "just" a drinking bottle?

Calculation and evaluation

With the help of your responses and the Lean Impact Measurement Tool, we've attempted a calculation. For the sake of transparency: A 100% accurate impact measurement is never possible. However, with your responses and statistical data, we were able to gain good insight into the various factors . And we're thrilled with the impact you're achieving together!

Result

Together, we've already made a huge impact. If we line up the 121 million plastic bottles we've avoided, that's more than half the Earth's rotation! But our work is far from done.

That's an incredible amount of plastic and CO₂ that you don't put any further strain on the planet every year! If we line up the 121 million plastic bottles avoided, that is more than half a rotation of the Earth or as much as we in Germany use in just 3 days (!) of plastic bottles . This gives us courage and hope, but at the same time our work is far from done! Worldwide one million plastic bottles produced per minute and the daily production of plastic bottles alone is enough to circle the earth seven times.

When we read this, we sometimes get the feeling that the soulbottle is just a drop in the ocean. At the same time, it shows how much just switching from plastic bottled water to tap water can make a difference. Because the 25,500 tons of CO₂ you have avoided are as much as almost 80,000 return flights from Hamburg to Munich . If all Berliners switched to tap water, around 100,000 tons of CO₂ could be avoided each year! And imagine what it would mean if we could expand this to Germany, Europe, or the world – a system-changing effect!

75% drink more sustainably with a soulbottle!

Your responses show: The soulbottle truly is a symbol of sustainability in everyday life! 75% of you have consumed more sustainably since switching to a soulbottle water bottle . Tap water consumption has increased by 83% , while the consumption of water in disposable bottles has decreased by an incredible 92% . And 36% have already given soulbottles as gifts , which means that even more people have likely made lasting changes to their drinking water consumption.

An absurd all-round talent – ​​From Bach flower tea to the TÜV (German Technical Inspection Association) to the pizza dough roller

The soulbottle is not just a drinking bottle for you, but for many a constant companion with some truly absurd uses. Pizza dough roller, while motorcrossing, in the library, on the sailboat, and also at the TÜV or in the sauna – your soulbottles have already experienced a lot. And they have been filled with a variety of things, because Spruce lemonade and apple wine over Bach flowers, essential oils, cocktails and Almandocow (We had to research that first, too) your ingenuity has known no bounds so far. And at least one soulbottle has served as an emergency pee bottle in traffic jams.

Temptation to more sustainability?

Many of you have told us that since getting a soulbottle, you have also been behaving more sustainably in other areas. Sure, for some it's "just a drinking bottle," while others found the soulbottle more "a logical addition to an already sustainable lifestyle." And a few of you were completely taken by it: " For me, it definitely led to a more sustainable change. I persuaded my family to stop buying plastic bottles and plastic-wrapped fruit and vegetables." Thanks to the soulbottle, we also started a discussion at school about plastic and what each of us can do to change it. I'm paying more attention to my environment and trying to make a difference in my own small way."

What happens next?

We asked you for ideas, product requests, and feedback . We're using the results to develop topics for our blog and social media. We've already been able to realize a few requests, like the stainless steel drinking bottles soulbottles steel . We're currently testing many more ideas.