This website is not available in your standard browser language. Please select your preferred language here.

What is better? Serving spring water or local bottled water?

What is the difference between spring water, tapping water yourself with a water machine or water cooler connected to the pipe, and charity water?
If you can no longer see the water through the drops, here is the overview.

What is more sustainable?

Tapping water yourself has a number of advantages compared to spring water from the factory. First of all, it is more sustainable because it requires much less transport and production. Only the machine and your glassware have to be produced once, but they both last a very long time.

If you want to bottle your own water and choose Made Blue, you will also save significant CO2 in developing countries. It works like this: Made Blue provides 1,000 times the content of clean drinking water in developing countries for every bottle of water served. The people who benefit from this no longer have to boil water before they can drink it.

Which is more convenient?

Many hospitality entrepreneurs have little space behind the bar or in the kitchen. If you opt for spring water, you will always have a number of bottles in the refrigerator and in your storage. In addition, your glass container is full faster or you have to keep space for packaging.

If you go for a water dispenser from which you tap cooled and sparkling water yourself, you only need some space for the water cooler on or under the bar and a few empty bottles.

Catering entrepreneurs also indicate that tapping water yourself requires much fewer actions, up to 60%, and that of course saves time.

Clean water for all

That is our mission and you can contribute to it in many ways:

Donate water to a person or familiy.
Offset your water use.
Tap chilled and sparkling water at work.
Order customizable sustainable water bottles.
Save on water in your hotel.
Serve locally bottled water in your restaurant.

What’s cheaper?

It is sometimes difficult to see how much you, as a hospitality entrepreneur, actually pay for spring water or mineral water, because the price depends on a total contract with a supplier. We know that the price is between 80 cents and 1.20 euros depending on your brand and volume.

If you want to tap water yourself, you need a machine and some glassware. The machine in particular is quite pricey. That is why most parties also offer this with a rental price per week or per month. All in all, however, it is almost always cheaper per bottle, unless you only serve a few bottles per evening.

Spring water or mineral water?

What’s the deal? In short: mineral water always comes from a recognized mineral source. Well water is little more than water from any source and that can be your water pipe too. Did you know that you shower in Utrecht with Bar Le Duc?

Is bottled water inferior to the quality of spring water? Certainly not: with all the options for filtration, cooling, carbonization and mineralization, it is no longer necessary to buy spring water or mineral water from the factory.

It saves me a lot of lugging, refrigerated space and packaging. All in all, I have 60% fewer actions and a better product on the table.

Peter Smits, owner ‘t Zusje

Water for charity

Tap water yourself is therefore more sustainable, easier and cheaper than buying spring water or mineral water. But what if you would like to link it to a good cause?

Most suppliers of water coolers do not have a solution for this. You are then dependent on providers of spring water such as Earthwater and Marie Stella Maris. They donate a small percentage of the profit.

Only Made Blue offers water coolers and glassware at cost price and includes a very transparent donation. Every bottle you place on the table provides 1,000 times its contents of clean drinking water.

Are guests willing to pay?

Do guests want to pay for water that I tap myself? And can I ask for money for tap water?

We did research on this. And it turns out: 92% of the guests want to be able to order tap water. Only 16% are unwilling to pay for it.

If your water is linked to a charity, people are on average willing to pay up to 75% more for it! In addition to a lower purchase price, there is therefore more than enough room for a healthy margin.

The best water for you

At Made Blue we call our water solutions the best water for the world.
They can also be the best water for you and your guests. We always have a suitable solution and the most beautiful glassware! Is that the best water for you?


You might want to read these updates too:

A water cooler reduces your operations with 60%

If you use a water cooler to tap your own water for your restaurant, it will save you a lot of time compared to serving factory bottled water: up to 60% according to our ambassadors.

Read more

How do you put water on the menu?

People are drinking more and more water, also with a flavour. But how do you put it on the menu attractively and with enough margin?

Read more

Why is local bottling of water sustainable?

Tap or bottle your own water using a tap water cooler. That is much more sustainable than serving factory bottled bottled water.

Read more

Made Blue ambassadors win Gaia Green Awards

How proud we can be! No fewer than three hospitality ambassadors of Made Blue were nominated for the Gaia Green Awards this year and two of them went home with a total of three prizes! View the…

Read more