Bluewater on course to help deliver final blow to throw away plastic bottles at St. Andrews links

St Andrews Links Trust appoints the first official hydration supplier at the ‘Home of Golf’ to banish single-use plastic bottles

The pioneering agreement will see Bluewater, a global leader in sustainable water purification and beverage solutions, provide purified drinking water across the St Andrews Links estate through its innovative refill stations, supporting a commitment for the removal of single-use plastic bottles from the Trust’s facilities.

The stations utilize the Swedish company’s advanced SuperiorOsmosis treatment process, which removes more than 99% of known contaminants from water, to provide locally purified and chilled drinking water at the point of consumption. The refill stations will initially be installed in both the Old Pavilion next to the first tee of the iconic Old Course and at the Halfway House serving the Old, New, and Jubilee Courses with further installations at the Links Clubhouse, Golf Academy, and Castle Course Clubhouse.

Each unit will provide free-of-charge refills of chilled and purified water. The units also feature high-bright digital TV screens to communicate key information to visitors concerning wider sustainability initiatives across the world-renowned venue.

To commemorate the agreement, Bluewater has produced a special-edition line of co-branded stainless steel refillable bottles – with free lifetime warranties – which will be launched for sale within St Andrews Links Trust’s official retail program. Golfers and visitors will then be able to collect a unique purpose-driven souvenir to enjoy chilled and purified water, while also taking home a vessel (photo below) that has been designed and warranted to last a lifetime.

In addition to the on-course refill stations, the system will be rolled out in the Trust’s restaurant facilities with Bluewater MineralizerTM HoReCa systems installed in the Tom Morris Bar & Grill in the Links Clubhouse. Marking the world-first deployment of the new system, the Bluewater MineralizerTM infuses a concentrate of naturally sourced Swedish minerals – tailored to Bluewater’s own research-backed blend for optimal taste and hydration – into local water purified with SuperiorOsmosisTM.

The premium and sustainable table water solution (photo above) will be available still or sparkling according to guest preference and will be delivered in iconic co-branded borosilicate glass bottles in 500 ml and 1,000 ml options. The glass bottles are re-washed and re-used on-site to enhance the system’s sustainability credentials further while ending the need to transport water from distant locations along with continued cycles of glass recycling and re-ordering.

The agreement sets a new standard for the premium sports, venue, and hospitality industry, underlining St Andrews Links Trust’s commitment to embrace new technologies and methods of operating to become a more sustainable business and to champion sustainable practices.

Neil Coulson, CEO of St Andrews Links Trust, said:

“As a global venue and destination with sustainability and innovation embedded into our organizational DNA, we are always looking to collaborate with like-minded organizations who can bring world-class solutions to the Home of Golf. The sport of golf is intimately connected with the natural world, and for us as an iconic Links venue, the need to help protect our oceans and coastlines for future generations is paramount.

We are all well aware of the terrible impacts single-use plastics cause to our environment, and so we are delighted to announce this new relationship with Bluewater, which will bring state-of-the-art and sustainable hydration solutions to St Andrews Links. Keeping our golfers and guests well hydrated out on the courses, and providing premium mineralized waters to complement our world-class dining experiences in restaurant service is a perfect and fitting solution for our estate, and our whole team is very excited to see this initiative launched.”

The formation of the agreement with St Andrews Links Trust builds on Bluewater’s already strong presence in the golf industry, with the Swedish innovator being selected to deliver on-site hydration solutions at The Open and AIG Women’s Open for 2023 – 2025. Bluewater has also delivered solutions for several DP World Tour events, including the 2023 BMW PGA Championship at England’s prestigious Wentworth Club.

Commenting on the relationship, Bengt Rittri, Founder and CEO of Bluewater – and one of Sweden’s most eminent environmental entrepreneurs – said:

“For over 10 years, Bluewater has been working to re-write the delivery model for providing pure, healthy, and planet-friendly drinking water around the world.

As a purpose-driven company committed to ending the need for single-use plastic bottles and their environmentally damaging implications, we have been privileged to work with many similarly-minded events and venues around the globe. Being selected by St Andrews Links, the Home of Golf, as Official Hydration Supplier is now a proud and defining moment for us as our solutions become centrally integrated at one of the world’s most historic, iconic, and prestigious sport and tourism destinations.”

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