Samoa H2O and Rivaiv Cafe have entered into a partnership to bring glass bottles into the market as a new initiative in the national campaign against consumer waste. 

The Managing Director of Samoa H2O, Richard Wetzell, told the Samoa Observer that the cafe initiative was a small pilot programme with RiVaiv Cafe.

Asked about the purpose of starting the use of glass bottles instead of plastic, he said: “To test the market as to what it is prepared to pay for glass.

“One of the obstacles is product cost; logistics in sourcing and importing glass versus plastic bottles, packaging and delivering product to market which determines the final cost the consumer pays at the checkout."

According to Mr. Wetzell, bottles can be returned to RiVaiv Cafe and consumers can opt for a $1 refund or $1 off their new bottle of water.

When asked if he expects other water bottle companies to follow suit, he said: “Businesses will always adjust to market trends, consumer demand will dictate if or when it will happen.”

Mr. Wetzell reiterated that this was only a small initiative, and consumer demand will ultimately determine if glass substitution is successful. 

“Whether the demand is there to increase production and open it up to the wider market, only time will tell,” he said.

“Whilst it would be fantastic to go 100 per cent glass, markets dictate what sells.”

He explained that plastic bottles were first used commercially in 1947 but remained relatively expensive until the early 1950s when high-density polyethylene was introduced to the market. 

“[These bottles] quickly became popular with both manufacturers and customers because of their lightweight nature, relatively low production, and transportation costs compared to glass,” he said.

“However, the biggest advantage plastic bottles have over their glass counterparts is their superior resistance to breakage, in both production and transportation. Except for wine and beer, the food industry has almost completely replaced glass bottles with plastic bottles.

“P.E.T bottles are lightweight, safe, cheap and more importantly are recyclable.”

When asked if this was the first water bottle company in Samoa to shift from plastic to glass bottles, he said he could not say for certain. 

Clay Harry Paul, who runs RiVaiv Cafe with his partner Luana Rossana Ross, told the Samoa Observer on Wednesday that there are two main reasons for the partnership: he is a big fan of Savaii and artesian water.

Mr. Paul explained that he always wanted to sell their water so he decided to compromise and sell the company’s water in plastic bottles, while working with them to make glass versions available. 

“[We are] more than happy that they are willing to work together to make it happen so now we have their water in both plastic and glass,” he said.

Mr. Paul said the reason they chose to use it is that it is not a single-use product.

His company has been bottling RiVaiv turmeric juice for over a year now and have made it available in glass and buy back the bottles from consumers for $1 (small) and $2 (large), explaining they are trying their best to make it sustainable.

He emphasised that he is not anti-plastic, but his personal opinion is that everything tastes better in glass and he believes plastic chemicals can be vulnerable, especially when exposed to heat to potentially cause health risks when liquids are being transported. 

The Samoa H2O glass water bottle is available at RiVaiv Cafe and costs $7 if you take the bottle and $5 if you only have the water and leave the bottle at the cafe.