Bluewater partners with The Open to reduce single-use plastic

The R&A, organizers of The Open Championship, will leverage Bluewater‘s position as a global innovator in drinking water technologies and solutions to provide the 148th Open — being held at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland — with unique water stations and unique reusable stainless steel bottles to enable hundreds of visitors, players, staff and officials to enjoy on-demand fresh water without needing a plastic bottle.

“We applaud the initiative by The R&A to make The Open in Royal Portrush one of the first major sporting events to remove single-use plastic water bottles,” said Anders Jacobsen, co-founder and CEO of Blue, the investing company that owns Bluewater.

The Open Water initiative is geared to tackle marine plastic pollution and has won the endorsement of the UN Environment’s global Clean Seas campaign.

Some 5,000 special edition BPA-free refillable stainless steel Bluewater water bottles will be given to fans free of charge during the week of The Open. The bottles will also be on sale throughout the venue. Additionally, all golfers competing in The Open will receive a personalized Players’ Edition stainless steel water bottle, which will have their name laser engraved on it.

“The Open has a close relationship with nature and the coastal systems of the world’s finest links courses and it is important that we safeguard them for future generations,” said Martin Slumbers, chief executive of the R&A. “We have all learned so much of the destructive impact of plastic on the world’s oceans and we believe we have to take steps to remove all single-use plastic water bottles from The Open in order to encourage fans and players to use alternative and more sustainable materials.”