About two decades ago, bottled water became ubiquitous in America and led to a 50-60% decrease in soda consumption from 2005-2020, according to research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Today, the CDC says, water accounts for more than half of all beverages consumed by teens and adults.
And while the shift from sugary sodas to water is considered a huge positive from an American health perspective, the devastating environmental impact of plastic water bottles has been widely documented. So, following on its corporate vision to help create products that build a better world, Neenah-based Plexus Corporation seized the opportunity to manufacture a solution that both improves health and reduces waste.
The Bevi Bottleless Water Dispenser, which has been manufactured by Plexus in Appleton for about two years, was crowned champion of Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce’s 2023 “Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin” contest. Kristine Groholski, Plexus’ senior director of brand experience, says Plexus works with customers on various stages of the product lifecycle, but the end-to-end service it provides Bevi is not uncommon. Helping the community understand the diverse innovations happening at Plexus was part of the company’s motivation for entering the “Coolest Thing” competition, Groholski says.
“It was the perfect opportunity to bring forward a full-scale production and manufactured product right here in Northeast Wisconsin,” she says.
The machine puts 40,000 beverage options at a user’s fingertips, dispensing still or sparkling water; flavored water; water enhanced with caffeine, immunity support or electrolytes; and even beverages at different temperatures. One Bevi machine is estimated to divert about 50,000 bottles and cans from the waste stream per year.
While uses for the product are seemingly endless, it has found particular popularity in the office environment; 25% of Fortune 500 companies currently have at least one Bevi in operation at their facilities.
“We have some pretty astounding stats, even just within our Plexus facilities, where we have saved 278,000 bottles,” Groholski says. “It makes sense for an office environment, because not only do you have employee excitement around [the beverage] options, but the actual savings back to the business when you can remove things like bottled water is quite significant.”
