Ex-Yacht captain onboard with plastic-reduction

Ex-Yachting captain, Kim Sheffield, supplier of drinks to the yachting industry, is now offering a fantastic alternative to plastic bottles for use onboard yachts and in businesses in Monaco and the Cote d’Azur. Now, his primary focus is to reduce the number of plastic water bottles sold and used in the Principality of Monaco to as close as possible to zero.

Before English-born Kim Sheffield embarked on his bottled water distributor journey, he spent 15 years as a captain onboard various yachts in the Mediterranean. However, the wind of change was waiting for him to start on his new journey.

“Being a yacht captain is a fantastic job. You get to travel to some of the most beautiful places in the world. However, one of the downsides to the job is the amount of time you have to be away from home and family.”

Eager to see his family more often, Kim wanted to have a land-based job, and still be somehow attached to yachting. With a passion for wines,  he and his wife, Deborah established Corkers Fine Wines, a beverage distribution company based in the South of France. Since then, Kim is no longer working on the yachts but supplying them.

In 2017, they were contacted by Aquapax Spring Water, who supplies water in sustainable, recyclable cardboard cartons. Aquapax chose Corkers Fine Wines to be their official distributors in Monaco and the Cote d’Azur.

“We were very excited about this as a fantastic alternative to using plastic bottles. We instantly approached yachts and companies in Monaco and the surrounding area, as we were sure they would be looking to reduce their use of plastic bottles.  We are delighted to see that so many are starting to recognize this as the way forward.”

Aquapax Spring Water is produced in a dedicated family-run, organic-certified factory which uses 100% green electricity.  The mineral water is sourced using ecological farming methods from a recognised natural spring, located deep in a protected ground in Germany.

The Aquapax cartons themselves are made up of 87.9% plant-based renewable materials. They are wholly recyclable and the wood used to make them is sourced from “FSC” certified sustainable forests. They offer the lowest carbon footprint package option available.

Aquapax uses the latest in aseptic packaging technology, ensuring a hygienic and long wholesome storage life in 100% recyclable cartons.

These are a more sustainable alternative to plastic, glass, or cans. Moreover, they have also recently introduced their innovative eco-friendly sugar cane cap to replace the traditional plastic.

“The fully recyclable cap is plant-based bio-polymer which is made from sustainably grown sugar cane, certified by Bonsucro. Traditional plastic caps are made from fossil fuels which the Aquapax brand is consciously trying to minimise, to be as sustainable as possible,” – explains Kim.

Compared to fossil-fuel-derived plastic caps, plant-based caps lower CO2 emissions by 14-19%. Aquapax is absolutely committed to creating a sustainable product and to investing in innovative packaging.

“We want to reduce the amount of plastic as much as possible. Aquapax cartons are packaged and delivered in cardboard boxes rather than wrapped in plastic.”

Aquapax cartons are delivered through an end-to-end carbon-balanced supply chain, ensuring they give back more to our beautiful blue planet than they borrow. Aquapax is a member of the organization 1% For the Planet, meaning that they contribute 1% of their turnover to reforestation projects around the globe. 

By using innovative and sustainable packaging solutions, we can all be one step closer to eliminating plastic products from the market, and to protecting our Oceans from plastic waste.

“Unfortunately, there is always a  responsibility that falls on the consumer to recycle, which is out of our control. If a consumer decides to leave our carton on the beach or if one falls overboard from a yacht it will end up in the ocean. The good news though is that our cartons are mainly plant-based, so in the worst-case scenario the majority of it will biodegrade within five to ten years, leaving only a very small amount of material in comparison to other containers.”

Despite a heightened awareness of climate change, it is astonishing to note that globally 91% of plastic is still not recycled, according to National Geographic.  Even in these critical times, much of our plastic waste ends up in landfills and in our oceans.

“Remember – the most sustainable thing to do is drink from the tap whenever possible; our job is to give an extremely good solution for when that’s just not possible!”

Monaco-based companies have decided to stand beside Kim, preferring to reduce their plastic waste and to stop being harmful to the environment.

Kim and his team have already supplied the Grimaldi Forum as well as some major events such as the Monte-Carlo Television Festival, the Monaco Yacht Show, the Monaco Run, and businesses such as Stars ‘n’ Bars, amongst others. ALC Monacolimo has even replaced plastic bottles with Aquapax in their limousines!

What is your future goal in Monaco?

“To reduce the number of plastic water bottles sold and used in the Principality to as close as possible to zero,” – concludes Kim.

Such ambitions might start with small steps but bring long-lasting awareness to make our Planet a better place. Hopefully, the vision of Aquapax to use only plant-based cartons and plastic-free solutions will be shared by the people of the Principality of Monaco as well.