Nava: the bottle that filters water
The filter is made of coconut shell and has a container with a capacity of 650 ml
If thirst catches us off guard on the street, we end up giving in to the plastic bottle, usually made with PET. Despite being recyclable, the Brazilian recycling rate for this product is around 50%, which demonstrates a high amount of material that ends up in landfills or dumps (see more here).
But imagine pouring tap water into a container and, seconds later, you're already carefree quenching your thirst? That's the idea of designers Eric Barnes and Paul Shustak, founders of KOR Water, an American company dedicated to creating products that make people aware of the critical problems of water abstraction. They developed Nava, a blend of bottled water filter that they say will revolutionize the way of thinking about bottled water. Nava is named after one of the most important wetlands reserves in the world, Laguna de La Nave de Fuentes, located in Spain.
The product looks like a conventional 650 ml plastic bottle. However, in the mouthpiece itself, a filter is located. It is made from coconut shell (learn more here), the material recognized as one of the most efficient for filtration, in addition to reducing emissions and being renewable, and has a useful life of 151 liters. The container, mouthpiece and other parts of the bottle are made from stronger plastic and silicone and have a longer life - they can be maintained while changing the filter. To fill the bottle, the user simply removes the mouthpiece, introduces the liquid and closes the container again. From there, just drink the water, which will be filtered the moment the liquid passes through the filter.
The design was also a very studied point in the creation of the novelty. The creators wanted to build the "most beautiful bottle in the world" on the outside, being functional on the inside. The bottle cap is connected to the rest of the container to prevent its loss, and a simple click on the side of the mouthpiece is enough to open it, which is very efficient for those who practice physical activities, for example. There is also a kind of straw (which is actually one of the ends of the filter) for the user to drink the water more comfortably and without waste, and the lid prevents the part where the user will put their mouth from becoming contaminated.
In addition to the facility, Nava producers want to convey the important message that it is possible to live without PET bottles. This is proven through numbers. According to the manufacturers, by buying the Nava filter, it is possible to eliminate 300 PET bottles from everyday life and still save around R$ 800 in the budget, assuming the life cycle of a filter. All this without counting the possibility of getting tap water from any establishment without worrying about contamination.
The company also offers certain advantages to users, such as home delivery of the product for those who register on the site and make a virtual purchase. Not to mention that when the Nava wears out, replacement parts will also be delivered to your home.
The product was launched in April 2013 on the Kickstarter website, which provides donors with support for project development, a model commonly called crowdfunding. The product remained available for donations until the beginning of May, with the goal of reaching US$ 50,000 in financing for the project. But as internet users loved the novelty, the value was surpassed and reached US$ 261,000. Thus, the product should soon start to be marketed through the KOR Water website, with an estimated retail price of around R$60.
See below the video (in English) with more information about the product:
Images: Kickstarter
