Founded in 1989 by Stephen and his late father Howard, Vivreau is the pioneer of the Table Water Bottling System used in many leading global companies, as well as five star hotels and restaurants across the world. The company continues to develop new solutions for the supply of purified water, minimising unnecessary environmental costs associated with pre-bottled mineral waters.
Since its humble beginnings, Vivreau’s product range has expanded to include its award winning Vi tap, which dispenses mains-fed purified chilled still, sparkling and instant boiling hot water from one single tap with a touch sensor control and zero splash.
Vivreau has grown from a small, privately owned UK company, to a serious international player with operations in North America, South Africa, Australasia and several countries across Europe and is now a key part of the BRITA Group.
Sustainable drinking water systems
Facilities managers play a key role in sustainability, deciding on which equipment is used and how it is sourced.
When it comes to water, not only is road transportation creating congestion and pollution, but there is also the issue surrounding glass and plastic packaging waste. Although recycling facilities are available, re-using will always be more efficient than recycling and will provide an immediate and dramatic impact on carbon footprint. On top of that, it is worth noting how much time is wasted processing deliveries and organising waste produced. Therefore, offering reusable glass bottles in meetings instead of disposable glass/plastic bottles is a no-brainer.
Leading the way for environmentally friendly initiatives is San Francisco, having just passed a new law to ban the use of single use plastic bottles in the city. The Canadian city of Montreal isn’t far behind either; the Mayor is also considering a ban on plastic bottles.
This emerging trend could be heading to the UK; there has therefore never been a better time to be proactive and ‘go green’ by introducing a new sustainable hydration solution for the boardroom.
Catering for the boardroom
The modern day facilities manager is busier than ever, but catering for meetings and setting up the boardroom is still part of the daily routine for many, one which could be made vastly more efficient with modern equipment.
Providing refreshing beverages to hydrate staff and guests during meetings can help with concentration and brain activity, resulting in more productive meetings.
Harried facilities managers do not have time to stand around waiting for the kettle to boil, or unpacking crates of plastic bottles, and that is where Vivreau comes in. Vivreau has been changing the way drinking water is sourced for over 25 years, paving the way for sustainable drinking water, with efficiency in mind every step of the way.
One particularly time saving and efficient solution is the Vi tap, which dispenses mains-fed filtered chilled still, sparkling and instant boiling hot water from one single tap with a touch sensor control and zero splash. This time saving piece of equipment can produce large quantities of instant boiling hot water so facilities managers can spend less time hovering over the kettle and more time on important tasks. There is even an intelligent safety feature on the Vi tap which prevents boiling water from being dispensed by accident.
Stephen Charles, Managing Director of Vivreau is extremely proud of the award winning Vi tap: “The Vi tap has been specifically designed to improve efficiency and sustainability in busy offices. The Vi tap is capable of delivering high volumes of drinking water, perfect for big meetings with lots of thirsty delegates. The Vi tap also has a built-in ice bank which keeps water chilled below four degrees, saving time as it is instantly ready for use. As the Vi tap filters at source, it reduces a company’s carbon footprint significantly, in comparison to buying in pre-bottled water.”
John Haskell, Contracts Manager at Springer Nature commented: “I would say that the Vi tap system is one of the most used items of equipment that we have on the premises. With the proximity of the Vi tap, staff are constantly topping up their bottles and taking them back to their desks, so they rehydrate on a regular basis.”
Vivreau’s reusable Designer glass bottles are a brilliant way to strengthen a brand where it matters most – in the boardroom, by displaying a logo and carbon footprint message on the bottle. Designer glass bottles are conveniently available in two sizes and the 750ml bottles are perfectly suited to any boardroom set up. For a more personal touch, Vivreau also offers 425ml bottles which can be offered to each attendee.
Keeping hydrated this summer
Hydration is an important workplace issue which becomes all the more vital in the summer months as temperatures rise. Research has shown that a lack of concentration in the summer could be down to dehydration.
Not only is it a legal requirement for employers to provide access to drinking water for their staff, but research shows that being hydrated results in improved mental performance as well as combating tiredness and fatigue which will all help boost productivity for the business. Therefore, FMs should consider not only providing access to drinking water, but actively encouraging staff to keep hydrated.
Stephen comments: “we recommend providing chilled sparkling water as well as still, and offering fruit infusions. Fruit infusions is a new trend which is becoming increasingly popular with the health conscious – offering staff refreshing still or sparkling water with fruit will encourage them to drink more. Fruit infusions in Vivreau’s reusable Designer Twist bottle will also look fantastic on a boardroom table for summer meetings, branded with the company logo.”
Case study: University of Sheffield
The Department of Accommodation and Commercial Services (ACS) at the University of Sheffield had been providing bottled water for its guests attending conferences, meetings and events in their conferencewithUS venues, but was seeking a green alternative to help minimise its impact on the environment and reduce waste.
ACS teamed up with Vivreau having discovered the sustainable benefits of the Table Water Bottling System. A mains-fed drinking water system dispensing unlimited quantities of filtered chilled still and sparkling water at the point of source and can be served in reusable Designer glass bottles.
Jacqui Cameron, Head of Marketing at ACS explains: “As part of our brand values, we’re committed to using local, ethically sourced and environmentally friendly products wherever possible. Using the Vivreau system meant that we didn’t have to transport pre-bottled mineral water which has helped us reduce our carbon footprint.”
“The water is purified on site, so we’ve not compromised on quality and, because the bottles are reusable, there’s no waste and no need to recycle.”
When ACS began looking at different options for supplying water to its conference delegates, they contacted Vivreau’s sales team who provided a comprehensive demonstration of their in-house water bottling system and carried out a survey to ensure that the system was suitable. ACS has a diverse portfolio of venues and the water system needed to be able to fill a large number of bottles in a short space of time. Vivreau’s V3-101 provided the ideal solution as it can filter 108 750ml bottles of water in just 30 minutes.
Vivreau’s Designer glass bottles, also manufactured in the UK, are fully reusable and entirely dishwasher safe. These sleek and stylish bottles can be branded and different bottle designs can be chosen to suit a particular décor scheme. Available in 750ml and 425ml sizes, the latter is favoured for optimum eco-friendliness where water wastage can also be reduced.
Vivreau and ACS worked together to develop a bespoke bottle design which incorporated the University’s crest and the logo of conferencewithUS’s parent brand ‘withUS’. The distinct bottles emphasise the University’s commitment to providing environmentally friendly options to its customers and help reinforce the withUS brand identity.
Debbie Tilbrook, Events Operations Manager for ACS stated: “I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Vivreau to others; it has a positive impact for us, our customers and the environment.”
