changeadminNext time when you want to drink water, you can try drinking from REBO. A technology-enabled water bottle is under progress to help fight plastic pollution and create a sustainable planet – leveraging blockchain and IoT. The concept is simple – every time a user drinks water from the REBO bottle, the inbuilt sensors record the water intake. The consumption data is then available on the user’s mobile app and with the help of blockchain technology, it will then get shared with third parties, who will finance the plastic waste collection.
As of now, the project is in a prototype stage and it comes from the company based out of Geneva, Switzerland founded by Pierandrea Quarta, the man who was involved in the design and development of the first FMCG recyclable bottle made with beach plastic by P&G.
The smart technology-enabled water bottle highlights two key beneficiaries and the role of technology in making a positive difference –
1. USER – It is ultimately for the consumers to drive it
Firstly, oftentimes, in our busy lives, we tend to forget or become a little lazy to quench our thirst. Secondly, the plastic water bottle which we buy from a grocery store gets consumed in a matter of minutes, but the same bottle if not recycled takes hundreds of years to decompose.
REBO which will come with a mobile application will –
- Encourage people to remain hydrated and consume water at regular intervals by triggering alerts
- Discourage people from buying a new plastic bottle which leads to plastic pollution and instead use reusable bottle(s)
- Motivate people to bring a positive change in society, by giving them ‘green credits’ whenever they consume water from the REBO bottle. The app will notify users of the number of bottles that are getting collected to help them understand the positive impact caused due to their efforts.
2. SOCIETY – Making a positive contribution in the livelihood of the less privileged
The recycle part is not easy, either due to inconsiderate attitude from individuals or inefficient waste management systems, and thereby leading to a large part of plastic being strewn all over the planet. Public litter is a huge concern in many of the developing economies of the world and it is mainly the underprivileged section of the society who are necessitated to provide the cleanup services extremely low prices.
In order to address this, the startup plans to –
- Finance investments to eliminate existing plastic waste which is already littered across the globe especially the beaches and oceans.
- Partner with credible organizations like Plastic bank, which pays considerably better rates to local communities in Haiti, Brazil, Philippines, and Indonesia for plastic collection
Technology innovation driving the change
Apart from building a durable stainless steel bottle, to deliver the results, technology will be extensively used –
- A sensor in the bottle will measure the water levels and will also recognize if the water is being used only for drinking and not being thrown down the sink
- An integrated mobile application will help users to measure their water intake levels against some preset goals and lifestyle
- The mobile app can also guide a user to the nearest refill point
- The LED light (supported by the rechargeable battery) to remind people to drink water
- Emerging technology blockchain will ensure that data is seamlessly shared with 3rd parties in a transparent and secure manner
As mentioned by the founder and CEO, Pierandrea Quarta, in the video, “every minute 1 million plastic bottles are consumed worldwide” and many of these are discarded in the ocean. Hence any initiative which can help in reducing that will do good for the world.
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