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World’s top golfing organisation shines a light on sustainability in latest Planet Water! Podcast from Bluewater
Stockholm, Sweden, December 22, 2020 – What does it take to change the way sports fans hydrate at major sporting and other events? In its latest Planet Water! Podcast, Swedish water brand Bluewater speaks to the golf world’s foremost governing body, The R&A in St Andrews, Scotland, to learn about their successful sustainability mission to halt the sale of tens of thousands of single-use plastic bottles to fans attending events such as The Open, golf's oldest Major Championship.
In the Bluewater podcast, Philip Russell, Assistant Director – Sustainability at The R&A, explains why and how the organisation successfully took a stand against single-use plastics with its Open Water Initiative launched at The 148th Open in July 2019 at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, which saw an attendance of over 237,000 people.
“Working closely with Bluewater, we took a key decision to completely eliminate the supply of single-use plastic water bottles at The Open. As a sustainable alternative, we delivered pure fresh drinking water directly to fans, players, staff and officials via free-of-charge on-site water stations, coupled with the provision of special edition refillable stainless steel bottles," Philip (photo below) explains during the Planet Water! podcast.
Philip recalls how The Open Water Initiative was designed from the get-go to shine a light on the impact of the single-use mindset and how it has led to a global epidemic of ocean pollution. “The Open is always played on links golf courses, which means the ocean is the backdrop to the Championship. Marine plastic pollution was therefore an issue that resonated strongly with us - as part of our wider commitment to sustainability - and we wanted to do our part to help deliver positive change."
The 2020 edition of The Open was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic but The R&A and Bluewater are already busy planning the continuation and development of the pioneering project at The 149th Open at Royal St George's in July 2021.
The monthly Bluewater Planet Water podcast, which features top names from the world of water, sports, business, and the environment, aims to provide global audiences with an informative platform around critical issues of water, hydration, health and wellness, and the environment.
“We want to give consumers, businesses, and organisations the information and tools to live healthier lives and meet the challenges posed by the diminishing availability of quality tap water,” said Bluewater communications director Dave Noble (photo below by Alina Raducea).
TheBluewater Planet Water Podcastis available on mobile devices via apps such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
“Other key guests are lined up for future episodes, with the next coming in late January in which we discuss ocean health with Sarah Cooley, Director of Climate Science at Ocean Conservancy, so please look out for updates,” said Dave Noble.
You can find the Bluewater podcast on Apple here, on Spotify here and on Google Podcasts here.
If you’d like to learn more, contact Dave Noble at david.noble@bluewatergroup.com or call +44 7785 302 694.
