Six hundred billion single-use plastic bottles. Over one hundred million synthetic chemicals. Water safety crises making global headlines. The numbers are staggering –and they’re not abstract statistics. They’re symptoms of a planetary emergency playing out daily in homes, offices, and public spaces around the world.
At Bluewater, we’ve spent the past 14 years working to eliminate the need for single-use plastic bottles and remove toxic ‘forever chemicals’ such as PFAS from drinking water. What began as a mission to purify water has evolved into delivering hydration solutions that actively support body and mind – at home, at work, and at play.
Every so often, a book crystallises why this mission matters so urgently. A Poison Like No Other by science journalist Matt Simon is one such work. Simon’s meticulous reporting lays bare the scale of microplastic pollution – a crisis that’s seeped into the deepest ocean trenches, the highest mountaintops, and, alarmingly, our own bodies.
Microplastics aren’t just unsightly litter. They’re tiny fragments that can enter the human bloodstream and even be detected in unborn babies. They carry chemical additives, and they don’t go away. Simon’s investigation shows how industry lobbyists have downplayed the threat, protecting short-term profits while leaving the public exposed. His work dismantles the myth that single-use plastics are a harmless convenience.
The evidence is clear: over 600 billion plastic bottles are produced every year. Many break down into microscopic fragments that persist for generations, infiltrating food, water, and air. In other words, we’re ingesting the consequences.
This isn’t just an environmental story – it’s a health story. At Bluewater, we see the connections every day. Microplastics in rivers and oceans can travel straight into municipal water supplies. PFAS and other synthetic chemicals leach from plastic into food and drinks. Once in the body, some have been linked to cancer, infertility, ADHD, and immune disorders.
That’s why Bluewater’s technology is designed to remove up to 99.7% of known contaminants – including PFAS, microplastics, and other toxic chemicals – directly from tap water. At the heart of that capability is our proprietary SuperOsmosis™ system, a leap beyond traditional reverse osmosis. It delivers faster flow, higher purity, and dramatically less water waste, making it both powerful and sustainable. Whether in a compact under-sink unit for a family kitchen or a larger system for a busy office, SuperOsmosis™ turns ordinary tap water into an exceptional hydration experience.
For offices and public spaces, our Bluewater Flow dispenser delivers that same advanced purification at scale – a high-performance, easy-to-use solution that keeps employees, customers, and visitors hydrated without the environmental cost of bottled water. Outdoors, a growing number of premium golf courses in the UK, USA, and South Africa now use Bluewater hydration stations to keep golfers refreshed on the course. Paired with our durable, stylish reusable bottles – already a hit with athletes worldwide – these systems slash plastic waste while ensuring clean, safe water from the first tee to the 18th green.
Under the leadership of founder and CEO Bengt Rittri – a Swedish ecopreneur also known for creating the clean-air pioneer Blueair – we’ve committed ourselves to solutions that are as sustainable as they are effective. Bengt’s vision, recognised by environmental leaders worldwide, guides every decision we make: from the engineering of our purifiers to our expanding range of healthy beverage offerings that make good hydration a pleasure, not a chore.
Meanwhile, the headlines keep coming. In Alsace, France, residents have been told to boil tap water after bacteriological contamination. A joint investigation by Le Monde and Radio France revealed that at least one-third of bottled mineral water brands have allegedly been treated illegally to remove bacteria, breaching EU rules. Trust in bottled water, long marketed as pure, is beginning to crack.
As The Guardian recently reported, chemical pollution remains decades behind climate change in public awareness. Researchers from Deep Science Ventures estimate more than 100 million synthetic chemicals are in circulation, with tens of thousands in everyday use. Fourteen percent of European teenagers already have PFAS levels high enough to cause adverse health effects. These are not distant threats. They are here. Now.
The good news is we have the technology and the alternatives. Bluewater can remove contaminants at the point of use and replace single-use bottles entirely. What’s needed is the will – from consumers choosing sustainable options, from companies investing in safe materials, and from policymakers regulating for long-term health over short-term convenience.
We have heard the wake-up call. Let’s refuse to be part of the microplastic and toxic chemical horror story. At Bluewater, we’re ready to make clean, safe water a reality everywhere people live, work, and play.
The clock is ticking. But it hasn’t run out yet.
By Dave Noble, Chief Communications Officer, Bluewater