In 2021, while on a road trip from Hyderabad to Tirumala in Andhra Pradesh, Suneeth Tatineni counted the number of two-litre bottles his family of 12 had consumed — 24. He did not count the bottles to ensure they were well hydrated; it was to estimate the number of plastic bottles they had used in just a day.
This was the first step in ideating Hyderabad-based Caro Water’s water boxes, which claim to be tamper-proof, recyclable and use 85% less plastic as compared to other water cans. These water boxes use corrugated paper and a BIB (bag in a box) system that comes with a built-in tap, akin to a water dispenser. The water plant of Caro Water is located at Patancheru in Hyderabad. Having earlier worked in the corporate sector for more than 10 years, Suneeth had been planning to become an entrepreneur. Going by the amount of plastic waste generated, recycling seemed like a viable business idea. Did he think of recycling immediately?
Suneeth says, “Yes, but it also involved concern for the environment, health and improving the quality of water we consume. Recycling and reducing plastic was all part of it. I spoke to a lot of people about the issues they had with the water supplied to their homes, offices etc. in bubble tops.”
There were many concerns. “I have seen plain RO water being packed and sold for a high price. My R&D (research and development) told me that if I were to introduce packaged water in the market, the quality of water should matter a lot.”Suneeth elaborates that groundwater goes through a purification process — it is treated, enriched with copper and added minerals and nutrients — before it is packaged. “The Government of India has a water norm formula. It is a standard chart of the important minerals needed in drinking water. The bottling unit in our plant is programmed to add the pre-packed mineral formula to the water after the filtration process is complete.”
Suneeth explains further: “The boxes are filled using automated filling machines, so there is no human contact with the water, it is hygienic. Also, the box is single-use. The boxes come with a double tamper-proof seal, one on the box and the other on the tap. The chances of contamination are minimised at every stage.”
The app reach
Caro water is accessible through an app delivery system available on both Android and iOS.
After use, the empty Caro Water box is collected by the company, for responsible recycling. “For every box returned, consumers get credit points that can be used to purchase water,” he says. The boxes, once brought back to the unit, are given to a third party for recycling.
The Caro box is not all about convenience and being eco-friendly. Firstly, the boxes are BPA-free. Consumers of plastic containers run a risk of exposure to BPA (Bisphenol A), an industrial chemical used in the manufacture of plastics. Caro plans to introduce water enriched with copper and yastimadhuka (liquorice) and is soon coming up with water enriched with amla (gooseberry) and other regular minerals.
packaged Caro Water