A Million Plastic Bottles Saved: O’land Stations’ Impactful Journey

People produce about 400 million tonnes of plastic waste every year. It is estimated that 75 to 199 million tonnes of plastic is currently found in our oceans. 

O'land Stations is dedicated to creating a world without single-use plastic waste. They provide water refilling stations for large venues and events, reducing plastic waste at the source. Their unique design promotes refill and reuse, with stations currently operating in Quebec, Prince Edward Island, Ontario, and British Columbia.  

Through a partnership with evenko , O’land has made a significant impact by refilling almost half a million bottles of water. As of July 2023, they have reached a major milestone: refilling one million bottles, thereby preventing considerable waste from entering our waterways and waste stream.  

O’land is committed to participating in a regenerative economy, with sustainability and ecology at the core of their values. Keeping manufacturing and supply chain local is important to uphold these values. They demonstrate their dedication to the environment not only through refill and reuse solutions but also through operational and process-level commitments. 

Rachel Labbe-Bellas , an academic, non-profit activist and the founder of O’land Stations, also emphasized that “there is real value in understanding the problem before working on a solution, which is why [she] [keeps] working on the side with the oldest plastic pollution non-profit: The 5 Gyres Institute ”. Proper messaging and storytelling about this massive environmental crisis are just as important as building a solution for it. Building strong partnerships is key to verbalizing these issues and solutions effectively. 

O’land’s journey with AquaAction began when they participated and secured first place in the AquaHacking 2019 Great Lakes Challenge. This victory allowed them to invest their prize money into catalyzing operations, redesigning their website, further developing their marketing strategy and onboarding more customers.  

Recently, O’land has joined the AquaEntrepreneur program, opening the door to the municipal market. This program provided valuable mentorship, a continuum of support and an opportunity to test their solution with a municipal client in Quebec. 

Rachel stated, “The team at AquaAction has been so supportive of O’land and early-stage water tech companies. They continue to open doors for us – thanks to them, this year we participated in an industry conference, took part in virtual sessions, received media opportunities, and more”. 

O’land has successfully piloted its solution in the United States with one of the largest event organizers. They also expanded their team to support operations and marketing. On the product manufacturing side, they transitioned from making prototypes to building and selling stations. They even tested an add-on offering of a digital marketing screen integration on our units. 

Looking ahead, O’land plans to build more stations on a larger scale. They aim to integrate storytelling and highlight their impact directly on their product as public awareness and education are crucial to their mission. Furthermore, they are exploring ways to collect data from refill stations to generate reports on ESG goals and emission reduction targets. 

O’land Stations is revolutionizing the fight against plastic waste by providing innovative water-refilling solutions and fostering impactful partnerships. Their journey from AquaHacking Challenge winners to industry pioneers showcases their commitment to sustainability and education, paving the way for a greener future. 

This success story is proof that innovative solutions can make a lasting impact on protecting our freshwater. However, without the right programs to support visionaries actively working to secure a better future, many of these solutions might never reach their full potential. 

Programs like AquaEntrepreneur and AquaHacking played a crucial role in Rachel’s journey, as well as many other entrepreneurs, helping them transform an idea into a game-changing initiative. 

YOU too can be part of the change. By supporting AquaAction, you empower other innovators and entrepreneurs like Rachel to develop and implement solutions that safeguard our lakes and rivers, ensuring a healthier future for generations to come. 

Here’s how you can help protect our freshwater: 

Donate – Every contribution, large or small, helps us get closer to our $10,000 Giving Campaign goal. Remember, every drop counts! A donation of just twenty dollars can significantly impact the health of our lakes and rivers.

Amplify – Send this blog to your friends, colleagues, and family, or share our campaign on social media. Together, we can inspire and empower your network to take action for water.  

Sign Up – Stay connected with AquaAction! Sign up to our newsletter to receive exclusive updates and success stories throughout the campaign.

Your actions today can shape a cleaner, healthier future for generations to come. Let’s make waves together! 🌊