Drinking Soda Saves Lives | More Than Meets The Eye With SodaStream

SodaStream in kitchen — *Image credit: SodaStream International*

With such a hot weather in Singapore, wouldn’t you just want to kick back, and crack open a cold one with the boys?

But what if I told you that your soda could do more than give you a refreshing taste in your mouth?

SodaStream is making that happen. With their vision of “one global community, celebrating the bold achievement of a cleaner, healthier planet”, SodaStream is making waves by actively making the world a better place, one step at a time.

Sodastream singapore team — *Image credit: SodaStream Singapore*

SodaStream is exclusively distributed in Singapore by Komo Pte Ltd, helmed by entrepreneur Nanz-Komo, and together with other global distributors around the world, they are helping to make the company’s vision come alive. Let’s take a look at some of their initiatives!

Making Respirators During A Pandemic

Stream O2 ventilator — *Image credit: Pepsico*

In the early days of the pandemic, hospitals around the world were scrambling to get enough ventilators to help patients who have difficulty breathing. In partnership the Intensive Care Unit of Hadassah Hospital, SodaStream created a ventilator called the StreamO2. This new ventilator is aimed at patients suffering from mild to moderate breathing issues, eliminating the need to use the more invasive ventilator– which are in short supply and meant for more severe cases. So far, the device has passed its initial experimental stages and is awaiting approval from the Ministry of Health in Israel before it is deployed to the frontlines to fight alongside healthcare professionals.

Stream O2 ventilator_2 — *Image credit: Pepsico*

Cleaning Plastics From The Ocean

Holy turtle cleaning device — *Image credit: SodaStream International*

SodaStream promotes the use of their products as alternatives to single-use plastic bottle sodas and has also now taken it one step further by developing a huge ocean contraption designed to clean plastic waste out in open waters. Dubbed as the “Holy Turtle”, the design was inspired by oil spill containment systems, and was made in collaboration with the American Boon & Barrier Corporation. CEO of SodaStream, Birnbaum, said that he decided to have the device’s maiden voyage in Honduras in 2018, after seeing photographer Caroline Power’s underwater photos of floating rubbish.

The device works by collecting rubbish in the middle of a U-shaped contraption that is strapped between two boats. The holes allow water and other marine life to escape, and trash floating on the surface of the water gets trapped. According to CEO Birnbaum, the “Holy Turtle” could collect up to 20 tonnes of trash in a single trip and about half of the rubbish collected are mainly plastic bottles.

This is the “first-known attempt of a commercial company to undertake a physical clean-up of trash from open waters.” Boasting a large outreach, “150 SodaStream executives from 45 countries, international environmental specialists, NGO Plastic Soup Foundation and hundreds of children from 7 different local schools with local Honduran government officials” were part of the delegation.

Sea clean up by sodastream — *Image credit: SodaStream International*

Island Of Peace

Image of sodastream factory worker — *Image credit: SodaStream Singapore*

Sodastrean workers in factory — *Image credit: SodaStream Singapore*

Factories are generally not known for being the friendliest of places, but SodaStream is here to change that. SodaStream has nicknamed their factory in Israel as the “Island of Peace”, and hires about 2,500 employees from all walks of life from a huge array of countries. When 8 Days Singapore visited the factory in 2019, the tour guide mentions that “when someone works here, they put their politics aside and work here as a person”. (direct quote) The company also operates their own version of the “Yellow Ribbon Project”, providing jobs to inmates at a prison located nearby and providing them with full-time work opportunities after finishing their sentences.

Here is a short video by SodaStream showcasing their diversity at the Island Of Peace.

SodaStream ensures that their business positively impacts the world, making the world a better place. Be part of their efforts and purchase your very own SodaStream machine. A single bottle bought from them saves up to 3000 single-use plastic bottles! So do your part, go green and Make Soda Not War!

You can purchase your own SodaStreams by heading to their website here or from NTUC Fairprice Xtras islandwide here!

This Article was done in partnership with SodaStream Singapore. All pictures were taken pre-COVID.