San Jose International Airport

Introducing Sustainable Beverages at the San Jose Airport: Drop Water's Impactful Journey

Drop Water made its mark at the San Jose Airport (SJC) in November 2018 by introducing two cutting-edge Drop Station machines. These machines, installed in both terminals at the airport, were pivotal in reducing plastic waste and furthering the airport's sustainability mission. As of October 2022, the Drop Water machines at SJC have successfully saved over 600,000 plastic water bottles. In a bid to further enhance sustainability, Drop Water plans to upgrade the existing Drop Stations to the next-generation Drop Mini unit, and bring the total machine count at SJC up to four.

Challenges Faced:

1. Alleviating the environmental impact of plastic bottle consumption in a high-traffic airport environment.
2. Promoting sustainable alternatives without compromising convenience for travelers.
3. Establishing an infrastructure that could accommodate an increasing demand for sustainable solutions over time.

Implementation Strategy:

Drop Water launched at SJC with two Drop Station machines - one in Terminal A and one in Terminal B. These stations provided an accessible and convenient alternative to plastic bottled water, encouraging travelers to opt for a sustainable choice. Through all of the valuable feedback and customer exposure, Drop Water has been able to innovate and further improve the offerings - introducing flavored refills, increasing marketing and signage to achieve greater reach, adding to our flavor library, and more.

Results and Impact:

The deployment of the Drop Stations yielded remarkable results, with a significant reduction in the consumption of plastic water bottles. As of late 2022, customers at SJC have saved over 600,000 plastic water bottles through free refills, flavored refills, and Drop Carton purchases.

The Future of Drop Water at SJC:

Drop Water continues to innovate and will replace the Drop Station units with the state-of-the-art Drop Mini in early 2024. In addition, Drop Water will expand the number of units at the airport from two to four - located near gates 10, 13, 26, and 33. Drop Water aims to cater to the growing demand for sustainable practices at the San Jose Airport - and hopes to set a precedent for other airports to follow suit.