Contributed story written by Lynette Carrington
When he founded HYDAWAY, Niki Singlaub was passionate about helping to keep disposable bottled water bottles out of our landfills and oceans. Globally, humans purchase 1 million disposable plastic bottles every 60 seconds, the number of single-use coffee cups thrown away each year measures in the billions.
The innovative HYDAWAY is convenient and collapsible, providing an excellent alternative for adventure travelers, hikers and outdoor enthusiasts who don’t love lugging around an empty, bulky bottle.
“There are many reusable water bottles on the market, but none that are so convenient you can literally keep it in your pants or jacket pocket,” Singlaub said. “I wanted to give people a legitimate reason to pass on single-use plastic, especially while traveling.”
When the TSA originally started banning liquids, it provided an opportunity for the entrepreneur to design a collapsible reusable water bottle now used by air travelers globally.
Building on customer feedback, Singlaub designed a collapsible tumbler. “In North America, we like our water very cold,” he said. “In Europe most like room temperature, and in Asia many prefer warm water. The need for an all-temperature collapsible drink cup was an obvious design challenge. The innovation comes from the insulating sleeve that doubles to keep the collapsed cup protected when in a pocket, purse, or carry-on.”
Singlaub continued, “There are so many challenges in creating innovation from scratch. But partnering with the right designers, manufacturers, and third-party logistics providers makes the difference in helping me bring my visions to life.”
The initial HYDAWAY bottle was a smashing success when it launched on Kickstarter, raising more than $250,000. New HYDAWAY collapsible tumblers were released in January 2021. “We look forward to seeing them sold in REI, Whole Foods, Target and numerous other specialty stores across the country, as well as through our website and on Amazon in 11 countries,” Singlaub said.
Based in Bend, Oregon, HYDAWAY has teamed up with nonprofit no2plastic.org to showcase its pledge to removing single-use plastics from waste streams.
“We have plans to grow our product line to help customers all over the world stay hydrated and eat, drink, and move about more conveniently without relying on single-use packaging,” Singlaub said.
The design of all HYDAWAY products is meant to last for years. The company offers a one-year guarantee on all its products, which are constructed durably to be collapsed and expanded thousands of times. For additional information about HYDAWAY, visit www.myhydaway.com.
