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Bioplastics

This year we have seen the growth of water bottles made from Bioplastics. But what are Bioplastics?

Bioplastics are a form of plastic made from organic materials like vegetable oil, corn starch or pea starch rather than from petroleum. They are used either as a direct replacement for traditional plastics or as blends with traditional plastics They can be more environmentally friendly because they can are made from renewable resources and can be composted, blending harmlessly with the soil. The cornstarch molecules that bioplastics contain slowly absorb water and swell up, causing them to break apart into small fragments that bacteria can digest more readily.

Bioplastics are not without their own problems. Bioplastics are made from plants such as corn and maize and there is concern that land that could be used to grow food for the world is being used to "grow plastic" instead.

Because there are many different types of bioplastic, there's no guarantee that the product is compostable or recyclable. While bioplastic is sometimes compostable, it often requires high intensity, high heat commercial composting — it's not just a matter of tossing it into the compost bin at the bottom of the garden — and when some biodegradable plastics decompose in landfills, they produce methane gas.

Bioplastics can generally only be made into disposable items. It is easy to have bioplastic cups, forks and shopping bags, but there are still problems making transparent water bottles that will hold water for a few months.

Bioplastic looks like regular plastic. If bioplastics end up in current plastics recycling bins, they can contaminate the works and make the entire batch they're with impossible to recycle. There are fears that increasing use of some bioplastic may undermine existing efforts to recycle plastics.

 July 2010                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Back To The Top 

 

2009 Bottled Water Statistics

The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA), in conjunction with Beverage Marketing Corp. (BMC) <www.beveragemarketing.com> has released 2009 bottled water statistics, compiled by BMC, a research, consulting and financial services firm dedicated to the global beverage industry.  

The new BMC data shows the bottled water category's overall share of the liquid refreshment beverages marketplace held steady at approximately 29.2 percent in 2009. The overall consumption of bottled water has dropped slightly, by 2.5 percent, but the rate of decline is less than the decline of total U.S. refreshment beverage market, which dropped 2.7 percent in 2009. Given the continued poor U.S. economic situation, the bottled water industry is happy to hold its own against other packaged beverages.

In 2009, total bottled water consumption was 8.45 billion gallons, a 2.5 percent decrease compared to 2008's figure of 8.66 billion gallons.  Overall in 2009, the entire U.S. refreshment beverage category fell by 2.7 percent, the second consumption downturn in two years. Analysts attribute the drop primarily to a major U.S. recession, also in its second year. Consumption of carbonated soft drinks fell by 2.3 percent while sports drinks as a category declined by 12.3 percent. Packaged fruit beverages fell by 2 percent. Recently-launched flavored and vitamin-added bottled water saw an 8.8 percent decline. Energy drinks did advance 0.2 percent, while ready-to-drink bottled teas saw a 1.2 percent gain, the only category gains recorded in 2009.

"Although 2009 was the second year in a row of unusual weakness in liquid refreshment beverages' performance, the worst may be over," says Michael C. Bellas, chairman and CEO of BMC. "Beverages are likely to be one of the first categories to benefit with a job-led economic recovery because they represent an inexpensive form of pleasure."

Bottled water's 29.2 percent market share in 2009 of the liquid refreshment beverage category is up from 2008's volume share of 29.1 percent.

"During these tough economic times, consumers have trimmed discretionary spending," says Tom Lauria, vice president of communications for IBWA, "but bottled water sales decreased less than most other major categories.  Subsequently, we now enjoy steady market share as consumers chose bottled water over other packaged beverages."

Lauria continues: "The faltering economy has packaged beverage sales down across the board.  Some industry watchers have also wondered how much, if any, increased activism on the alleged environmental impact of bottled water is a possible reason for the drop. However, there has been a notable decrease in sales of nearly all packaged beverages including steep drops in many packaged beverage products that activists never discuss or protest. Meanwhile, there‚ was plenty of evidence that this recession is taking its toll on all forms of consumer spending. Bottled water is well-established and popular with consumers who rely on its convenience, healthfulness and refreshing taste."

Consumers should also know that bottled water safety and quality result from multiple layers of regulation and standards at the federal, state and industry levels.

"Consumers must also be made aware of the bottled water industry's outstanding record of environmental stewardship, protection, and sustainability," Lauria says.

Bottled water containers are 100 percent recyclable. Although bottled water makes up only one-third of 1 percent of the U.S. waste stream, according to the EPA, the bottled water industry works hard on a number of fronts with recycling advocates, communities and our beverage and food partners to increase recycling rates. The bottled water industry is also at the forefront of utilizing measures to reduce its environmental footprint. In the past eight years, bottled water companies have reduced the weight of PET resin plastic single-serve bottles by 32 percent. That is the equivalent of removing one out of three bottled water containers from the waste stream.

June 2010                                                                                                                                         Back To The Top

 

US Bottled Water Industry Has Small Environmental Footprint

The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) recently commissioned a Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) study to determine the environmental footprint of the US bottled water industry. The results indicate that bottled water has a very small environmental footprint.

The study found:

  • Measurement based on British Thermal Units (BTUs) indicates that the energy consumed to produce small-pack bottled water containers (from 8oz to 2.5 gallons) amounted to only 0.067% of the total energy use in the US in 2007. Home and Office Delivery (HOD) bottled water (reusable bottles from 2.5 to 5 gallons) energy consumption only amounted to 0.003% of the total energy used in the US in 2007.
  • The small-pack and HOD bottled water industries’ combined greenhouse gas/CO2 emissions amounted to only 0.08% of total US greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Bottled water packaging discards accounted for only 0.64% of the 169m tonnes of total US Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) discards in 2007.
  • The process and transportation BTU energy use for the bottled water industry was only 0.07% of total US BTU primary energy consumption.
  • Greenhouse gas emissions per half-gallon of single-serve bottled water came to 426.4g CO2 equivalent, which is 75% less CO2 eq per half-gallon than orange juice.
  • Small-pack bottled water generates 46% less CO2 eq when compared to soft drinks also packaged in PET plastic.

Franklin Associates, a division of ERG, produced the LCI and prepared a report that quantified the energy requirements, solid waste generation and greenhouse gas emissions for the production, packaging, transport and end-of-life management for bottled water consumed in the US in 2007.

According to a 2008 Beverage Marketing Corporation report, total consumption of bottled water in the US in 2007 was 8.8bn gallons.

The environmentally aware actions of many bottled water companies – such as the use of more recycled PET (rPET) in their bottle production, increasing recycling rates, and enhanced light weighting – have positively impacted the environmental footprint of the industry.

Another recent study confirms the bottled water industry’s very small environmental footprint. On 2 March 2010, Nestlé Waters North America, an IBWA member, released peer-reviewed findings on its environmental footprint in a study conducted by Quantis International.

Key findings from the study include:

  • Water is the least environmentally ‘impactful’ beverage option.
  • Tap water has lightest footprint, followed by tap water consumed in reusable bottles (if used more than 10 times), and then by bottled water.
  • Bottled water is the most environmentally responsible packaged drink choice.
  • Sports drinks, enhanced waters and soda produce nearly 50% more carbon dioxide emissions per serving than bottled water.
  • Juice, beer and milk produce nearly three times as many carbon dioxide emissions per serving than bottled water.
  • Milk, coffee, beer, wine and juice together comprise 28% of a consumer’s total beverage consumption, but represent 58% of climate change impact.

Source: International Bottled Water Association

 May  2010                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Back To The Top

 

IBWA Files Lawsuit Against Zero Water for Making False and Misleading Claims about Bottled Water

Alexandria, Virginia -- On March 10, 2010, the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) filed a lawsuit against Zero Water Technologies, LLC, the seller of at-home water filtration devices, for repeatedly engaging in false, misleading and unsubstantiated advertising designed to confuse consumers about its products and about how they compare to bottled water products. IBWA’s complaint, which was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, notes that Zero Water has improperly disparaged the quality, safety, and cost effectiveness of bottled water in comparison with its own products and has made false and unsubstantiated claims about the capabilities of its products. 

Zero Water claims that its products “remove 100% of detectable dissolved solids” and falsely suggests that the absence of all total dissolved solids (TDS) creates a healthier, cleaner, tastier water. In its lawsuit, IBWA points out that TDS is not an indicator of water quality or contamination, as Zero Water insinuates. Rather it is an innocuous collection of minerals commonly found in water. According to IBWA President Joe Doss, “Total Dissolved Solids mainly affect the taste of water and have not been shown to produce adverse physical health effects. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that certain concentrations of TDS may even have beneficial health effects.”

Contrary to their advertising claims, Zero Water filters do not remove all impurities or contaminants from water. Furthermore, Zero Water filters only remove certain organic contaminants for a short period of time before its low-capacity carbon filter is exhausted.

Zero Water’s ads make repeated references to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and FDA definitions for purified water that mislead the consuming public into thinking that Zero Water and its products have been tested, regulated, or approved by the FDA. However, Zero Water’s products are not regulated by the FDA and there is no evidence to suggest that Zero Water’s products have been tested to determine whether they “meet the FDA definition for purified bottled water” as stated in Zero Water’s ads. Rather, water filtration systems such as Zero Water’s are for the most part unregulated. This leaves consumers particularly vulnerable to claims like the ones made by Zero Water: unsubstantiated, false, or misleading statements about the safety, health benefits, and taste qualities of water treated by at-home water filtration systems.

In contrast to Zero Water’s claims, bottled water products sold by IBWA members and other bottled water companies are comprehensively regulated by the FDA to ensure their safety, quality, and proper labeling. Section 410 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (“FDCA”) requires that the FDA bottled water regulations be at least as stringent and protective of the public health as the federal Environmental Protection Agency requirements for municipal drinking water. In addition, the FDA mandates that bottled water products comply with comprehensive requirements, including Standard of Identity regulations, which provide uniform definitions for various types of bottled water (such as spring, distilled, mineral, and purified water), and Standards of Quality, which limit the amount of certain substances that can be present in bottled water products. In particular, the FDA Standards of Quality for bottled water set maximum allowable levels for physical, chemical, microbiological, and radiological contaminants.

The cumulative effect of Zero Water’s misleading, false, and unsubstantiated claims in its advertisements is that consumers are deceived as to the quality and efficacy of Zero Water’s products, as well as the claimed superiority of Zero Water filtered water over bottled water products. Moreover, Zero Water misrepresents its products’ capabilities and makes misleading comparisons to purified bottled water products. As a result, IBWA members have been substantially harmed and this lawsuit was necessary to correct this untenable situation.

###

The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) is the authoritative source of information about all types of bottled waters. Founded in 1958, IBWA's membership includes U.S. and international bottlers, distributors and suppliers. IBWA is committed to working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates bottled water as a packaged food product, and state governments to set stringent standards for safe, high quality bottled water products. In addition to FDA and state regulations, the Association requires member bottlers to adhere to the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice, which mandates additional standards and practices that in some cases are more stringent than federal and state regulations. A key feature of the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice is an annual, plant inspection by an independent, third party organization. Consumers can contact IBWA at 1-800-WATER-11 or log onto IBWA's web site (www.bottledwater.org) for more information about bottled water and a list of members' brands.

April 2010

Back To The Top

Bottled Water Coming To The Moon

The discovery of a significant amount of water on the Moon, announced recently by NASA, has fired up space enthusiasts and would-be lunar colonists. Building a permanent base on the Moon suddenly seems a lot less daunting.

Cynics are already talking of humans polluting the Moon’s water, while wags are joking that it’s only a matter of time before bottled water companies get involved in harvesting lunar water, if not physically, then somehow in marketing campaigns.

NASA’s announcement of water on the Moon has also complicated things for President Obama, who hasn’t seemed very keen on resuming a manned program to the Moon.

But more than anything else, what last week’s discovery underscores is that our instruments are finally coming of age: we are witnessing another golden era of astronomy, when our instruments’ capabilities are beginning to equal those required to test our theories. (Recently, we have also confirmed the existence of black holes and seen planets around other stars; we have found that the universe is speeding up; we have seen the ripples from the beginning of the universe.)

The idea that the Moon has water is not new. In the first century A.D., the Greek historian Plutarch wrote about it in “De Facie de Orb Lunae” (“On the Face of the Moon”), when he hypothesized that the dark areas we see were seas. Four hundred years ago, when Galileo first turned his telescope to the Moon and saw its mountains and craters, he too wondered whether the dark spots were oceans. In “Siderius Nuncius” (“Starry Messenger”), which Galileo published in 1610, he wrote that the Moon’s “brighter part would represent the land surface while its darker part would more appropriately represent the water surface.”

In 1647, after years of observations, Johannes Hevelius published the first lunar map and painted large swaths of the surface blue. Four years later, the Jesuit astronomers Francesco Maria Grimaldi and Giovanni Battista Riccioli published a map of Moon that codified the nomenclature that is still in use, calling the depressions maria or seas.

Over the next two centuries, the idea of a Moon awash with oceans was kept alive by astronomers and authors, from William Herschel (the discoverer of the planet Uranus) to Jules Verne (“From the Earth to the Moon”).

Then, as astronomical telescopes got better, it appeared that the Moon is airless and waterless. And a lunar atmosphere was needed to retain water since sunlight breaks down water into its constituent hydrogen and oxygen, and the Moon’s weak gravity is unable to prevent them from escaping. Even if there had been water on the Moon at one time, it would have escaped long ago, the thinking went.

Yet some astronomers refused to give up the idea that the Moon had some water or, at least ice. The ice would have come from comets which crash onto the Moon’s surface (comets contain a lot of ice). And, they reasoned, some of the ice would remain at the bottom of craters and in areas that don’t get sunlight because of the Moon’s tilt.

The first tantalizing data that ice may indeed be present in craters near the lunar poles was suggested by the Clementine probe in 1994 and reconfirmed by the Lunar prospector in 1998. Estimates of the amount of ice on the Moon ranged from a few million tons of ice to a few billion tons, enough to fill a small lake.

This is exactly what NASA has confirmed by “bombing” the Moon last month with one of its spacecraft. Its target was Cabeus, a crater close to the Moon’s south pole, which never gets any sunlight. NASA’s Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite hit pay dirt — the impact dug up significant amounts of ice from the crash site.

Another spacecraft, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter was watching, and observed the water. NASA scientists said last week that about about 25 gallons had been detected, immediately and dramatically changing the viability of a self-sustaining lunar base.

Water is heavy, making transporting the huge amounts of water that would be required to maintain a lunar base prohibitively expensive. Even if the water on the Moon is present as ice near the poles, it is a much simpler proposition to get it to a lunar base using, say, a rover, than it is to ship it from the Earth. A pound of payload bound Moonwards would cost up to $100,000 to hoist.

In addition to drinking and bathing, the lunar water could be used for hydroponics to grow plants. And it could easily be broken down to give oxygen to breathe and hydrogen that could work as a fuel for rockets for the inevitable Earth vacation.

President Obama will have to factor in the hopes of space cadets as he decides the fate of NASA’s space programs. The July report by the Augustine review panel wasn’t encouraging of crewed lunar missions or a permanent lunar base. The recent announcement has raised the political stakes of President Obama’s upcoming decision.

Forty years ago, when NASA astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the Moon, it seemed reasonable that the Apollo missions would be soon followed by hotels in orbit and a permanent outpost on the Moon.

They haven’t happened yet. But the discovery of ice on the Moon raises hopes again that, some day, humans may indeed live on the Moon.

Source NY Times

March 2010                                                                                                                                                           Back To The Top

Get Fit And Lose Weight In 2010

1.  Fitness and Health Happen One Small Step at a Time - Most people want to go from where they are today to being fit, healthy and strong in as short as time possible ... WAIT, slow down !!  Start slow ... one step at a time.  Start with making an appointment with yourself for 15 minutes a day of exercise, cut out a few snacks ... get use to it ... make it a part of your lifestyle and keep going.  Implementing small changes that take hold as actual lifestyle changes will have a lasting impact on your life!!  

2.  Make an Appointment with Yourself Everyday - The most important appointment you make is the one you make with yourself.  What I do is I make an appointment with myself everyday for 2 hours and I will not change it for anything or anyone. If someone asks me if I am busy at 5:00 I say yes, I have a meeting that I cannot change. Start slow and make an appointment with yourself for 15 minutes.  Change it for nothing.  What could be more

important than an appointment with yourself?  As we exercise we become more efficient, we have more energy and better mental alertness.  Gradually increase your appointment time with yourself to an hour.  

3.  Drink Lots of Water - Here is an EASY way to feel better almost immediately ... have a glass or two of water.  Lean muscle tissue contains about 75% water by weight. Blood contains 95% water, body fat contains 14% water and bone has 22% water. Skin also contains much water. The human body is about 60% water in adult males and 55% in adult females.  Every bodily function relies on ample amounts of water.  If you wake up and feel off, drink a glass or two of water and see what happens. Drinking water can make you lose weight. The average person does not consume enough water so their body "pools" water because it is concerned that it is not getting enough.  By drinking lots of water consistently, your body then goes into the opposite mode.  Its getting too much and will begin releasing the large "Pools" of stored water. 

4.  Get Excited About Being You - This is one of those life philosophies that I am passionate about.  All of us have things about us that we would change but here is the important thing ... who we are today is exactly who we made ourselves to be.  How do we get excited about being ourselves?  Health, fitness and an exciting lifestyle is derived not stepped into.  Its like looking at your beautiful neighbors garden.  How did it get that way?  Well, he or she probably spent a lot of time and effort to get it that way ... if you want one just like them, you need to spend some time and get excited about doing it.  Start off with the small things ... one step at a time.  Make changes in your life gradually and realize that as we implement some positive lifestyle changes, amazing things will happen.  If you do not start what happens?  Thats right, nothing.  

5.  Take Your Bodybuilding Magazines and throw them in the Garbage - Bodybuilding is a sport that should be akin to Wrestling and Circus shows.  Any sport that requires its athletes to consume and inject chemical concoctions to grow abnormally big and to force the body down to a near death 5% body fat level is not fitness or the embodiment of health ... it is the erosion of health.  There seems to be confusion with regards to lifting weights and bodybuilding.  The two are very different.  Most of what is preached in get big magazines is not what the average person seeking a healthy lifestyle should be doing or in any way strive for.  I have no respect for a sport or a fitness regimen that is in essence, a chemical contest.  Health and fitness is a lifestyle that is grounded in sensible and practical choices that make us healthier and increase our quality of life.  Muscle Flex Inc. as well as I, strongly opposes what is preached in the bodybuilding lifestyle.  It has become nothing less than a circus side show or another wrestling event.

6.  Do Isometric Exercises Throughout the Day ... In the Car, At Your Desk ... Anywhere - Isometrics are defined as exercises done in static positions, rather than being dynamic through a range of motion.  The joint and muscle are either worked against an immovable force (overcoming isometric) or are held in a static position while opposed by resistance (yielding isometric).  So for example, you are at a red light ... place your hands at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock on your steering wheel ... force your hands together into the center and hold that flexing position for a few seconds.  Now pull your hand apart and hold.  In essence you are pushing and pulling against an immovable object.  Isometric exercises are amazing for burning calories and toning muscles and you can do them anywhere.  You can work your abs anywhere anytime ... the mere act of flexing your abdominals is an extremely effective at trimming the body fat and the great thing is that you can do it anywhere and anytime!!

7.  Get lots of Sleep ... But Not too Much - Everyone seems to be different in how much sleep they require.  Studies have shown that the amount of sleep a person needs is very much based on a persons genetics and physical makeup.  Regardless, sleep is an important part of the healing and repair process of the body.  Not enough sleep can result in a diminished mental capacity, low energy and a weakened immune system.  Too much sleep and we begin to feel chronically tired.  A good rule is the 7-8 hour rule. I am also a big fan of the early to bed, early to rise mantra.  One other important point with regards to sleeping is never sleep on your stomach.  I highly recommend that you buy a body pillow and sleep in the fetal position ... it is extremely comfortable. Source: Mucleflex.com

January 2010                                                                                                                                                                 Back To The Top

Pure Blue Takes Green Step With Recycling Collection Service

Pure Blue Natural Spring Water has enhanced its commitment to the environment with its proactive approach to PET and glass bottle recycling.

The Cornish, carbon neutral natural spring water is proactively tackling the post-consumption issue, helping to close the recycling loop and ensure that fewer glass and PET bottles end up in landfill, thanks to its recycling pick-up services.

Pure Blue Natural Spring Water commits to collecting glass and PET bottles from corporate and on-trade customers, scheduling pick-ups in line with upcoming deliveries in order to minimize its carbon footprint, while also eliminating a recycling cost and burden for its client base. Once removed, Pure Blue uses local services to recycle the bottles, feeding back into the first phase of environmentally minded production.

“We created Pure Blue from a love of water and our natural British surroundings,” said Pure Blue co-founder, Richard Lawrie. “The environment is always front of mind, therefore we constantly look at new ways to incorporate additional environmentally responsible processes. Our recycling service gives customers a burden-free solution to PET and glass waste management, while giving us peace of mind that we’re helping the environment even further, both pre- and post-consumption.”

February 2010                                                                                                                                                            Back To The Top

The Facts about Bisphenol A (BPA) 

America's non-alcoholic beverage industry is committed to using products and containers that meet or exceed all government health, safety and quality standards.  Recently, questions have been raised about bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical used to make a type of plastic known as polycarbonate and epoxy resins, which are sometimes used as can liners for food and beverage containers.

The beverage industry's products and containers are safe and pose no public health risk, including any alleged risk associated with BPA.

Can manufacturers rely on can linings, which may contain trace amounts of BPA, to prevent spoilage and protect food and beverages from direct contact with the can.  However, these trace amounts are virtually eliminated during the curing process which results in the protective polymer coating.  In fact, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and other government agencies around the globe have found no public health risk associated with BPA in any food or beverage.

In addition, plastic bottled water and soft drink containers are made from a plastic known as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which does not contain BPA. 

Our industry is proud of the quality of all of our beverages and their packaging.  Millions of people around the world trust us because, for generations, our industry has made products that are refreshing, convenient and, above all, safe.

February 2010                                                                                                                                                           Back To The Top

 

 

 

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