Tejal Somvanshi
“Aquaman” star Jason Momoa is tackling real-world ocean pollution with a new water system that could help cut down plastic waste in Hawaii’s hotels. His company Mananalu has joined forces with Boomerang Water to create a solution that’s as simple as it is smart.
Here’s how it works at places like The Twin Fin Hotel in Waikiki: Instead of finding plastic water bottles in their rooms, guests get aluminum bottles they can refill throughout their stay. When they check out, they return the bottles, which are then cleaned and reused for the next guest.
“I’m just trying to leave a better place for my children,” Momoa told Spectrum News Hawaii. “I feel like I have a duty.”
The numbers show why this matters. The bottled water industry made $270 billion in 2021, with most bottles being plastic. These bottles often end up in our oceans and landfills. This new system cleans and refills 400 to 500 bottles every hour, right where they’re needed.
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The water comes from local sources and goes through thorough cleaning to remove microplastics, toxins, bacteria, and chemicals. This local approach means fewer trucks needed for water bottle transportation, which helps reduce carbon emissions by 95% compared to regular bottled water production.
The machines are currently installed or will soon be set up at several Hawaiian hotels, including The Twin Fin Hotel, Romer House Waikiki, Kaimana Beach Hotel, and Alohilani Resort Waikiki Beach. Schools are getting involved too – Kamehameha Schools Kapālama is among the first to use this technology.
For the system to pay for itself, it needs to fill at least 300 bottles daily. That’s why hotels and schools are perfect spots for these machines. Smaller businesses haven’t been forgotten either – they can get their bottles through a delivery service from Warehouse Solutions in Kapolei, similar to a milkman delivery service.
Looking ahead, the company plans to put 20 more machines across Hawaii in the next year and a half. Each location can put its own design on the bottles, making them unique to each hotel or school.
Jerrod Freund, who helped create the machines, points out an additional potential: “You could plug this into a puddle and you’ll be able to get potable water,” making it useful in various situations where clean water access is needed.
