Founder Feature: Robert Koenen, CRO of Boxed Water™

As part of our ongoing Founder Feature series, we sit down with leaders of organizations we believe in to learn more about their role in the company, what inspires them and more. Read below for our conversation with Boxed Water™ CRO, Robert Koenen.

He filled us in on some misconceptions about recycling and how far we all have to go to reduce the use of plastic waste. 

How did Boxed Water™ come to life? What problem were you looking to solve?

According to research by Science Advances, Americans' per capita consumption of plastic is the highest in the world. On average, we are generating nearly 290 pounds of plastic waste per person per year (equivalent to a gorilla’s weight in plastic waste). Speaking of 290-lb gorillas, the big one in the room is the fact that 95% of plastic made in the U.S. is NOT getting recycled – and plastic recycling rates are declining because countries, like China and Turkey, have stopped taking our waste exports.

A big chunk of that plastic waste comes in the form of single use plastic water bottles – to the tune of 50 billion per year in the U.S. alone. These bottles get used for about an hour and then we’re stuck with them for 700 years.

 So, in 2009, Boxed Water Is Better® was created to provide an alternative to single-use plastic bottles.

Today, the brand continues to lead the water category with the most renewable packaging compared to plastic and aluminum water brands -  as verified by an ISO certified Life Cycle Analysis. Boxed Water™ cartons are 92% plant based - all sourced from sustainably harvested trees. A carton is mostly made from paper –a renewable resource when compared to plastic or aluminum. Cartons are filled with (8-step) purified water close to the source; out of two purification centers near Grand Rapids, Michigan and Salt Lake City, Utah to reduce transportation impacts.

 Though Boxed Water™  is 100% recyclable, our society’s focus needs to expand beyond "recyclable" to include “sustainable or renewable” materials. Recycling is not enough – due to those poor recycling rates. While refillable is still the best option- we should reach for products made from renewable materials when looking at single use—forks, straws and of course single-use water bottles. The math is simple: the less plastic and aluminum the better.

What is one important lesson you’ve learned throughout your journey in building Boxed Water?

We have learned that our commitment to the planet needs to be constant and we need to be authentic in our efforts. To come to market with a sustainable brand, we must hold ourselves to the highest standard. “Better” is in our name – and we are always working to be better and achieve a higher renewable ratio with our packaging and always giving back to the community.

We invest in independent studies and life cycle analyses, not just to show proof of concept, but to understand and reveal areas where we can improve. For example, in 2020 we introduced a plant-based cap, made from tree pulp waste. We are also working with the Carton Council and various municipalities to increase carton recycling rates. 

Beyond our products, we learned how we can support a better planet with our corporate responsibility initiatives and non-profit partnerships. As part, we have planted 1.3 million trees with the National Forest Foundation and work to clean 3,000 miles of our coastlines with the Ocean Blue Project. 

What is one misconception about recycling or sustainability you’d like to clear up?

To us right now, the abysmal plastic recycling rates are the most alarming – and we are doing our best to shed light on that data. But aluminum is not a better alternative. We’re finding that a lot of big companies are touting aluminum as an eco-friendly alternative, but the reality is that it’s also made from a limited resource (bauxite) and the majority of cans are made with virgin aluminum - so still robbing from the earth.

 The other surprising misconception is related to the polar ends of the eco activation spectrum. On one end, we have this level of inactivity which we knew we needed to address. However, on the other end we sometimes encounter this perception that if an eco solution is not perfect, it’s not worth it.

 We have a big ship to right when it comes to the consumption of 50 billion single use plastic water bottles per year. Like CorePower Yoga, we endorse refill as the best waste-free water option. Our focus is working with industries, like airline, hospitality, fitness, entertainment, restaurant – where packaged water continues to be in high demand. 

 To me, effective environmental activation means moving the needle in the right direction – and constantly moving that needle with new technology, new infrastructure, more awareness/education and increased consumer adoption.

 In a time where climate news is mostly bad, we also need to celebrate our wins. CorePower’s move away from single-use plastic bottles removes two tons of plastic from landfills a year! That’s 320 gorillas worth of plastic -- and that’s huge!

What’s your hope for Boxed water in 5 years? 10 years?

Waking off my answer to the previous question, I’ve always said that my biggest hope for Boxed Water is for us to go out of business –I know; it’s a crazy statement.  But we’d like to get to a point where everyone is using refillables (by the way, our cartons are refillable and recyclable).  In the meantime, we will keep pushing to be at the helm of renewable packaging and doing our part to give back to our environmental partners; replenishing our forests and cleaning our waterways and beaches. 

As the Chief Revenue Officer, what does your typical day look like? 

It’s never the same….and it’s wonderful.  Water is everywhere, and I get to work with a variety of companies across many different industries who care about the planet–like Core Power Yoga, Alaska Airlines, Grand Beach Hotel or Frame Denim. Companies who are taking the time to remove plastic from the environment. I also have a great team who is constantly creating new approaches to inform and excite consumers about our brand. Finally, we work with some super-intelligent environmental experts who help us find ways to reduce our carbon footprint.

What inspires you? 

All around the world there are so many people who are innovating and working overtime to try and protect our environment and all the creatures in it. All of their stories inspire me and they help remind me why we are doing this - for the planet.  I’m also inspired by the younger generation- their passion and engagement in building a better planet for generations to come is incredible. We were never that thoughtful in our youth, and it gives me hope that we will turn this boat in the right direction.

Is there anything else you’d like us to know?

I’d just like to remind you the next time you have a Boxed Water to post a picture and tag us with #BetterPlanet so that we can plant two more trees! Totally for free…the easiest way to plant a tree you’ll ever do.