The Open and Bluewater redefine how major events can shape a more sustainable future

Portrush, Northern Ireland, July 18, 2019 – Visitors to The 148^th Open golf championship in Portrush, Northern Ireland, will notice a remarkable new addition to the prestigious event – cool looking personal stainless steel refillable water bottles that are being carried by thousands of visitors to Royal Portrush instead of previously used single-use plastic water bottles.

The change has been masterminded by The R&A, organisers of The Open, in a bid to show the world how major events can shape a more sustainable future.

The R&A collaborated with Bluewater, a world leader in clean water technology and solutions, to provide unique free-standing outdoor and indoor hydration stations and specially designed BPA-free stainless steel refillable water bottles for use by the 40,000 daily visitors to the championship.

“We’re honoured The R&A chose to work with Bluewater to find an innovative and resilient strategy at one of the biggest sporting events in the world that demonstrates how feasible it is to provide visitors a viable solution for ending the need for single-use plastic water bottles and their transportation,” said Anders Jacobson, co-founder and CEO of Blue, the impact-led investment company that owns Sweden-based Bluewater.

Bluewater has provided 18 individual hydration stations that deliver ambient and chilled purified local water free of charge at key locations across the golf course at Royal Portrush where The Open is being staged. Bluewater hydration stations have been installed in the players’ locker room, lounge and gym.

The R&A has provided players, including Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, Rory McIlroy, Hideki Matsuyama and Francesco Molinari, with unique Bluewater Players’ Edition dual-skinned BPA-free stainless steel bottles that have been personalised with the names of the individual competitors engraved on the front. In addition, the public can purchase specially-branded The Open 400ml stainless steel refillable bottles at a discounted price of £4.50, which they can keep filled from an on-site Bluewater hydration station and take home for future use.

“We’ve all seen the television programmes warning about the single-use plastic scourge, but The R&A has taken the initiative to demonstrate a here-and-now solution that has been carefully evaluated and will redefine how major events can shape new business models that help shape a sustainable future that’s good for the planet and humans alike,” said Anders Jacobson.

Background

The 148^th Open is being staged at Royal Portrush, established in 1888 and considered one of the world’s leading links courses. Always played on a coastal links golf course, The Open is the world’s oldest professional golf championship, first played in 1860 at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. The 148^th Open will run 18 – 21 July.

For more information, please contact David Noble, PR and Communications Director at Bluewater, at david.noble@bluewatergroup.com or +44 7785302694.

Notes to Picture Editors:

The photograph attached may be used with editorial coverage of this news release only. Please credit The R&A.