Air Up is relocating the new production of its Tritan bottles to Austria. This move continues the Munich-based company's nearshoring process, which has repeatedly faced criticism for the lack of sustainability surrounding its pods and bottles in the past. The Air Up website states:
"We originally started with production in China because, as a startup, we had few contacts and a production volume that was too small for European partners. From the very beginning, however, two things were very important to us: bringing our products closer to customers as quickly as possible and reducing our footprint accordingly."
The opening of a Tritan bottle production facility in Kremsmünster, Austria, together with Greiner Packaging is one step toward this goal. According to the company, Greiner uses 100 percent renewable energy for this in Kremsmünster. Air Up continues to source Tritan, a type of plastic, from the USA.
Air Up: Further steps in planning
As a further step in the Munich-based company's sustainability agenda, the opening of a steel bottle production facility in Germany is planned for next year. By the end of 2023, 90 percent of the pods and a large portion of the bottles are to be produced in Europe.
The company, founded in 2018, has developed a drinking system that gives water a specific taste through scent alone. The Air-Up bottles utilize a trick: retronasal smelling through the mouth. An idea that Pepsi, the Hollywood actors Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis and the TV investors Frank Thelen and Ralf Dümmel have already invested.
