Who is RAIN Water Company?
Founded as a passion project, RAIN has grown to one of the largest and most successful plastic-free aluminum bottled water companies in the world. Botting only single-sourced Georgia Spring water at their facility deep in the Appalachian Mountains, they are solving the plastic problem one 16oz bottle at a time.
RAIN Water Company’s founder Mark Majkrzak worked as an Automation Engineering Consultant for large commercial bottlers like Coke and Pepsi prior to starting RAIN. He noted, within these large facilities across the United States and Canada plastic use and consumption is so great it can be difficult to comprehend. Many of these facilities bottle north of 1,500 bottles per minute, twenty four hours a day and 365 days a year. This is millions of pounds of single use plastics produced at each facility annually. Ultimately this beverage production and the production of other plastic packed consumer products mean that we use over 1,000,000 plastic bottles every minute, of every day worldwide. The time spent in these plants set the foundation for RAIN Water Company, a true plastic-free bottled water brand.
When Mark began the project, he set out first to find a suitable bottling facility. For RAIN, this meant not only a great tasting spring water but truly sustainable spring water. Spring sources are unique, much like a fingerprint. This is so true, that geologists and hydrologists often refer to the “chemical fingerprint” of the spring water as its identifying characteristics. These changes in chemistry give the water its unique taste, mouth feel, pH and mineral content. RAIN worked diligently to identify a spring with the perfect combination of each of these; it would be loved by even the most discerning water drinker. Finding this combination of taste and sustainability lead RAIN Water Company to Northeast Georgia where the Applachains cluster into a lower valley, in a true North American Rainforest. With annual rainfall above 70” the springs remain abundant.
That rain, is very pure- without mineral content or containanation, is not yet spring water. After the rain falls on the mountains, it flows as a watershed before filtering underground. Once underground, ancient rock formations filter the rainwater and deposit their own minerals and electrolytes into the water. Tremendous underground pressures and small cracks in the rock continue to filter the water further, before it surfaces naturally as clean, sustainable spring water. Now mineral rich, great tasting spring water, RAIN bottles it at the source in only 100% Recycled and recyclable aluminum bottles.
Once collected and bottled RAIN continues on its mission of sustainability. The company packages the aluminum bottles in 6-sided corrugated cardboard boxes made from Forest Stewardship Council certified corrugated. These boxes are far more recyclable and even compostable when compared to traditional plastic overwrap and stretch wrap packaging used by other companies. Once boxed the water is palletized and shipped with the lowest carbon producing methods available. These include rain, full truckload and carbon offsets purchased. RAIN has been a calculated effort to mitigate, eliminate or reduce the carbon of any one bottle of RAIN you drink. Once at the consumer level the bottles will either be consumed and recycled or refilled. Since aluminum remains in high demand, the bottles will be recycled efficiently and quickly. Most often back on the shelf as another beverage in under 60 days. This creates a truly circular economy where the aluminum will be in use for hundreds of years, not losing any of its quality each time it is recycled.
RAIN now sells its canned spring water in over 40 states across the US. Consumers are able to buy RAIN water at many popular retailers including Schnucks, 7-11, Circle K, Ingles, Kroger, Whole Foods, HyVee, Cost Plus World Market, Stop n Shop and others. For those interested you can find a retail location to buy RAIN near you at https://responsiblyrain.com/pages/find. Enter your zip code and see retailers and other locations to buy RAIN.
In addition to traditional retail, RAIN has established countless partnerships with hotels, botanical gardens, zoos, museums and aquariums. These locations are keen on offering their guests and customers sustainable alternatives to plastic bottled water. Many of these locations have a vested interest in the protection of the planet and environment, for example, aquariums are one of the largest supporters and advocates of ocean preservation. Botanical Gardens often fund, support and maintain conservation projects for rare and endangered species of plants. Feedback from customers to these locations who buy RAIN water is overwhelmingly positive. This feedback has led to continued growth within similar markets for RAIN. The company notes that they sell to over 250 like minded ‘experiential retail’ locations across the United States.
In addition to their preservation work through aluminum bottled water, RAIN also works closely with its community. The company hosts outdoor cleanup projects, sponsors environmental groups and donates water to other philanthropic organizations. Recently RAIN water company funded and led and Rabun County trash cleanup weekend. Over 100 volunteers were organized to collect trash from roadsides, hiking trails, campgrounds, creeks, lakes and streams surrounding the area. RAIN mentions they plan to expand these efforts working closely with local groups in new markets to fund and support similar projects. The company hopes to collect 20,000 lbs of plastic waste and other trash in 2022.
RAIN hopes that even more consumers will continue to vote for sustainability with their wallets. This means choosing sustainably packaged products like RAIN over those packaged in plastics. Often these products are priced similarly, are fresher and have a philanthropic effort. The company mentions buying locally, bulk packaged and small company produced goods will continue to support sustainability missions like theirs and that of other like-minded manufacturers. Rather than trying to be perfect with your shopping, start slow. Choose a few products you use, research alternatives and incorporate them into your daily routine. If you have any questions on RAIN, their mission or aluminum canned water, head to the RAIN Water Company website and blog at https://responsiblyrain.com/blogs/rain-water to learn more.
