Press Release - 19 August 2008

BRITA's "Wottle" - Refill not landfill

Orla Kiely and BRITA team up to launch the ‘Wottle’

The internationally renowned designer Orla Kiely and BRITA, the UK’s leading water filter company has announced a major collaboration to produce the world’s first designer, eco-friendly, reusable water bottle – the Wottle, to be available at John Lewis stores from September.

Approved by Carbon Footprint's Product endorsement programme, the Wottle has been designed as a unique all-year round “must have” accessory for drinking water on the move whilst creating less waste. The 500ml Wottle features Orla Kiely’s signature Stem design, a rubber finger grip that can be adapted for portability and is perfectly proportioned to carry about town in a handbag. Simply fill and refill with fresh BRITA filtered water and enjoy its great taste in good taste - wherever you are.

BRITA and Orla Kiely were committed to creating a bottle that was not only practical and stylish, but also had impeccable ethical credentials. The Wottle is made from 100% recycled materials, including HDPE plastic. To keep its carbon footprint to a minimum it is made exclusively in the UK, ensuring water drinkers can combine style with environmental responsibility.

John Lewis will stock the Wottle, RSP £7.99, in September and Wottles will also be on sale online from www.brita.co.uk/wottle.

Orla Kiely commented, “To be involved in the re-design of such an everyday product is always a challenge and working with such a great concept made it all the more inspiring. It was exciting to consider the environment alongside practicalities and aesthetics. Thinking ‘reusable’ instead of ‘disposable’ is a great place to start becoming environmentally friendly, but style should never be compromised and we’re really happy with the finished product. We feel privileged to be campaigning for such a worthwhile cause.”

The Wottle can be used in conjunction with BRITA’s filtered water product range for homes and offices. BRITA’s filter cartridges are 100% recyclable and just one cartridge can produce up to 150 litres of filtered water for great taste with less waste –– and all at just 4p per litre. BRITA has been recycling their cartridges since 1992 and recently launched a major in-store recycling scheme where customers can drop their used cartridges in BRITA’s blue recycling bins at participating retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Argos and Robert Dyas.

Neal Jones, Marketing Director, BRITA, said, “As the leading provider of great tasting drinking water in the home, the next step was for us to find an environmentally friendly solution that enabled people to drink BRITA filtered water on the move.

“Instead of producing an exclusive, limited-edition batch for publicity, our aim as a company is to help change people’s consumption habits and reduce waste by making the Wottle generally available. Working closely with Orla Kiely means we’ve achieved that goal, but also created a unique product for style-conscious consumers.”

Contacts:

John Buckley
Carbon Footprint Ltd
01256 345645