It’s been a challenge, but Belu has established itself as an eco-friendly alternative to the traditional bottled water industry.
In his youth, Social Enterprise Ambassador Reed Paget used various outlets to express his growing awareness of social and environmental issues. He tried everything from political graffiti to documentary film making, before deciding that consumer goods were the best way to get through to the public.
In 2004, Reed and a friend launched Belu as the UK’s first bottled water company to commit all its net profits to clean water projects. Since then they have delivered clean water to over 40,000 people, made Belu the first ‘carbon-neutral’ bottled water, promoted PVC-free packaging and launched the UK’s first compostable bottles made from corn.
“It has not been easy,” admits Reed when asked how a small, independent, ethical water brand has found its way into a crowded market, dominated by multinational companies.
“As a start up, our product was not the least expensive. But our environmental mission has appealed to enough people to win sufficient market share to get the company off the ground. With scale, we have been able to reduce our price and thereby win further sales,” he says.
In the last year, Belu has picked up momentum and is now distributed by the largest wholesalers in the UK and is available in some of the UK’s largest restaurant groups including Tragus and D&D London. You’ll also find it at numerous festivals, trend-setting restaurants and many board rooms.