How 6 Friends Are Making Bottled Mineral Water Free And More Accessible In Malaysia
No more purchasing bottled drinking water, thanks to #FreeForAll.
By Sadho Ram — 16 Jul 2015, 07:41 PM
While water is a fundamental human need, 1.8 billion people the world over still use an unsafe drinking water source which may be contaminated by feces; and contaminated water is estimated to result in more than half a million deaths per year around the world.
A file photo of an Indian girl waiting for a bucket to fill with water dripping from a pipe connected to a stream.
Image via WSJUnlike those living in countries where clean water is a simple flick of the tap away, for people in Malaysia tap water is not considered a safe source of clean drinking water. Therefore, purchasing bottled water is one of the few sources of clean water for most Malaysians.
However, bottled water doesn't come free! Ranging anything from RM3 to RM25, they can at times cost more than your breakfast. Or less, depending on where you eat!
An initiative by 6 people from different and diverse backgrounds, the 'Free For All' movement uses advertisements in order to make bottled drinking water free. You don't have to pay anything for it.
How so?
Free For All bottles has exclusive promotional messages provided by their sponsors. Advertisements on the label ensure that the bottles are free.
Their movement begins across Klang Valley, where they distribute tens of thousands of bottles to consumers who can grab it for free
Free For All distributes tens of thousands of bottles to consumers who can pick it up whenever without being charged a single Ringgit. They carefully select all their distribution partners based on the locations where the youth frequently hangout.
Places such as cafes, boutiques, universities as well as events and music festivals. While they are currently focusing on places frequented by the youth, they are also busy planning to distribute the bottles throughout Malaysia.
As they mention in their website, "Slowly but surely!"
And what's their source of water?
The Free For All mineral water is bottled straight from one of the most pristine natural sources in Malaysia, located within the tropical rainforest of Gunung Datok, Rembau.
The mineral water seeps through various layers of fractured crystalline rocks before setting in the aquifer. It is extracted 40 to 85 metres from the surface.
This enhances the mineral essences of our water and providing it with a very unique taste. The mineral water is freshly bottled from its source, straight to the hands of the people.
For more information, you can visit their website or Facebook page. They're also on Instagram.