Will and Jaden Smith are helping eliminate single-use plastic water bottles from the upcoming ASICS London 10k marathon.
The 16,000 single-use plastic water bottles at the finish line will be replaced by JUST Water cartons. An additional 40,000 bottles will be replaced by paper cups on the route, according to a press release.
“JUST is incredibly proud to join efforts alongside Virgin Sport at the Asics London 10K to reduce plastic at the event. Together, we aim to inspire and show that a small change, such as changing your bottled water to a more sustainable option, is something we all can do to create a positive impact on our planet.” Ira Laufer, CEO of JUST, said in a statement.
The move is part of Richard Branson-owned Virgin Sport’s recent initiative to combat plastic pollution. The Hackney Half Marathon became the largest race in the UK to eliminate single-use plastic last May.
About JUST
JUST Water was co-founded by Will and Jaden when the latter was only 12-years-old.
The carton is 100 percent recyclable and reusable and is made from eco-friendly packaging. It uses 54 percent paper sourced from trees certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and sustainable plastic made from sugarcane. The carton is also more efficient to ship than standard water bottles — 1.5 million cartons can be shipped in a truck versus the 13 trucks it would take to transport the same number of plastic bottles.
Jaden Smith’s Activism
JUST Water was founded out of Smith’s concern for the environment, but he has also used it as a platform to promote access to clean water. Earlier this year, the 21-year-old entrepreneur donated mobile water treatment systems to a church in Flint, Michigan to combat the ongoing water crisis.
“Working together with people in the community experiencing the problems and design(ing) something to help them has been a journey I will never forget,” Smith said in a statement. “We are planning to deploy more water boxes in Flint and other communities facing similar challenges.”
Earlier this month, Smith launched a new venture: I Love You Restaurant, a free vegan food truck that gave away meals to people experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles’s Skid Row neighborhood. The pop-up event will be the first of many, according to the “SYRE” artist. A vegan himself, Smith said the truck is “all about giving people what they deserve, healthy vegan food for free.”
The commitment to bettering the planet between Will, Jaden, and Branson. led to the partnership with Virgin Sport. All Virgin Sport events in 2019 aim to eliminate use single-use plastic, effectively cutting out 500,000 bottles.
