Although most people know Jaden Smith as the son of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, he has made his own mark in music and film. The young actor won awards for his performance in the movie ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’ at only eight years old! He was also only 12 when he collaborated with Justin Bieber on the top hit song ‘Never Say Never.’ Needless to say, Jaden could have comfortably settled into a life of making music and movies, but he had more ambitious goals—ones that involved entrepreneurship and philanthropy!
JUST Water
When surfing off the coast as a young 10-year-old kid, the impressionable young man noticed a plastic bottle drifting alongside him. This seemingly ordinary encounter was what shaped his mission in philanthropy. Over the next decade, Jaden dedicated himself to channeling his resources and energy into addressing global water problems and fighting plastic pollution.
Billions of plastic bottles are pushed into water streams, and a large percentage of them end up in the world’s oceans, posing a massive threat to marine life. Jaden was in his early teens in 2015 when he co-founded JUST Water, which is an eco-conscious beverage brand that focuses on making water packaging from renewable resources. It has successfully offered a great alternative to the nearly half a trillion plastic water bottles purchased each year.
Reimagining Plastic Bottles
JUST Water’s primary action was in how it focused on reimagining the regular plastic water bottle. Rather than using recycled or petroleum-based plastic, JUST Water manufactures cartons made from nearly 90% plant-derived materials. More than half of the carton is produced from responsibly harvested paper, and its cap and shoulder are made from plant-based plastic. The remaining materials are aluminum and BPA-free plastic film for the packaging, which together make up less than 12% of the product.
Eco-friendly design aside, these cartons also offer another significant environmental benefit: because they can be shipped in flat rolls, 1.5 million cartons can be transported in one truck. To draw a comparison, it would take 13 trucks to ship the exact number of plastic bottles. This space-efficient model has prevented more than 4 million pounds of carbon from being released into the atmosphere!
JUST Water is sustainably sourced from the Adirondack Mountains. It’s known for its mineral content and naturally occurring pH. Moreover, JUST Water also obtains and handles water in a highly efficient manner, unlike the process of purifying tap water, which can result in water and energy wastage. The company launched its flavored Water line in 2018. It follows a simple and natural formula, and it is available in flavors of mint, cherry, blackberry, and lime. Additionally, it contains no sugar, calories, or artificial ingredients. The flavor is extracted by boiling organic fruits or herbs, capturing the steam, and converting it into water.
JUST Water’s Collaborations
Due to its eco-conscious efforts, JUST Water has achieved significant success. Over the past couple of years, they have also partnered with significant charity campaigns, where all sales proceeds were donated to meaningful organizations, such as the Amazon Forest Fund and #TOGETHERFUND x WJSFF, a global fundraising effort supporting justice and COVID-19 relief work worldwide.
Flint Water Crisis & The Water Box
In the mid-2010s, when residents in Flint, Michigan, were facing a water crisis, Jaden Smith was eager to find a more permanent solution than just sending cartons of water to the city. Lead piping caused a deadly water crisis, exposing almost 100,000 residents to dangerously high levels of the metal in the water. As a result of this contamination, at least twelve people lost their lives, and nearly 100 others were afflicted with Legionnaires’ disease. Locals were advised to drink only bottled and filtered water, but most residents were unable to afford it.
Together with Drew FitzGerald, his partner in the nonprofit 501CThree, and Jaron Rothkop, an engineer based in Michigan who designed a mobile water filtration system, Jaden was able to make a significant impact with his efforts.
This portable unit, known as the Water Box, generates clean drinking water at a rate of 10 gallons per minute. In just its 50 days in Flint, the Water Box was able to distribute over 5,000 gallons of free filtered water to locals. Since the water processed equates to the use of 43,000 single-use 16-ounce plastic bottles that pose an environmental threat, the Water Box also offers a significant environmental benefit.
Now, Flint is home to four Water Boxes, and the locals are immensely appreciative of Jaden Smith’s efforts and support. Residents laud Smith for his real commitment, unlike some celebrities who used the Flint crisis to amplify their PR campaigns. In late 2020, the Water Box was brought to Newark, New Jersey, which was also experiencing water contamination issues. Furthermore, it has also been installed in downtown Los Angeles at the ReFresh Spot, which is a community project.
Final Thoughts
Jaden Smith is only 26 years old, but he has made a significant impact in advocating for clean water. The young actor and activist has been hailed as an environmental warrior—and rightfully so. In an interview, he explained why he chose to go down this path, stating that he wants to give back because it’s the right thing to do, and he further discussed his ideas on how to approach it. He focused on creating a filtration system to send potable water to underserved communities, and he has indeed done that, and so much more.
Jaden Smith may be one of the most popular star kids of this era, but he’s so much more than his celebrity status would suggest. It’s refreshing to see how he has become a voice in transforming industries and empowering communities. From delivering free filtration systems to reimagining water packaging, Smith’s commitment to his efforts reflects an enduring devotion and not just a fleeting celebrity stunt. He proves that youthful passion can certainly inspire global change, and by fusing advocacy, philanthropy, and entrepreneurship, Jaden Smith has inspired change and eco-consciousness!
