Airedale Springs purpose built factory is probably one of the most environmentally friendly spring plants in the UK. Through continued efforts we have been able to reduce our landfill waste by over 90% since 2009 and we are always interested in ideas that encourage people to reduce waste.

The amount of waste the world accumulates is staggering, and even though recycling has become a significant part of our society, the amount of energy it takes to produce and then break down the amount of rubbish we throw away doesn’t quite balance out. So where can we make a difference?

Undergraduate architecture student Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez has made innovative steps towards a better future for our planet with an item that we use and often throw away everyday: the plastic bottle.

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Gonzalez and a few of his classmates set to brainstorm the problem of plastic bottles by breaking down its structural components and trying to devise how to create a more eco-friendly alternative. However, after coming to no such solution, Gonzalez then joined forces with packaging engineers to produce Ooho, the edible water bottle.

Inspired by nature, the edible water bottle is composed of water and calcium with an algae base and is structured into a gel-like bubble membrane, acting much like an egg yolk, which is filled with consumable water.

The idea is to pierce the double-membrane sphere and suck out the water inside. The materials used are both edible and biodegradable so that the structure can be either eaten or thrown away.

Gonzalez presented his ideas in a Solve for X talk where he also sought help to improve his product. Even though the technology for the edible water bottle is fully developed, he was campaigning to gain acceptance for his invention.

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Apart from public approval, there are a few problems that the edible water bottle faces, one of which is how to ship large quantities of the product for different retailers without damage. Another minor problem is that the Ooho may make a little mess during consumption – but there’s less reason to cry over a little spilt water than the monstrous scale of damage that plastic has on the environment.

Here at Airedale Springs, we revel in the leaps made in engineering to better our world and applaud those young individuals who aspire to change our quality of life for the better. At Airedale Springs we’re always looking for new ways to achieve optimum efficiency with the production of our springs and with our wire forming engineering technology.

If you’re undertaking a project that requires any of our products then feel free to get in touch at 01535 643456 to discuss what we can do for you. Otherwise you can follow our Google+, Facebook and Twitter pages for updates.