Water from plastic bottles is bad for the environment. A great alternative is tap water, which is perfectly safe to drink here in Germany. And Anna from CARRY, a young startup that produces and prints glass drinking bottles in Germany, tells us how to enjoy it even more.
For us personally, the topic of "living more consciously" plays a central role, and I believe that this topic is also particularly important for our generation to consider the impact our actions have on ourselves and the environment.
Two things are paramount for us: health and sustainability. We choose a lifestyle, for example, we eat according to certain criteria, we have habits and beliefs that are good for us. It then follows naturally that we also consider what we drink and from what we drink, because water is ultimately the foundation for a healthy and active life.
Then there's the issue of sustainability. Today's fast-paced, throwaway society is an attitude we've never really been able to relate to. This topic was already relevant at home when I couldn't even spell the words sustainability, health, or awareness. I can still vividly remember how my parents were usually careful to, for example, wear one good pair of sandals ("good" here doesn't necessarily mean expensive) instead of throwing away three pairs after just one season because they simply looked nice. As a child, this sometimes annoyed me, but today I appreciate it because I simply don't need to be convinced of certain things. Personally, I always consider what I need, what I like, what suits me. And if I like something, I wear it until it's completely worn out. Which brings us back to the name CARRY. Wear the things you need. Wear what you like. But wear them consciously. And that is ultimately the philosophy behind our actions and the CARRY brand, determining everything there.
Firstly, there are the problems with the quality of bottled water and the associated pollution of our environment. We produce so much waste every day simply by consuming plastic bottles. This behavior is already having enormous consequences for our environment and all living beings – including us humans. With every use of single-use plastic, we harm our environment and our health. We live in a circular system, and everything we give to the environment ultimately comes back to us – good and bad.
I think the pollution caused by reusable water bottles is very obvious; you only have to look around to see how much space plastic bottles take up in a trash can – every single day. Yet a reusable glass bottle is such a great alternative. It doesn't create any waste, because glass is recyclable. No harmful substances or tastes are released either, because glass is very neutral. And ultimately, we also contribute to improving water quality by using reusable bottles. After all, the production of plastic wastes many resources, including water.
So, if I wanted something to drink, I'd have water from a glass bottle or tap water at home. But unless you live in a big city, you rarely have the opportunity to buy something while you're out, especially since many shops only stock plastic bottles. That's why you have to be independent and use reusable water bottles. Of course, there are already countless glass water bottles on the market. But either the quality of the bottle didn't appeal to me, or the design.
Because, as I've already said, I only buy things I really like. And the appearance of everyday objects shouldn't be underestimated. We're far too easily influenced by other pretty things, which leads us to buy too much. I believe that with CARRY, we have not only a good but also a beautiful water bottle, with which we can easily raise awareness of health and sustainability.
The topic of water is something we're all very concerned about, as it's fundamental to life. We use it directly in our daily lives for eating, cooking, washing, and so on. Water is also needed to produce the products we use every day – a lot of water. In my opinion, this wouldn't be so bad if we didn't constantly buy new things and throw them away again after a short time. This multiplies the already high water consumption, making access to water a major obstacle in some parts of the world. Yet, we could easily contribute to saving water through conscious action. This includes, of course, saving water in direct use, for example, by turning off the tap while brushing our teeth or washing our hands. But it's also crucial to consider our consumption habits. If I know that, for example, my piece of meat or avocado requires as much water to produce as an entire family household uses in a year, then naturally I won't eat it every day or every week. The same applies to clothes and all other things.
It's great that there are now so many initiatives from organizations and companies working to improve water quality worldwide. This ensures that help is provided where it's needed. At the same time, it raises awareness here at home and thus also influences our actions.
It's actually quite a long road to developing your own bottle. After countless ideas, numerous surveys, and lengthy discussions, once the bottle design was finally finalized, the next step was finding the right production partners. It's important to us that all our partners are located nearby. Firstly, for ecological reasons, as transportation also leaves a carbon footprint. And secondly, for purely practical reasons, because communication is faster and easier. Our glass drinking bottles are manufactured entirely in Germany (and predominantly in Lower Saxony). We avoid plastic as much as possible; even our screw cap is largely made from biodegradable wood fibers. Last but not least, the designs are what make the bottles special. With the launch of CARRY, we initially opted for fairly simple patterns. Some of these were created in-house, even though neither my colleagues nor I have a design background. Nevertheless, we know what we want :) Because we print our bottles ourselves, we can react flexibly to new designs, motifs, and trends, which we can produce even in small batches.
As mentioned, we source the bottle, cap, and packaging from our partners, each a specialist in their field. At CARRY, we primarily handle the printing. For this, we mainly use screen printing. We exclusively use organic inks that are free of heavy metals and dried using an environmentally friendly process. A printing stencil – the so-called "screen" – is created for each color in the design. The ink is then applied through this screen to the bottles as they pass through. Multiple colors therefore require multiple printing steps. The major advantage of screen printing lies in the use of solid colors, which we mix specifically for each bottle. They have exceptional brilliance and even shine through the glass when viewed from the back.
Click here to find the CARRY Bottles in the shop
1. Who and what project is behind CARRY ?
Essentially, CARRY's motto is "Stay hydrated. Stay healthy. CARRY your bottle "—as the name itself suggests. But first, the less philosophical story. A friend told me that Tobias, our Head of CARRY, was involved in printing designs on water bottles. At the time, I was looking for something new in my career, and I liked the idea. Little by little, and quite some time has passed since then, we've brought CARRY to life.For us personally, the topic of "living more consciously" plays a central role, and I believe that this topic is also particularly important for our generation to consider the impact our actions have on ourselves and the environment.
Two things are paramount for us: health and sustainability. We choose a lifestyle, for example, we eat according to certain criteria, we have habits and beliefs that are good for us. It then follows naturally that we also consider what we drink and from what we drink, because water is ultimately the foundation for a healthy and active life.
Then there's the issue of sustainability. Today's fast-paced, throwaway society is an attitude we've never really been able to relate to. This topic was already relevant at home when I couldn't even spell the words sustainability, health, or awareness. I can still vividly remember how my parents were usually careful to, for example, wear one good pair of sandals ("good" here doesn't necessarily mean expensive) instead of throwing away three pairs after just one season because they simply looked nice. As a child, this sometimes annoyed me, but today I appreciate it because I simply don't need to be convinced of certain things. Personally, I always consider what I need, what I like, what suits me. And if I like something, I wear it until it's completely worn out. Which brings us back to the name CARRY. Wear the things you need. Wear what you like. But wear them consciously. And that is ultimately the philosophy behind our actions and the CARRY brand, determining everything there.
2. Why did you ultimately decide to design and sell glass drinking bottles?
Firstly, there are the problems with the quality of bottled water and the associated pollution of our environment. We produce so much waste every day simply by consuming plastic bottles. This behavior is already having enormous consequences for our environment and all living beings – including us humans. With every use of single-use plastic, we harm our environment and our health. We live in a circular system, and everything we give to the environment ultimately comes back to us – good and bad.
I think the pollution caused by reusable water bottles is very obvious; you only have to look around to see how much space plastic bottles take up in a trash can – every single day. Yet a reusable glass bottle is such a great alternative. It doesn't create any waste, because glass is recyclable. No harmful substances or tastes are released either, because glass is very neutral. And ultimately, we also contribute to improving water quality by using reusable bottles. After all, the production of plastic wastes many resources, including water.
So, if I wanted something to drink, I'd have water from a glass bottle or tap water at home. But unless you live in a big city, you rarely have the opportunity to buy something while you're out, especially since many shops only stock plastic bottles. That's why you have to be independent and use reusable water bottles. Of course, there are already countless glass water bottles on the market. But either the quality of the bottle didn't appeal to me, or the design.
Because, as I've already said, I only buy things I really like. And the appearance of everyday objects shouldn't be underestimated. We're far too easily influenced by other pretty things, which leads us to buy too much. I believe that with CARRY, we have not only a good but also a beautiful water bottle, with which we can easily raise awareness of health and sustainability.
3. Water is and will continue to be an increasingly scarce and important resource worldwide. How important is the whole topic of water to you?
The topic of water is something we're all very concerned about, as it's fundamental to life. We use it directly in our daily lives for eating, cooking, washing, and so on. Water is also needed to produce the products we use every day – a lot of water. In my opinion, this wouldn't be so bad if we didn't constantly buy new things and throw them away again after a short time. This multiplies the already high water consumption, making access to water a major obstacle in some parts of the world. Yet, we could easily contribute to saving water through conscious action. This includes, of course, saving water in direct use, for example, by turning off the tap while brushing our teeth or washing our hands. But it's also crucial to consider our consumption habits. If I know that, for example, my piece of meat or avocado requires as much water to produce as an entire family household uses in a year, then naturally I won't eat it every day or every week. The same applies to clothes and all other things.
It's great that there are now so many initiatives from organizations and companies working to improve water quality worldwide. This ensures that help is provided where it's needed. At the same time, it raises awareness here at home and thus also influences our actions.
4. What makes your glass water bottles special? What was particularly important to you during their development and design?
It's actually quite a long road to developing your own bottle. After countless ideas, numerous surveys, and lengthy discussions, once the bottle design was finally finalized, the next step was finding the right production partners. It's important to us that all our partners are located nearby. Firstly, for ecological reasons, as transportation also leaves a carbon footprint. And secondly, for purely practical reasons, because communication is faster and easier. Our glass drinking bottles are manufactured entirely in Germany (and predominantly in Lower Saxony). We avoid plastic as much as possible; even our screw cap is largely made from biodegradable wood fibers. Last but not least, the designs are what make the bottles special. With the launch of CARRY, we initially opted for fairly simple patterns. Some of these were created in-house, even though neither my colleagues nor I have a design background. Nevertheless, we know what we want :) Because we print our bottles ourselves, we can react flexibly to new designs, motifs, and trends, which we can produce even in small batches.
5. What does the production process for your glass drinking bottles look like?
As mentioned, we source the bottle, cap, and packaging from our partners, each a specialist in their field. At CARRY, we primarily handle the printing. For this, we mainly use screen printing. We exclusively use organic inks that are free of heavy metals and dried using an environmentally friendly process. A printing stencil – the so-called "screen" – is created for each color in the design. The ink is then applied through this screen to the bottles as they pass through. Multiple colors therefore require multiple printing steps. The major advantage of screen printing lies in the use of solid colors, which we mix specifically for each bottle. They have exceptional brilliance and even shine through the glass when viewed from the back.
6. Your TOP 3 Zero Waste Tips for Everyday Life!
1. The good old jute bag (preferably with a reusable glass water bottle inside :))
I can only recall a few situations where I've bought a plastic bag at the supermarket, because I almost always carry a cloth bag in my jacket or backpack. And if I do happen to get one in the store, which is very rare, I reuse the bag, for example, to put my shoes in my suitcase when traveling so they don't get my other clothes dirty.
2. Bar soaps
For everyday use, I find bar soap simply wonderful. It's either unpackaged or comes in recycled cardboard.
3. Less is more
Whether it's shopping or everyday use of various items, goods, and even food, we tend to buy far too many things and leave them unused or even throw them away. When you have less, you appreciate what you have more and have less to tidy up :)Click here to find the CARRY Bottles in the shop
Leave a comment
This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.