Keringet invests in eco-friendly packaging

By Matilda Nzioki

Crown Beverages Limited has re-launched its water-bottled brand Keringet with an eco-friendly packaging.

"The new Keringet recyclable bottle is 20 per cent lighter and the design lines offer better grip," said Keringet MD, Jason Schmidt while unveiling the new look bottle at the monthly entertainment event, Blankets and Wine sponsored by Crown Beverages. Keringet brand manager Charles Gitau, said the light weighted bottle is less harmful to the environment and easily recyclable. The weight, he reckons, is accepted and widely used globally.

"It has taken us about one year, working on this development, doing our research and preparing for this launch," explained Gitau. Bottled water is now a mainstream consumable within all middle and upper-income households, representing a market worth billions of shillings. But the market penetration remains low compared with global consumption of more than seven gallons per person per year with market value of $75 billion (Sh6.2 trillion).

He, however, noted that the product remains the same that is natural filtration of mineral water rather than purifying. "What has changed is the bottle."

Gitau explains that Keringet, which has been in the market for 20 years, is naturally sourced and filtered before going through state-of-the-art facility at its Molo plant. Crown Beverages is now the title sponsor of the popular event – Blankets and Wine, previously sponsored by the Kenya Commercial Bank.