Press & Media
Media kit & resources for journalists
Everything you need to write about BottleChallenge — our story, key facts, downloadable assets, and ready-to-use content. Questions? Reach out anytime.
Press brief
Full background document for journalists
One sentence
BottleChallenge is a free mobile app and web platform that helps people find water refill points worldwide and rewards them for choosing reusable bottles over single-use plastic.
The problem
The world produces over 500 billion single-use plastic bottles every year. Most are used for a few minutes and take hundreds of years to break down. The global plastic recycling rate has never exceeded 10 percent. Microplastics have been detected in drinking water, human lungs and the blood of newborns. Recycling is necessary but insufficient: it addresses the problem after it has already occurred. The only truly effective solution is prevention, stopping plastic waste from being created in the first place.
The solution
BottleChallenge makes it easy and rewarding to choose a reusable bottle over a single-use one. The app shows users the nearest place where they can refill for free, confirms the visit via NFC or QR, awards points and lets users exchange those points for cultural and lifestyle experiences. The barrier to entry is near zero. The reward is immediate. The habit, once formed, tends to last.
How it works
Users open the app, find a nearby refill point on the map and visit the location. They hold their phone to an NFC tag or scan a QR code to confirm the refill. The visit is recorded instantly. They earn EcoDrops points which can be redeemed for museum tickets, cinema and theatre visits, concert and event tickets, and hotel discounts. Every refill is logged, every impact is visible.
The network
57,000+ refill points across 95 countries, including cafés, restaurants, hotels, public drinking fountains, offices and cultural institutions. Partner venues join for free, receive an NFC tag and door sticker, and gain a profile on the map showing their measurable environmental impact, ready to share on social media and in their own marketing.
What makes BottleChallenge different
Prevention, not management. Most environmental initiatives deal with plastic after it has been produced. BottleChallenge prevents it from being produced at all. Every refill is a bottle that was never bought, never manufactured and never disposed of.
Real rewards, not just a good feeling. Users earn EcoDrops points redeemable for genuine experiences: museum tickets, cinema and theatre, concerts, hotel discounts. The reward is immediate and tangible, which is what drives lasting habit change.
NFC verification. Refills are confirmed by holding a phone to an NFC tag at the partner location. This ensures every logged refill is a real, physical event. Combined with geolocation verification and time-interval checks, the system is resistant to abuse.
Blockchain-verified impact data. Every NFC event is recorded and written to a public blockchain via the Eco-In platform, also operated by BrainGreen Foundation. Each token represents exactly one kilogram of plastic prevented, with a precise timestamp and location. The data is immutable, independently verifiable and audit-ready.
ESG and CSRD compliance. Through the Teams module, companies can engage their employees in the programme and receive aggregated, anonymised impact data for sustainability reporting. The data maps directly onto ESRS E5 and GRI indicators for waste management. Eco-In tokens provide an auditable chain of evidence from physical event to ESG report, meeting the requirements of the EU Green Claims Directive and CSRD.
Gamification designed behaviourally. The EcoDrops system is built around three mechanisms that drive lasting behaviour change: immediacy of reward, reduction of friction and social visibility. Rankings, group challenges and personal impact counters make the behaviour visible and identity-forming.
100% nonprofit and ad-free. BottleChallenge is operated by BrainGreen Foundation, a registered nonprofit based in Warsaw, Poland. The project has no investors, no advertising and no commercial interests. It is funded entirely by voluntary donations. Every zloty goes into infrastructure, not profit.
Built by volunteers. The entire project, from research and design through development to partner outreach, has been built by a team of 35+ volunteers over nearly three years. This includes developers, analysts, psychologists, sociologists, project managers and field coordinators.
Crowdsourced and self-maintaining. Users can add new refill points directly in the app and earn points for doing so. They can also report incorrect or non-functioning locations. The network maintains and grows itself.
The Teams module
Companies can enrol their employees in BottleChallenge. Each employee links their account to their employer. Their refills are aggregated anonymously at the company level. The company dashboard shows total refills, kilograms of plastic prevented and CO2 emissions avoided. Data can be exported for ESG and CSR reports. Internal leaderboards and challenges build team culture around shared environmental goals. The Starter plan is free for up to 10 members. Paid plans start at €99 per month.
How the project is funded
BottleChallenge is free for individual users and always will be. No ads, no tracking, no hidden fees. This is possible because the project has three sources of revenue, none of which depend on monetising users.
Teams subscriptions: companies that use the Teams module to engage their employees and track collective environmental impact pay a monthly subscription. Plans start at €99 per month. This is the primary source of revenue and funds the infrastructure, development and day-to-day operations of the entire platform.
Eco-In tokens: companies that need verified, audit-ready plastic prevention data for ESG reports and CSRD filings can acquire Eco-In tokens through the Eco-In platform. Each token represents one kilogram of plastic prevented, recorded on a public blockchain. This provides companies with documented proof of environmental impact and funds further development of the verification system.
Crowdfunding: voluntary donations from individuals and organisations who believe in the mission and want to help the project grow.
None of these revenue streams involve advertising, data sales or investor returns. Every euro is reinvested into keeping the platform running, expanding the refill point network, developing new features and staying completely free for the people who use it every day.
The Eco-In platform
Eco-In is a separate platform by BrainGreen Foundation that tokenises verified plastic prevention events on a public blockchain. One Eco-In token equals one kilogram of plastic prevented. Each token is unique, single-use and cannot be reassigned or resold. Companies acquire tokens as documented proof of their environmental contribution, ready for ESG reports and CSRD filings. The token burn mechanism is irreversible, eliminating double-counting and greenwashing risk.
Key figures
Timeline
The organisation
BottleChallenge is a project of BrainGreen Foundation (Fundacja BrainGreen), a registered nonprofit organisation based in Warsaw, Poland. KRS: 0000964547. NIP: 5252903313. The foundation has no shareholders, pays no dividends and generates no profit. All revenue from the Teams subscription plans is reinvested into the project.
Press contact
About BottleChallenge
The problem
Every minute, the equivalent of one garbage truck of plastic enters the ocean. Single-use plastic water bottles are among the most common pollutants. Yet in most cities, free drinking water is available, but people just don't know where to find it.
Our solution
BottleChallenge is a free platform that maps water refill points worldwide, from cafés and restaurants to public fountains and offices. But we go further: we reward people for choosing to refill. Every scan of an NFC tag or QR code at a partner location earns EcoDrops points, redeemable for real experiences like cinema tickets, museum entries, workshops, and wellness passes.
What makes us different
- Rewards for every refill: not just a map, but a motivation engine
- 100% ad-free, funded entirely by community donations
- Partners benefit too: more foot traffic, more loyalty, zero cost
- NFC + QR technology: tap or scan to verify visits and earn points
- Truly global: 57,000+ locations across 95 countries
- Open & transparent: a project by BrainGreen Foundation (non-profit)
How it works
Find a refill point
Open the map on bottlechallenge.org, search by location, or use GPS to find the nearest participating café, restaurant, or public fountain.
Refill & scan
Fill your reusable bottle with tap water at the partner location. Then hold your phone to the NFC tag or scan the QR code to log your visit and earn points.
Earn rewards
Collect EcoDrops points and redeem them for cinema tickets, museum entries, wellness passes, workshops, and more from reward partners.
Who we engage
Individual users
Eco-conscious people of all ages who carry reusable bottles and want to reduce plastic waste while earning real rewards.
50K+ active users worldwide
Refill partners
Cafés, restaurants, hotels, offices, and public venues that offer free water refills — increasing foot traffic and customer loyalty at no cost.
No fees, ever — we believe in shared values
Reward partners
Cinemas, museums, theaters, wellness centers, and event organizers who donate experiences as rewards — reaching a new audience of engaged, eco-conscious consumers.
Growing network across Europe and beyond
Municipalities & NGOs
City governments and environmental organizations that want to promote sustainable behavior and map public water access points.
Open for partnerships at any scale
Roadmap & vision
2022–2024 — Research & Design
- •Developing a system to drive lasting behavioral change — motivating people to ditch single-use plastics, even those who don't consider themselves environmentally conscious
- •Behavioral research, sociological analysis, and psychological modeling with a team of psychologists, sociologists, and analysts
- •Early prototypes and field testing to validate real-world impact on habits and attitudes
- •Building the concept of an incentive-based reward ecosystem around reusable bottles
2025 — Development
- •Full-scale development of the web application and mobile app, powered by a team of 35+ volunteers — developers, analysts, project managers, psychologists, sociologists, and frontline outreach coordinators contacting partners, venues, and reward donors
- •Interactive map with 57,000+ refill points across 95 countries
- •EcoDrops reward system with NFC/QR visit verification
- •Reward partner program (cinemas, museums, wellness centers, and more)
- •User accounts with personal environmental impact tracking
March 2026 — Web Launch
- •Official release of the full web platform at bottlechallenge.org — featuring the refill map, NFC/QR scanning, EcoDrops wallet, partner dashboards, reward shop, impact tracking, invite system, and complete legal compliance (GDPR, cookies, DPA)
- •Continued development of native mobile apps for iOS and Android
- •Expanding the reward partner network worldwide — always experiences (cinema, culture, wellness, workshops), never physical products, to also combat overconsumption
April 2026 — Mobile Launch
- •Native mobile app available on App Store and Google Play
- •Gamification: leaderboards, challenges, and streaks
- •Intensive expansion of reward partner venues globally, introducing new reward categories
2027+ — Scale & Expand
- •Scaling the project to new markets across South America, Asia, and Africa
- •Extending the platform to reduce other single-use packaging (cups, containers, cutlery)
- •Corporate sustainability dashboards for office and hospitality partners
- •City partnership program for public fountain mapping
- •API for third-party integrations and smart bottle manufacturers
Ready-to-publish articles
We have prepared a set of ready-to-publish articles covering different angles of the BottleChallenge story. Each piece is written and editorially polished. You are welcome to publish any of them as-is, adapt them to your editorial style, or use them as background material. All articles are available in English and Polish.
Plastic waste that never exists can never end up in a landfill.
Environmental, climate and zero waste publications
How NFC, blockchain and behavioural psychology are fighting the plastic crisis
Technology, startup and innovation publications
The era of declarations is over. ESG now requires proof.
Business, HR, CSR and sustainability publications
A reusable bottle, an app and a free museum ticket. This is what practical environmentalism looks like.
Lifestyle, travel and parenting publications
Ready-to-use content
Boilerplate (about paragraph)
BottleChallenge is a free, global platform that helps people find water refill points and reduce single-use plastic waste. Users earn EcoDrops reward points for every refill, redeemable for experiences like cinema tickets, museum entries, and wellness passes from partner venues worldwide. Founded in 2022 in Warsaw, Poland, by BrainGreen Foundation, BottleChallenge operates in 95 countries with 57,000+ refill locations. The project is 100% ad-free and funded entirely by community donations.
Short bio (for social media)
BottleChallenge helps you find free water refill points worldwide and rewards you for skipping plastic. 57K+ locations across 95 countries. A project by BrainGreen Foundation.
Quotable statements
“We don't just show people where to find water. We reward them for choosing reuse over waste. That is what makes BottleChallenge different from any other refill map.”
— BottleChallenge Team
“Every refill means one less plastic bottle entering the environment. When you multiply that by thousands of users every day, the impact becomes real and measurable. That is exactly what we set out to build.”
— BottleChallenge Team
“Sustainability should be rewarding, not just responsible. People should not have to choose between convenience and doing the right thing. BottleChallenge makes the right choice the easier one.”
— BottleChallenge Team
Key facts at a glance
| Full name | BottleChallenge |
| Type | Free, non-commercial, ad-free platform |
| Operated by | BrainGreen Foundation (fundacja) |
| Headquarters | Warsaw (Warszawa), Poland |
| KRS | 0000964547 |
| NIP | 5252903313 |
| Founded | 2022 |
| Coverage | 95 countries, 57,000+ refill locations |
| Users | 50,000+ active users |
| Revenue model | Community donations (100% ad-free) |
| Technology | NFC tags + QR codes for visit verification |
| Reward system | EcoDrops — redeemable for experiences from reward partners |
| Website | bottlechallenge.org |
| Social media | Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn |
Brand assets & downloads
Logo
Photos and screenshots
App screenshots (iOS and Android)
High-resolution files available on request at [email protected]
Brand colors
Primary Green
#019444
Dark
#111827
White
#FFFFFF
Light Gray
#F9FAFB
Brand usage guidelines
- Always write "BottleChallenge" as one word with capital B and C
- Do not modify, distort, or recolor the logo
- Maintain adequate clear space around the logo
- For press inquiries or high-resolution files, contact [email protected]
Social media & links
Press contact
For interviews, media inquiries, partnership proposals or high-resolution assets, please get in touch. We typically respond within 24 hours.
BrainGreen Foundation, Plac Konstytucji 4/17, 00-552 Warsaw, Poland, KRS: 0000964547