Social enterprise Thankyou, which made the shock decision to stop production of bottled water in 2020, says the move is vindicated by stats released that show the 60.9 metric tonnes* per year of single-use plastic has been prevented from entering the environment.
Bottled water was Thankyou's genesis product when the company was founded in 2008, and remained a top selling product. But two years on from making what co-founder Daniel Flynn called a 'bold decision' to stop production to reduce its contribution to the environmental damage caused by single-use plastic, it appears that there's a development on the cards that could see it re-enter the sector.
Thankyou says that at the time the decision to exit the water category was made with careful consideration prior to the launch of Thankyou's No Small Plan campaign a month later, which posed a global call-out to license personal care manufacturers worldwide to help take Thankyou to the world.
However, as Thankyou now prepares to launch into the global markets, it says "the decision not to continue the water range was commercially ‘not smart,’ leaving behind millions in potential revenue".
Thankyou says it is currently working on reimagining sustainability, with 2023 set to see some of its biggest product plays yet.
“Business practices that are truly ethical and sustainable and don’t just tick a box for marketing are challenging to achieve. We’ve been working really hard to ensure we get it right in the sustainability realm for our consumers and the planet. Feeling excited about what’s to come is an understatement…let’s just say a comeback into the water sector isn’t off the table,” said Flynn.
“We believe how we manufacture our products and the decisions we make as we scale this movement globally are intrinsically linked to our mission,” said Flynn.
“When thinking about sustainability at Thankyou, we love this quote by Mark Twain; ‘Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfect’ – so steps that we’ve made and will continue to make as a business are just the beginning of an exciting new chapter we find ourselves in at Thankyou,” said Flynn.
The company says it has continued its commitment to sustainability, becoming 100% certified carbon neutral and releasing a plastic-free collection, launching seven cruelty-free, naturally-derived hair and body bars as another measure to reduce its environmental impact. Thankyou also has a stringent set of Responsible Business Goals that guide the company’s best practices and build on its endeavours to date.
* Based on the average single-use plastic water sales data of Thankyou Water products from FY17 to FY21
