Next year there will be a deposit on disposable bottles. But more and more companies are already providing water dispensers for their employees, and young people in particular are pushing for it. Market leader Culligan alone has set up 32,000, and in the long term that number could double.
“It has become common for employees to come to work in the morning with their own water bottle and want to fill it during the day. The companies are adapting to this to be attractive, especially to young people,” smiles Robert Stolz, Culligan’s Austrian boss. Dispensers in which a 19-liter plastic water barrel quenches your thirst are common today. These are supplied with the jerry cans under the established Aqua Alpina brand.
But the stronger growth, to a recent total of 20 million euros in turnover, is seen in newer appliances from the American parent company Culligan, which are connected to the water supply and can then supply sparkling, still and even hot water at the touch of a button. knob. “Up to 160 liters per hour is possible, which is also sterilized using a UV lamp. Companies usually rent the dispensers for 50-60 euros per month, after which we provide a hygiene service every six months.” Culligan has installed a total of 32,000 dispensers with us.
In the next step there should be 36,000, but ultimately a doubling is possible, says Stolz. “The refill community is growing rapidly. 400 of the 500 largest companies in Austria are already our customers. The introduction of the plastic deposit will certainly provide a further boost.” Single-use bottles and cans should then be returned to the store and not be crushed so that they can be accepted by the deposit machines in stores.
The Red Bull Mateschitz family are neighbors at the water source
Culligan currently has a 95 percent market share in water tank dispensers; the water comes from a source in Thalheim, Styria, where one million containers are currently filled per year. “Our neighbor is the Red Bull Mateschitz family, who get their water there for their mineral water, lemonades and beer.”
By the way, Aqua Alpina was founded in 1997 by the Upper Austrian packaging giant Greiner, who was looking for additional sales for its large plastic jerry cans. The company was subsequently acquired by Culligan in 2019. In addition to the dispensers for large consumers, the range also includes home systems (costs from 3,000 euros) that are installed under the tap in the kitchen and supply both sparkling and hot water. “It is more common in France and among tea drinkers in Britain.”
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
