Lance Collins, the beverage entrepreneur behind FUZE, NOS, BODYARMOR and CORE Hydration, has launched ZenWTR, a premium vapor-distilled alkaline water positioned at pH 9.5 with a packaging platform built around ocean-bound recycled plastic. The brand is already on shelf at Walmart, Whole Foods Market, Amazon, QuikTrip, Circle K Frontier Division, Kwik Trip, Bristol Farms and Erewhon, with H-E-B distribution set to begin October 5.
The Product Platform
ZenWTR's process starts with vapor distillation, followed by electrolytic ionization to reach the 9.5 pH target. A proprietary mineral and electrolyte blend — calcium, potassium and magnesium — is then introduced to build the brand's flavor profile. The flagship format is a 20-ounce bottle sized for on-the-go and active-use dayparts, a format well-suited to convenience and natural-channel velocity. The broader portfolio extends into additional package sizes to cover at-home and food-service-adjacent occasions.
The bottle itself is the brand's central structural claim: it is made from 100% recycled, certified ocean-bound plastic collected from coastal communities where formal recycling infrastructure is limited. ZenWTR also holds what it describes as the world's first Plastic Negative Certification, issued after a third-party audit of its plastic footprint. The brand's partnership with the Plastic Credit Exchange supports recovery and recycling of plastic equivalent to 200% of its annual footprint. Ocean-bound plastic supply has been sourced from Indonesia, Thailand, Ecuador and Paraguay. ZenWTR additionally commits 1.0% of revenue to ocean conservation and recycling education in the United States.
Channel and Competitive Context
The premium hydration segment — which includes brands such as Essentia, Waiakea and CORE — has been one of the more durable growth lanes in the broader beverage-and-water category. Alkaline water specifically has attracted sustained consumer trial in natural, specialty grocery and convenience channels, driven by active-lifestyle positioning and functional-hydration framing. ZenWTR's retail footprint at launch spans all three: mass (Walmart), natural (Whole Foods, Erewhon, Bristol Farms), convenience (QuikTrip, Circle K, Kwik Trip) and e-commerce (Amazon), giving the brand broad initial velocity data across channel types simultaneously.
For foodservice and retail buyers evaluating the premium water set, ZenWTR's ocean-bound plastic credential differentiates it from most alkaline competitors, which have largely competed on source water provenance or pH claims alone. The 1% revenue commitment to conservation programs and the Plastic Negative certification create a verifiable sustainability narrative that aligns with ESG procurement criteria increasingly common in chain and institutional purchasing.
Investors and Outlook
The brand's investor syndicate spans professional sports, entertainment and consumer business, including Travis Kelce, Phil Knight, Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson, James Harden, Aaron Rodgers, Khloé Kardashian, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Zoë Saldaña, Paris Hilton and Jared Leto. That roster signals marketing reach and earned media capacity well above what a typical emerging beverage brand commands at launch — a meaningful advantage in a premium water category where shelf placement is competitive and consumer trial is expensive.
Collins, who also operates Recover 180 Organic Sports Hydration, Accelerator and WTR Plus within his current portfolio, framed the brand's ambition in terms that will resonate with operators evaluating better-for-you beverage programs: "We want to prove that consumers do not have to compromise on quality or taste to support meaningful environmental impact."
For commercial foodservice operators and retail buyers, ZenWTR's multi-channel retail debut and its documented sustainability credentials position it as a credible addition to premium water assortments — particularly in segments where beverage program differentiation and sustainable packaging commitments are gaining traction with guests and institutional stakeholders alike.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
