During a time when shoppers say local, sustainable products are more important than ever, one Estonian beverage company is seamlessly bringing the two together with its water bottles.
When Haage Joogid CEO Vello Oselin was exploring packaging for Haage Joogid’s mineral water, he chose glass bottles made by O-I’s plant in Järvakandi, Estonia. Not only are glass bottles 100% recyclable, but O-I Järvakandi is less than 100 miles from the Haage spring itself. It was a sustainability win-win.
“We considered different options, but decided that for Estonian water, it is right to go ahead with a bottle made in Estonia,” Oselin says. “The glass bottle is more environmentally friendly and its domestic production is sustainable and controllable.”
O-I’s Järvakandi glass plant was the natural solution. Its proximity to the spring meant a smaller carbon footprint and fewer variables to manage during COVID-19. And it isn’t just the plant that’s local – a key ingredient used in its glass production comes from Estonia as well.
“We even use local Tabina sand in our batch, which produces really clear, bright glass that’s ideal for bottling mineral water,” plant manager Kaido Turro explains. That glass was fashioned into a Northern European design especially commissioned for Haage’s mineral water.
A visually appealing glass bottle was just what Haage Joogid needed for the hotels and restaurants serving its water. The patrons of those hotels and restaurants will benefit, too. Glass is virtually inert, which means the bottle doesn’t interact with the contents it holds. Glass bottles leave the mineral water tasting fresh and refreshing, exactly as Haage Joogid inteds. We’ll toast to that.