Privada Eau Minerale Naturale ... Aggressive Business, Flaccid Community Value. Rod it up, Mr. Baron!

Today, I bought “some” of the latest satchet-water sensation in town … Privada.

Privada Eau Naturale Minerale. 


I say … does it sound better and more impressive and intimidating in French? ‘Cus most of the water companies have a thing for writing Natural Mineral Water in French. (See image accompanying).

Privada is produced by Baron Distilleries, Ghana … a serious, aggressive business with the most in-your-face marketing campaigns in town, known mostly for its range of send-your-mamma-home alcoholic beverages.

They are unforgettable for a number of reasons, but it is names and slogans like: Pusher. Shaa lai pushwaa (or whatever that Chinese man says) … Playboy Dry Gin, and Captain’s Whisky etc which guarantee a hallucinogenic effect and gleeful aftermath that’ll make you slap your mamma.

The distillery is also known for its innovative and ingenius ways of plastic packaging of these alcoholic beverages … from the tot-a-pack types (where a little tightly-sealed plastic packet the size of two thumbs contains alcohol that fits in your pocket or little purse … and everywhere else and sells very economically too) to the interestingly shaped plastic bottles of gin, brandy, schnapps, bitters, etc.

And now … the sexy, sleek, super-cool tough plastic (PET/PE) satchet with a screw-top (similar to a bottle) containing 500ml of great-looking mineral water.

This design was actually practiced on their Playboy Gin Bitters (?) a short while ago, and must have garnered a good number of hearty cheers from the pubs, chop-bars, VIP suites and the numerous ‘blue kiosks’ littering our neighbourhoods to have prompted an appearance in the more “holy” water industry. 
Which is why I believe Mr. Baron is real smart and sleek. The guy nor dey waste time kwraa (he doesn’t waste time at all).

The plastic is tougher than the usual satchet water plastics, and it says PET/PE on the package itself. It shows that they are paying attention to the global standards of labeling plastics used for packaging one’s good, to enable efficient recycling.

BUT they do not have “Please Recycle” or even “Recycle!” Or “Can be Recycled” on it.

And I doubt even 10% of the Ghanaians drinking Privada will diligently search for those 2 or 3 rotating arrows which symbolize “recyclable” and say “Ahhhh! Can be recycled. Then plod over to a recycling plant and hand it over with honour and pride bubbling in their hearts.” 


Privada c/o Mr. Baron, please note: Ghanaians must be told to recycle, then battered over the heads with it until they cannot breath. Then, they will pay attention.

Lesson: two rotating arrows plus “PET/PE” in random positions on your fancy water satchet (which I like and they all like) does not mean shyte to us.

Baron also does not seem to have any website (I looked and searched, I assure you) that provides contacts, because I really want (and I intend to) to notify Mr. Baron about the importance of adding an aggressive recycling initiative to his aggressive marketing and packaging business model.

It is a successful business model. 
I respect him for it, and will be undoubtedly star-struck should I ever meet him, because I saw Baron Distilleries boomerang from little to mega in no time at all, and they keep getting more popular, better at what they do (making people feel “wheeee”), and now … actually making us feel “wheeee” even when drinking water.

Where did you say I can meet this man?

Anyway, off the drunken spiel and back to the main issue at hand.

Privada and the other Baron initiatives MUST begin a recycling initiative to lend a more humane and sustainable focus to their existence; call it a sort of CSV, if you will.

They must, like Nestle and some other big beverage companies are doing (or attempting to do well), set up a system which enables them to collect all the plastics put out there by the purchase of their alcoholic beverages, and now water (Privada … Privada) for bulk recycling,  either by an entity like BlowPlast or Zoomlion or Trashy Bags etc they can partner with OR for bulk recycling by Baron Distilleries itself.

It must not simply put these plastic packages out there, and call it a done deal.

Who should collect those discarded Privada satchets? And those discarded alcoholic plastic bottles? Who should be responsible for them, even if it means educating the public on where to send these bottles after use?  Baron must spear-head this responsibility.

Hence, Privada for example, must have on it, in addition to the plastic grade … “Can be Recycled” Or “Please Recycle”.

Privada must set up collection points at vantage locations in all areas where Privada is/can be sold.

And Privada must ensure that this wonderful business innovation that has aggressively and successfully catapulted it into the spotlight of the satchet water-drinking public in Ghana (safe to peg this public majority at 99% of the population, no?) will impress us even more with these measures being adopted to keep the environment safe from it.

We love Privada, Mr. Baron … but not enough to forget the environment. Neither should you.

Recycle. Reuse. Sustain.

Yes, you can.

Snapple is trying it out … and so far, well …. not so bad. (Google 'em up if you want to know more. Hint : Snapple ... Dr. Pepper Snapple ... ~~Sustainability.)

Snapple: all natural. Made from the best stuff on earth.

Privada Eau Naturale Minerale: Natural Mineral Water. Made in Ghana by Baron Water House. Erm … and that’s all.

P.S:

By the way …. Have you read about our $3500 biogas facility fundraiser for a little farmstead cattle ranch village in the Upper West Region yet? See here, and donate. Looking for 100 people to donate $35 each. 85 people to go!