As a leader in the powdered hydration market, Liquid I.V. understands the importance of listening to their consumers and delivering on those propositions. But Liquid I.V. isn’t just looking at the attributes of their portfolio. The company also is delivering on sustainability through a number of initiatives.

“[I]n Q4 of 2022, we released our 2021 sustainability report, which publicly benchmarks our current sustainability performance against standards set by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI),” says Mike Keech, CEO of Liquid I.V. “We plan to publish this report on a yearly basis — after all, accountability starts with transparency.”

Noting what a passion point sustainability is for him, Keech highlights three findings from the report that stuck out for him:

• Repurposed 420,000 servings of Liquid I.V. for use as product donations for people in need.
• Donated 12 million servings of Liquid I.V. to people dehydrated due to their occupation, health, or environment.
• Converted one-third of our cartons to thinner cardboard material with a bleach-free inner layer. 

In addition to these three, Keech noted the report also highlights that the company introduced How2Recycle labeling for 46% of its products featuring instructions on consumer recycling as well as introduced merchandise display trays made from 100% recycled content. Liquid I.V. also pilot-tested a water-soluble, compostable and biodegradable carton for the limited-time offering of the Hydration Multiplier Pear product in conjunction with SmartSolve. In terms of distribution, the report also noted its default to intermodal, the least emission-intensive shipment type, on available lanes when possible, Keech says.

“We know we can’t do this alone, so we hope that as we continue to grow and share our efforts toward more sustainable business operations, that we can inspire other brands to become accountable and join us in our fight for a healthier planet,” Keech says.

Liquid I.V.’s impact, however, isn’t limited to supporting a healthier planet. As noted in the 2021 sustainability report, the company also is active in serving people in need, which is one of the many highlights Keech has experienced during his time at Liquid I.V.

“Our purpose driven work started with a mere 500 serving stick donation to a local shelter in Los Angeles and the promise that for every serving stick of Liquid I.V. purchased, we would donate a serving to a person who needed it,” he says. “As of 2022, we shifted our focus from that one-to-one model and committed to over 2 million dollars to nonprofit partners that help communities expand access to clean water. 

“We’ve also continued to donate serving sticks with a 10-year goal of 150 million,” he continues. “In 2022, we donated over 15 million alone, and as of January 2023, we’ve donated 36 million servings of Liquid I.V. since 2015 and it’s something we’re incredibly proud of.”