i'meco Sponsors Korean National Opera with Eco-Friendly Bottled Water

What happened

The bottled water brand i'meco will give free bottled water to the audience, performers, and staff of the National Opera Company of Korea's show 'Das Rheingold' (The Rhinegold). The show runs at the Opera House of the Seoul Arts Center from October 29 to November 1. The water comes in bottles made from plants. This is the second year i'meco has sponsored the company.

Key facts

• The water bottles are made 100% from plant-based material, using PLA (polylactic acid, a plastic made from plants).
• The plant material includes sugarcane.
• Tests for microplastics and nanoplastics (tiny plastic bits) found none.
• The National Opera Company plans to stage the full Ring cycle, its first time in Korea, by 2029.

About the opera

'Das Rheingold' is the first part of 'Der Ring des Nibelungen' (The Ring of the Nibelung), a four-part opera by German composer Richard Wagner. It tells the story of greed and conflict over a powerful ring made from gold taken from the Rhine River. Conductor Lothar Koenigs and director Lorenzo Fioroni lead the production.

Why it matters

Plastic bottles usually come from oil. i'meco says its bottles use plant material instead, and that it checks quality from raw material to testing. The company says this fits the opera's theme of how people want and use things. It also shows how arts groups and businesses can work together to be more eco-friendly.

What to watch

• How the audience reacts to the plant-based bottles at the show.
• Whether the National Opera Company keeps its plan to stage the full Ring cycle by 2029.
• Whether i'meco and the opera company continue their partnership after this year.