Bevi smart water coolers hit 1 billion bottles saved, strengthens sustainability selling point

Bevi says its smart water coolers have now helped customers avoid using 1 billion single-use plastic bottles. In a LinkedIn post, CEO Cathy Lewenberg announced the sustainability milestone for the bottle-free beverage company and its customers. She framed the achievement as the result of more than a decade of work by Bevi’s founders, employees, customers and distribution partners.

The update comes roughly 20 months after Bevi released its inaugural sustainability impact report in April 2024. In that report, the Boston-based company said it had already replaced and prevented more than 500 million single-use bottles and cans from entering the global waste stream.

Bevi’s sustainability report also highlighted the plastic waste stream the company is targeting. It cited data showing that about 600 billion plastic water bottles and containers are sold each year globally, each taking more than 400 years to break down. In 2023, roughly 86% of plastic bottles ended up in landfills as recycling rates declined, according to the company’s analysis.

The company announced its 1 billion-bottle goal in its sustainability report and projected it would meet it by the end of 2025. Data from their connected machines proved on target as Lewenberg’s announcement attests.

The announcement comes as Bevi expands into campuses, multifamily properties, gyms and other shared commercial spaces. According to the company, it has seen more than 200% year-over-year growth in its education sector, with new installations at Florida A&M University, University of South Carolina, Cal Poly and other campuses.

Lewenberg said she is “energized for what’s next” after passing the billion-bottle mark, signaling that Bevi plans to continue expanding its footprint and working with its customers and partners to achieve further reductions in single-use packaging.