Not 'Just’ Water
The Origin Story of Sustainable Water Startup Just Water
Last Updated: By TRUiC Team
At ten years old, Just Water founder Jaden Smith was learning to surf when a plastic water bottle floated by the young ocean-lover. The image of the Pacific Ocean overrun with plastic waste, affirmed by learning about islands of plastic waste floating throughout the sea, propelled Smith into launching the wildly successful, eco-friendly water startup, Just Water.
Fighting Climate Change: One Bottle at a Time
The startup isn’t Just about cutting back on plastic use; however, Just Water also works to combat carbon dioxide emissions and fight climate change — this is the story of how Smith made that goal a reality through entrepreneurship.
With the help of his father, actor Will Smith, Just Water was able to launch in 2015 to combat the growing issue of plastic pollution caused by water bottles. However, despite having the opportunity to promote the company using their celebrity name and image, the Smiths opted to build a brand that generated success based on the product’s merit before revealing the name behind the brand. Focusing instead on the production of not only the product’s innovative packaging but its artisanal water as well, the Just Water set up shop in Glens Falls, New York, where the water is sourced and packaged before heading out to major retailers such as Whole Foods. Today, the company responsibly sources and packages water in Australia, the UK, and the US.
However, the road to developing a sustainable water company required more than simply having good intentions, idyllic scenery, and an idea to match. Creating water bottles that weren’t plastic or simply recyclable would require creativity and additional costs. The result is Just Water’s almost entirely renewable packaging with the only “plastic” used derived from sugarcane. Additionally, in order to increase the accessibility of sustainable water bottle alternatives, the Just Water line is offered at affordable prices.
The company’s expansion into flavored water would allow the brand to extend beyond simply being a better packaging option for water consumption and, instead, into a product line with unique, creative offerings. Thus, allowing the entrepreneur and brand to expand into more social endeavors to leave an even greater impact.
A Young Entrepreneur’s Mission
Leveraging the success of the Just Water brand as well as the passion for a future that is friendlier to the earth, Smith is spreading the mission behind the brand by visiting schools to talk about the importance of understanding and working towards a more sustainable future in order to fight climate change. What’s more, partnered with sustainable sneaker brand AllBirds, Smith is working to create a fully recycled sneaker of which 100% of profits are donated to Leonardo Dicaprio’s Amazon Forest Fund.
Looking toward the future, Smith’s ambitions extend far beyond water bottles and sneakers. The young entrepreneur plans to extend the Just Water brand to do even more to combat climate change, such as repurposing used plastic bottles in order to create longer-lasting products such as desks and furniture for schools. By repurposing plastic, waste is diverted from landfills, meaning less waste in our oceans.
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