{"id":961,"date":"2025-08-06T12:54:49","date_gmt":"2025-08-06T12:54:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/friendsofglass.com\/uk\/?p=961"},"modified":"2025-08-08T10:49:52","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T10:49:52","slug":"belu-bottling-purpose-not-just-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/friendsofglass.com\/uk\/stories\/belu-bottling-purpose-not-just-water\/","title":{"rendered":"Belu: Bottling purpose, not just water"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n
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Belu isn\u2019t your average drinks company. As a UK-based social enterprise, it supplies mineral water, filtration systems, tonics and mixers while committing to giving 100% of its net profits to WaterAid.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Since forming their exclusive partnership in 2011, Belu has donated over \u00a36.1 million<\/strong> in unrestricted funds to support clean water, decent toilets, and hygiene projects globally. This has helped transform the lives of more than 410,000 people<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

In 2024 alone, Belu pledged around \u00a3368,038<\/strong> of its net profit to WaterAid. This brought their total by early 2024 to about \u00a35.8 million<\/strong>, impacting nearly 392,000 lives<\/strong>. As co-CEOs Natalie Campbell and Charlotte Harrington explain, the business model aligns purpose and profit so clearly that giving continues to grow each year.<\/p>\n

Why is Belu a Glass Champion?<\/h3>\n

Belu places packaging at the core of its sustainability mission. Their glass bottles are made in the UK, contain a minimum of 40% recycled content<\/strong>, are lighter than average to reduce emissions, and are fully recyclable. In 2013, Belu worked with UK glass specialists to create the lightest-weight mineral water bottles in the country. This saved 70 g per 750 ml bottle<\/strong> and significantly cut emissions and material use.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

They\u2019ve also introduced a green glass range for tonics and mixers, made with over 70% recycled material<\/strong>. This makes them the only brand in that category to use such a high level of recycled content. By switching customers to these lightweight, UK-made bottles, Belu estimates annual savings of 850,000 kg of glass<\/strong>. That\u2019s equivalent to 2.1 million wine bottles<\/strong>, resulting in a major reduction in carbon emissions.<\/p>\n

Circular design and reuse initiatives<\/h3>\n

Belu supports circular systems by providing closed-loop reuse solutions for hospitality. Their Filter in Action and refillable services supply venues with on-tap still and sparkling water. They also provide reusable glass bottles and refillable containers to help businesses move away from single-use packaging.<\/p>\n

Belu is also piloting bottle reuse schemes through partners like Again and Milk & More in London. Used Belu bottles are collected, cleaned in CleanCells, and refilled. This keeps high-quality glass in use for longer and cuts waste without relying on recycling alone.<\/p>\n

<\/h3>\n

Environmental leadership and recognition<\/h3>\n

Belu tracks and discloses its environmental impact through a Purpose P&L. From 2010 to 2023, they reduced their CO\u2082 intensity per litre poured by more than 68%<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

They were the first bottled water brand to achieve PAS 2060 certification for carbon neutrality. Their efforts have earned them multiple Royal Awards for Sustainable Development and Innovation.<\/p>\n

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Purpose at the core<\/h3>\n

Belu\u2019s leadership has made sustainability a strategic priority. In 2021, they updated their company articles to align directly with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. These include Goal 6 (clean water), Goal 12 (responsible consumption), and Goal 13 (climate action). Co-CEO Natalie Campbell has spoken about moving away from traditional carbon offsetting and focusing instead on UK-based nature and biodiversity projects. This approach reflects Belu\u2019s long-term commitment to doing business better.<\/p>\n

From climate-conscious packaging to closed-loop reuse and world-changing partnerships, Belu is showing what\u2019s possible when businesses lead with purpose. In a sector facing complex challenges, they offer a clear and hopeful example of how glass, used well, can support both people and the planet. That\u2019s why Belu is not just a Glass Champion\u2014they\u2019re a blueprint for how to do things better.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

—<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Glass Champions campaign shines a spotlight on the brands, retailers, and independent groups that choose glass as their primary packaging. Discover other brands setting container standards\u00a0high in food, drink, cosmetics, and beyond. Read more.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\r\n <\/div>\r\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The UK-based social enterprise supplying mineral water, filtration systems, tonics and mixers…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":962,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,10,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-961","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-environment","category-taste","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nBelu: Bottling purpose, not just water - Friends of Glass UK<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The UK-based social enterprise supplying mineral water, filtration systems, tonics and mixers...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/friendsofglass.com\/uk\/stories\/belu-bottling-purpose-not-just-water\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Belu: Bottling purpose, not just water - 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