The iconic Jerrycan becomes an eco-friendly water bottle
Kieron is a freelance writer and Digital Consultant who doesn't consider himself a design lover but a user of design - which to him is more than enough.
LinkedinUganda-based studio Jerrybag has transformed the design into a water bottle that forms part of a campaign to make clean water more accessible in parts of Africa.
UNICEF reports only 56% of the population has basic access to drinking water in Uganda compared to 99% of those in first world countries like the UK and the US.
Currently raising funds on Kickstarter, the bottle is available in two sizes, a larger 800ml and a more compact 400ml with a slimline shape (with less than 20mm width) intended to fit in most pockets. Both options come in a range of styles including the iconic yellow colour, khaki and see-through. For extra functionality, the space between the bottle cap and the handle can be used as a phone mount for taking photos or watching videos.
It has also designed an entire product range to go with the water bottle, including carabiners for hanging it from a rucksack, reflector hand straps and anti-bacterial sticker packs for customising the Jerrycan.
As for materials, the bottle is made from Ecozen, which is a biomass-based transparent copolyester with high heat resistance and the world’s first synthetic plastic made of biomass materials extracted from grains such as corn and wheat.
It has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and makes for a hygienic, harmless and BPA-free material perfect for containing water. It also has no stains and odors. Meanwhile, the bottle caps are made from recycled PET bottles.
While the Jerrycan makes it easier to carry clean water, the LARQ Bottle makes water clean by itself, using UV light to purify it.
Design with purpose
The Jerrycan Eco water bottle is a handy, versatile product that reimagines an iconic design. Not only that but it serves to bring a change for a better future around the globe. The driving force behind the Jerrycan bottle is the Jerrybag Uganda studio, which was established in 2014 in Uganda to raise sales to donate Jerrybags to Ugandan children.
The Jerrycan Eco Water Bottle fundraising campaign helps to realise this mission wherein for every pledge a Ugandan child is given a jerrybag, a backpack made by local women using tarpaulin and designed for young African children to carry water-filled jerry cans safer, easier, and more effectively.
Winner of the James Dyson Award 2021, the Plastic Scanner uses infrared light to detect plastic components and recycle better.
