“Environmentally speaking, the REFILL+ is a huge help. The impact reports mean I can easily track our sustainability efforts.”

– Andre Boddeveld, Facility Manager at CMS

GAME CHANGERS

CMS is one of the largest law firms in the world, with over 9000 employees, 70 offices, and a presence in over 40 countries. The firm specializes in mergers and acquisitions, investment, employment, IP and tax work, and has served the Dutch market for over a century.

Facilities Manager Andre Boddeveld is responsible for all the facilities at CMS, including the Aquablu REFILL+. He also acts as an environmental and ESG representative for the business. Read more about their experience with our system.

LOOKING FOR AN ALTERNATIVE TO SODA CANS

The team at CMS had two very clear targets: first, reducing waste, and second, offering a healthier alternative to the sugary sodas that were on offer to employees before. The management team had started noticing that by supplying soft drinks and sodas to the entire Dutch office, they were creating a lot of waste. With increasing concerns about sustainability mounting, this simply could not go on.

“Before Aquablu, we were wasting around 29 thousand cans every month.” - Andre Boddeveld, Facility manager at CMS

On top of that, the drinks on offer included a lot of sugary drinks, like Coca-Cola and Fanta. Although these had proven popular with employees, they were also impacting the health of the workforce negatively. The management team felt it was time to offer a more healthy alternative for day-to-day hydration.

What made you choose Aquablu?

Andre wasn’t aware of Aquablu or the REFILL+ at the beginning of searching for a new provider; he only knew they wanted to explore a flavored water provider or delivery service. When he first came across the REFILL+, however, it was the taste of the flavors that convinced him right away. The story behind Aquablu also resonated with him, and made the choice an easy one.

How did employees respond to the Aquablu REFILL+?

Before introducing the Aquablu REFILL+, there was some pushback from the employees at CMS, who were concerned that they’d no longer be able to get their favorite soft drinks at work. After a couple of weeks, however, these complaints disappeared. The employees found they enjoyed the fruit flavors just as much, and were happy that their health was being made a high priority.

Seeing the environmental impact of taking away daily drinks packaging also helped make the REFILL+ a popular choice. If employees do crave a soft drink, they can easily purchase one themselves – but the company no longer needs to provide this option for its employees out of necessity.

BETTER FOR THE PLANET

In his role as Facilities Manager, Andre says he would definitely recommend the Aquablu REFILL+. He already does so, rather frequently, to other companies and Facility Managers operating in the area.

As an environmental representative for CMS, it’s a huge help that the system provides sustainability reporting. This means he can track and refer to the savings on plastic and CO2 with ease. And with less waste and more healthy drinks on-site, he has hit his two key targets and is thrilled with the result.