Britvic, a UK-based soft drinks company, had a proof-of-concept of an IoT connected, environmentally-friendly flavoured water dispenser called the Aqua Libra Flavour Tap and chose AWS Partner Green Custard to help develop, test and distribute a viable prototype in just 8 weeks. One fully stocked Flavour Tap eliminates the need for 10,000 single-use containers, reducing waste and emissions. Britvic is now rolling out hundreds of units across the UK in workplaces and commercial installations.
Sustainability and business innovation come together on AWS
Britvic is a UK-based soft drinks company with operations in Brazil, France, and Ireland that distributes its products globally. A desire by consumers for more healthy alternatives and growing concerns about single-use container waste led the company to create a flavoured water dispenser called the Aqua Libra Flavour Tap. The device carries the Aqua Libra name, a popular brand of flavour-infused water and aims to offer thirsty consumers zero-waste access to the beverage of their choice.
According to Britvic, the average UK office generates 23,000 single-use plastic bottles as waste annually, even though most staff have a reusable cup or water bottle. The Flavour Tap gives users the option of chilled still, sparkling, or lightly flavoured water with no sugar or artificial flavourings. “The Aqua Libra Flavour Tap is a response to multiple factors,” says Scott MacKenzie, Director of Beyond the Bottle platforms at Britvic. “There is growing legislation around single-use plastics, and consumers have also committed to reusables.”
Britvic and Green Custard build prototype in 3 months using AWS
“Working with Green Custard and using AWS, we’ve shown that business can drive sustainability,” explained MacKenzie.
Green Custard worked with Britvic to develop the software on AWS to power the device and to give it connectivity using AWS IoT Core, which allows users to easily and securely connect devices to the cloud. It took only eight weeks to finish the prototype when Green Custard came on board.
“We had to hit the ground running,” says Jonathan Custance, Director and Owner of Green Custard. “Britvic had done a good job on devising the hardware and knew what capabilities they wanted in the software.”
Britvic and Green Custard developed the prototype to connect users’ smartphones to the Flavour Tap and securely deliver content with low latency and high transfer speeds. The Flavour Tap captures targeted information, such as the most popular drinks, location data, and other usage data for market analysis, performance monitoring, and restocking purposes. The Flavour Tap can also receive drink recipes from Britvic using remote cloud connectivity powered by AWS IoT. It can also alert the operator when flavour capsules—which can be easily swapped, much like a printer cartridge—need to be changed.
Aqua Libra Flavour Tap now cutting waste in office and commercial settings
The near-real-time information transmitted over the unit’s cellular connectivity helped Britvic understand how users wanted to consume flavoured water. The company expected high usage in the afternoon, with hot beverages like tea and coffee being more popular in the morning. Instead, it found strong all-day demand.
Four years after developing the initial prototype, Britvic is now rolling out hundreds of units across the UK. Most are destined for workplaces, but some are intended for commercial installations, where consumers can refill their containers at stores, cafes, and other outlets. “We’ve learned a lot from the trial,” says Custance. “We’ve been able to use what we’ve learned to iterate, productionise and support the rollout. We helped Britvic expand the capabilities of the Flavour Tap to meet business needs and improve environmental benefits.”
Britvic saw changing market conditions as an opportunity to expand the business and reduce waste and CO₂ emissions simultaneously. “Just one fully-stocked Flavour Tap can eliminate the need for 10,000 bottles,” says MacKenzie. “That saves manufacturing, shipping, and refrigeration emissions and removes those containers from the waste stream. Working with Green Custard and using AWS, we’ve shown that sustainability doesn’t have to hurt business.”
The Aqua Libra Flavour Tap has been shortlisted for the CRN Sustainability in Tech Awards ‘Best Sustainable Customer Project of the Year 2024’.
There’s plenty of other editorial on our sister site, Electronic Specifier! Or you can always join in the conversation by commenting below or visiting our LinkedIn page.