Hawaii is undeniably beautiful. It’s also home to what’s been called one of the most polluted places on earth, Kamilo Beach, which is on the north tip of Hawaii’s largest island. Much of the plastic waste that litters the beach, and other parts of the island archipelago, comes from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a country-size conglomeration of floating plastic debris that looms just a few hundred miles north of the island archipelago. But Hawaii’s plastic problem doesn’t come from just offshore.
The tourist destination also produces plenty of its own waste, especially as a top tourist destination that sees 10 million visitors a year. According to Earth.org, “300,000 pieces of single-use plastic are used in a standard 200-room four-star hotel every month.” In its attempts to combat the problem of plastic waste, the state has banned plastic bags since 2015, and plastic forks, cups, and other dinnerware since 2021. But it hasn’t managed to ban plastic water bottles, yet—though several bills are pending.
In the meantime, a hero, of sorts, has emerged in the fight against plastic. Jason Momoa, the Aquaman star and native Hawaiian, has a solution that might keep plastic water bottles off the island for good.
The Hollywood celebrity and entrepreneur recently announced a strategic partnership between his aluminum bottled water company, Mananalu, and Boomerang Water—a Midland, North Carolina-based company founded by Jason Dibble and Jerrod Freund that makes machines for localized water bottle filling. Together, their goal is to eliminate single-use plastic bottles in hotels and beyond, starting with Hawaii as a testing ground for their global movement.
West Hollywood, California-based Mananalu launched in 2019 and began selling aluminum bottled water to consumers through retailers like Costco and Whole Foods. However, Momoa told Spectrum News Hawaii, he struggled with the logistics, “referring to the difficulty of distributing empty aluminum bottles and having them filled and sealed at different locations.”
Mananalu, now powered by Boomerang Water, kicked off the launch of the partnership’s first installation at Twin Fin Hotel near Waikiki Beach. The machine is the size of a hotel ice maker, is operated by staff, and can produce up to 3,000 co-branded aluminum bottles distributed daily in guest rooms.
Their fully circular water bottling system purifies local water and bottles it on-site. When a guest is done with their bottle, they simply place it in one of the many convenient bottle collection bins stationed throughout the hotel to be sanitized, refilled, recapped, and ready to hydrate another guest.
This efficiency translates to significant cost savings for businesses. By bottling water in-house, hotels can drastically reduce their expenses compared with purchasing pre-packaged bottles. The company says it costs somewhere between 55 and 60 cents to produce a bottle of water with this system, compared to $1.79 for aluminum bottles with plastic tops.
But the technology goes beyond cost-effectiveness. It’s designed with sustainability in mind, minimizing water waste in the cleaning process and utilizing a state-of-the-art reverse osmosis system to ensure water purity. The system even generates ESG reports, providing businesses with data on their water and energy usage.
Changing Behavior, One Bottle at a Time
Momoa has long been vocal about protecting the environment. As a U.N. ambassador and collaborator with organizations like Oceans Unite and Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii, he’s spoken out against plastic pollution and waste.
“This technology is a game changer,” says Momoa. “It’s an honor to bring it to Hawaii first and help restore our local ecosystem.”
The initiative also aims to shift consumer behavior. By providing a convenient and sustainable alternative, Mananalu Powered by Boomerang Water encourages people to rethink their consumption habits. It’s a call to return to a more responsible approach to recycling, reminiscent of the milkman deliveries of the past, where reusability was the norm.
Boomerang Water was launched in 2018 by co-founders Dibble and Freund with their own money, and it has since raised over $20 million in venture funding. In 2021, the Four Seasons Hotel in Hualalai adopted the system, expanding to 18 systems over the past few years.
In addition to setting up shop in Hawaii, the team says they’re finding homes in other island regions like the Bahamas as well as construction sites and stadiums in Texas, and are having conversations with other potential clients representing high-traffic areas where easily accessible hydration is needed.
More Than Just a Celebrity Endorsement
This isn’t just another celebrity-backed product. Momoa is deeply involved in the initiative, and hopes to inspire young people to change their behavior and get into the sustainability industry. He sees Hawaii as an incubator, a model for other island nations grappling with plastic pollution in its oceans.
“I originally launched Mananalu to challenge the drinking water industry to shift away from single-use plastic bottles that are destroying the health of people and the planet,” said Momoa in a press release announcing the new partnership.
“Why are we bringing over water when we have clean water here?” Momoa questions, highlighting the over $72 million in bottled beverage imports the island sees every year.
Groundwater provides nearly all of Hawaii’s domestic water and half of its total freshwater needs, with the island pumping 500 million gallons daily.
The impact goes beyond environmental concerns. Using local water sources, Mananalu Powered by Boomerang Water strengthens Hawaii’s independence from mainland shipments and supports local economies. It’s a sustainable solution that aligns with the Hawaiian value of Malama ‘Aina—caring for the land.
A Vision for the Future
The vision for Mananalu Powered by Boomerang Water extends beyond Hawaii. The goal is a world where single-use plastic bottles are banned entirely, starting with Momoa’s beloved island home.
With its reliance on tourism and the urgent need to address its waste crisis, the islands provide a compelling case study for the world. Momoa envisions a future where this technology expands beyond hotels, reaching schools, hospitals, and even individual homes.
“It’s a dream come true,” says Momoa. “This is just the beginning.”
