Thinking Outside the Bottle

Milk comes in a carton; so does juice. We’ve seen coffee packaged as a “box of joe” and – though it’s hardly a sommelier’s choice –some wines are even sold by the carton.

What’s the one obvious beverage you never see in a carton? Water. Well, until now. A company called Boxed Water is Better is challenging a long-standing status quo and betting that hipster environmentalists will buy in and drink up.

Boxed Water is Better describes itself as “part sustainable water company, part art project, part philanthropic project and completely curious.” The water cartons are made from 76 percent responsibly harvested trees – far more eco-friendly than the ubiquitous plastic water bottles. Along with being made from “green” materials, the cartons are shipped flat to filling facilities to save money and energy.

The product can currently be found in Southern California, Michigan and the Chicago area; the company plans to donate 20 percent of its profits to support clean water and forest conservation organizations.

If boxed water catches on, it would leave just one notable holdout. Somehow, though, the idea of a cold box of beer just doesn’t seem to go down easy.