The Hidden Costs of Bottled Water Delivery Services for Businesses

When everything is factored in, the true cost of bottled water for your business stretches far beyond the price per bottle. Additional fees may include:

• Delivery costs: While you might budget for the price of each bottle, delivery charges can push the total much higher, especially if you’re supplying water to multiple locations for your business and employees. It’s worth exploring alternatives that offer hydration without the extra expense.
• Storage space: Whether you've chosen bottled water or larger bottled water coolers, both options can take up a lot of space. This valuable office or warehouse space could be used for more productive business operations.
• Extra labour: You need to appoint someone to manage the orders, receive deliveries, and ensure that supply meets demand. This time and effort translates directly to labour costs, which may be better spent in your business.
• Environmental impact: Plastic bottles have a substantial environmental footprint, from the energy used in manufacturing them to their transportation and eventual disposal. This may not affect your monthly invoice, but it can significantly increase your business’s carbon footprint. 
• Waste management: Disposing of empty plastic bottles or large water cooler jugs takes time and money, whether you use dedicated recycling services or general waste bins.

Due to its weight, transporting water is often expensive. The specific cost of a water delivery service to the UK can fluctuate based on volume, distance, and fuel prices. Looking at broader shipping costs can help you understand the scale of the potential costs.

The global shipping industry is a major consumer of fuel. Transporting goods by road, rail, and sea contributes significantly to logistics costs. In the UK, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported that in 2021, domestic transport accounted for 27% of total UK greenhouse gas emissions, with road transport being the largest contributor within that sector. A 2011 U.S. study also highlights bottled water's environmental impact. The study found that the total energy cost was "between 1,100 and 2,000 times the energy cost of tap water."

Ultimately, your business needs to consider not just the financial cost but also the carbon footprint of bottled water, which is heavily influenced by transportation. It may be worth considering alternative drinking water sources with less environmental impact.

The margins may surprise you when reviewing the cost of producing bottled water against its selling price. The raw material, the water itself, is incredibly cheap, particularly for companies with access to natural springs or municipal supplies. However, the cost is driven up by the processing, bottling, marketing, and distribution. As a result, bottled water can easily range from 50p to over a pound per litre when sold to businesses.

Alternatively, research by Discover Water found that 2 litres of tap water in the UK costs less than a third of a penny, significantly less than the price for the same amount of bottled water. This equates to approximately 850 litres of tap water for the price of a typical 2-litre premium branded bottle of water valued at £1.45 on average.

Beyond the financial implications of bottled water, you also need to consider the operational drawbacks of relying on bottled water for your business. These include:

• Storage demands: 19-litre bottles and a large pack of 500ml bottles take up floor space, which can be an issue in smaller offices or those with limited storage.
• Manual handling risks: Lifting bottled water can pose health and safety risks that can lead to muscle injuries or back strains.
• Hygiene concerns: While it may appear clean, studies show bottled water contains hidden plastic particles, which can cause health issues.
• Productivity issues: When a bottled water cooler runs out, staff are left without water until it's replaced. This interruption can negatively impact productivity.

The hidden costs of bottled water extend to sustainability issues - a concern for all businesses in the current climate. The environmental downsides include:

• Plastic waste: While some plastic bottles are recyclable, many still end up in landfills or pollute our oceans and natural environments. The production of virgin plastic also requires significant fossil fuel resources.
• Carbon footprint: Manufacturing plastic bottles takes a considerable amount of energy, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions.
• Transportation emissions: Water bottles move hundreds of miles from bottling plants to distribution centres and then to your workplace, generating considerable carbon emissions from fuel consumption by the vehicles involved.
• Water sourcing impact: Large-scale extraction can strain local water resources, particularly in areas prone to droughts.
• Microplastics: Over time, plastic bottles can degrade, releasing microplastics into the environment and into the water itself, which is a growing concern for the environment and human health.

Learn more about sustainability at BRITA and how we can help your business meet its goals.

BRITA water dispensers offer a simple, cost-effective way to provide clean, great-tasting water to your workplace. Mains-fed and easy to use, they connect directly to your building’s water supply, giving your employees a continuous, unlimited flow of filtered water. Advanced filtration technology ensures the water is 99% bacteria-free, hygienic, and tastes consistently fresh - a healthier and more reliable option than unfiltered or bottled water.

With no heavy bottles to lift, store, or manage, water dispensers reduce operational hassle and improve safety. They’re also an environmentally friendly choice, reducing plastic waste and supporting your business’s sustainability goals. 

Additionally, BRITA water dispensers are a cost-effective hydration solution. With a mains-fed system, you pay for the water you use, with no hidden delivery or bottle costs. This makes it easy to manage expenses while keeping your team refreshed. Our water dispenser quotes are transparent, with no hidden fees, allowing your business to budget effectively.

Contact our team today to discuss how a BRITA water dispenser can help reduce your costs, and read our guide to learn more about the benefits of our water dispensers.