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- A North West family has introduced Potchefstroom to eco-friendly and 100% recyclable carton boxes called Boxy Water.
- Boxy Water is made out of Cartons sleeves which are thick boxes with a thin layer of plastics that are strong enough to package liquids.
- Jan and Danielle Strydom are the founders of Boxy Water in Potchefstroom.
Father and daughter duo Jan and Danielle Strydom have always had a business mind.
The two from Potchefstroom in the North West started a packaged water bottle company a few years ago.
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In 2019, realising the world was switching to more eco-friendly products and services, they ditched the use of plastic bottles and instead moved to use 100% recyclable carton boxes for their water.
Jan said after realising the impact plastic bottles had on the environment, they realised it was important to make Boxy Water recyclable. The company was launched in 2020.
"These plastic bottles have a very hardy plastic, meaning they are not biodegradable and are incapable of being decomposed which then increases the chances of pollution."
He added a more environmentally conscious younger market also made the move inevitable.
"The younger people are more in tune with the environment, its needs and the conservation; they are always looking for ways to improve our lifestyles in a way that benefits the environment."
Cartons sleeves, Jan said, were thick boxes with a thin layer of plastic that were strong enough to package liquids. And that is what they went with.
Once the sleeves were delivered to the factory in Potchefstroom, the real work began for Boxy Water, he added.
Jan said water was drawn from a borehole that was situated 500m from the farm, adding after discovering it the family sealed it off to limit contamination.
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Once the water is pumped, it gets filtered and purified. Even with filtration and purification processes, the family chose a more environmentally friendly way.
Instead of using industrial chemicals, they use ozone, which is similar to chlorine, to purify the water.
The family had plans to market their boxed water to hotel chains, casinos and airlines.
When the whole filtration process is completed, the water is redirected to stainless still tanks. This is where the process of ozone treatment will be carried out. Strydom said the ozone treatment is when oxygen is taken out of the water with a high electctic charge.@TeamNews24 pic.twitter.com/4337TgnJO8
— Ethel (@Ethel_Khumalo) March 31, 2022
This is called the filling process where the carton sleeves are sent to the Galdi machines and are folded into a box shape, filled with water and attached with caps for the lid.@TeamNews24 @News24 pic.twitter.com/3bZ6iGUz0h
— Ethel (@Ethel_Khumalo) March 31, 2022
Once the outer boxes are packed they are sealed with cello tape. According to Danielle they are working towards making use of non-plastic cello tape. The goal is to have bio closure even with the cello tape being used at Boxy Water, said Danielle@TeamNews24 @News24 pic.twitter.com/aYjOVDB0Xe
— Ethel (@Ethel_Khumalo) March 31, 2022
The Covid-19 pandemic made things difficult, and the company decided to target local shops instead.
"We couldn't get further than Potchefstroom, so we decided to target places like coffee shops and restaurants, small cafes, supermarkets. Just to get the product there," Danielle said.
She added so far, the business was doing well and they hoped more people moved to using environmentally friendly products.
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