Britvic : Aqua Libra Co thinks Beyond the Bottle with Amazon Web Services tech enabled flavour taps

Smart touch taps company Aqua Libra Co is aiming to bring the future of hydration to workers, shoppers and consumers everywhere - allowing customers to dial up fruit flavours with the touch of a button, while at the same time cut back on calories and single use packaging.

Working with Amazon Web Services, the Britvic-owned business has pioneered the Aqua Libra Co Flavour Tap - using state of the art technology to dispense still, sparkling and flavoured water. Ideal for workplaces, hospitality and retail, each tap comes with all the technology needed to learn from drinkers in real time and adjust the flavours offered to meet their palate.

Launching with four refreshing fruit flavours - Blackcurrant; Orange & Yuzu; Cucumber, Mint & Lime; and Raspberry & Peach - each serve contains zero calories and every tap reduces packaging waste by 99% when compared with traditionally packaged soft drinks.

Utilising Britvic's expertise in flavour and dispense equipment, Aqua Libra Co is developing owned technology and enabling consumers to lead healthier, more sustainable lives. It is the latest invention from the innovators behind Britvic's Beyond the Bottle strategy - a long-term exploration of what is next for soft drinks as consumers seek more sustainable choices.

Noel Dickson, product director for Beyond the Bottle at Britvic, said: "Our customers are more aware than ever of consumer expectations for tasty, healthy, and sustainable options"

"Our decades of experience with liquids and equipment combined with a priority to develop industry-leading experiences has led to the creation of the Aqua Libra Co Flavour Tap. While developing the ground-breaking product, Amazon Web Services has supported our ability to innovate in-house."

"The Aqua Libra Co Flavour Tap truly defines the term healthy hydration, with quality and sustainability credentials at its heart, and has the opportunity to revolutionise the market. One flavour cartridge change takes only 30 seconds, and effectively replaces 1,000 plastic bottles.

"The solution is reducing road miles and packaging, ensuring a low carbon footprint per serve and meeting customer and consumer demand."

Britvic's Aqua Libra Co Flavour Tap sits on a cabinet-sized unit in office kitchens and retail shops. The distinctive, streamlined design includes a simple touchscreen interface that provides users with a selection of products and dispenses a finished drink in seconds.

Under the countertop, a high-tech cartridge powered by Internet of Things technology releases micro-doses of sugar-free flavouring into the water. The digital interface, data analytics on flavour tap usage, and Internet of Things capabilities all use Amazon Web Services.

A few years ago, this digital flavour tap was just an idea, but, thanks to collaboration with Amazon Web Services, Britvic was able to create a feature-rich prototype within four weeks, winning support for the project across the business and approval to create a production-scale product.

Throughout the development process, the ability to use Amazon Web Services to analyse real-time data on the tap's usage has helped Britvic generate insights that improve the product.

By studying usage, Britvic realised the amount of flavour added to the water varies by location, so it can tailor the flavour cartridges based on whether the flavour tap is in a workplace or a retail outlet.

Tracking customer behaviour led Britvic to provide recyclable cups alongside the flavour tap, as not all consumers carry refillable bottles, and to adjust the tap's minimum container weight so a wide range of cups can be detected.

Collecting data on flavour tap usage has also helped Britvic customers to understand the needs of their employees and shoppers, and to gain insights that help them to work towards corporate sustainability and wellness goals.

Across its brands, Britvic has a long-term commitment to sustainability and innovation.

Since 2017, Britvic has reduced the amount of virgin plastic it uses by more than 3,000 tonnes through packaging redesign, and it continues to increase the amount of recycled packaging materials it uses across its portfolio.

In 2019 it introduced the world's first Premium Tonic on Tap - five flavours of London Essence Company Tonic, freshly infused with distilled botanicals, available on dispense and cutting packaging by 96% when compared with traditionally packaged tonic water.

For further information please contact:

Jon Harrington

Corporate Communications Manager
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