Bluewater helps Cape Town soccer finals to save water and single-use plastics

Cape Town, May 17, 2018 – While Cape Town has avoided Day Zero 2018, according to recent reports, there is only a 5% chance that the city will receive above normal rainfall necessary to avoid Day Zero next year. Recognizing that water scarcity and the scourge of single-use plastics on the environment remains a serious concern, Nedbank Green Affinity Trust has partnered with Bluewater – a world-leader in water purification technologies – to offer a fun activation at the upcoming Nedbank Cup Final between Maritzburg United and Free State Stars this weekend.

Supporter ‘Cup Vote’ to drive recycling

The activation will feature a hydration station where soccer fans may enjoy still or sparkling water free of charge. To reduce litter, participants are encouraged to ‘vote’ for their favourite team by discarding their drinking cups in recycling bins identified as either the Maritzburg United or Free State Stars.

The collaboration with Bluewater is expected to reduce the purchase of single-use plastic bottles at the match and generate awareness about how plastics affect the environment. The initiative is a complement to Nedbank’s #CleanUp4TheCup campaign – a series of community clean-ups which took place around the city in the lead-up to the Nedbank Cup Final, ensuring that our oceans, rivers and environment are sustainably managed and governed and leaving a legacy of cleanliness in the city post the Nedbank Cup.

Together with Nedbank, Bluewater will supply 5,000 liters of water to Nedbank Cup Final team supporters and is expected to forego the use of more than 15,151 330ml plastic bottles. The water station will be in the Nedbank Cup Fan Village from 11AM to 4PM, offering purified water from non-municipal supplies. The hydration station offers the world’s highest clean water flow from a tap, purifying around 99 percent of most known pollutants.

“For the Nedbank Cup, we want to maximise water savings and minimise the use of single-use plastic bottles,” says Anders Jacobson, “We urge all South Africans to maintain their efforts to save water and to stop using single-use plastics.”

Giving single-use plastic water bottles the red card

Since 2017, Bluewater has helped five events in Cape Town to be water-wise, avoiding any negative impacts on the city’s depleted water sources. As a result, the company has prevented the use of tens of thousands of plastic bottles (330ml) during this time.

“For the Nedbank Cup, we want to give litter the red card,” says Tobie Badenhorst, head of Group Sponsorship and Cause Marketing at Nedbank. “Water scarcity also remains a challenge for Cape Town and we want to do all we can to help the city in averting Day Zero.”

Urban Drinking Water Challenge

Water scarcity, in addition to access to clean drinking water and single-use plastic pollution, remains a major issue for Cape Town and other cities globally. To help answer these interconnected challenges, Bluewater, in partnership with NGOs Imagine H20 and 11th Hour Racing, has launched a global challenge – with up to $1,000,000 (USD) in cash awards and investment – to develop solutions to tackle drinking water issues in mega-cities. Aligning with UN Sustainable Development Goal 6, more information on the Urban Drinking Water Challenge can be found at http://applynow.imagineh2o.org/.

For more information, please contact David Noble, Head of Public Relations and Communications, at david.noble@bluewatergroup.com or on +44 7785 302 694.