9000 Years Dagu Glacier Spring Water

I stopped in at a convenience store in Guangzhou (CHINA) yesterday and came across this bottle of mineral water. The first thing I noticed was the foil pack. The print claims the introduction of this new outer packaging seals of light and prevents the introduction of electromagnetic waves that would effect the water quality.

Dagu Glacier Spring Water is Nine Thousand Six Hundred and Ten years old. The company pledges that all their products are bottled at source and even go as far as to offer a 1 Million RMB (US $147,000) reward to anyone who can offer proof that the company has manufactured and filled the product in a plant outside the place of origin or any engagement in contract production to produce and bottle the product.

While most 500ml PET water bottles are priced around3 RMB, this bottle of Dagu Glacier Spring Water was selling for 10 RMB (US $1.47). This is the first time I am seeing this water in the market which makes me curious as to how effective their marketing campaign will be. Chinese consumers are generally quite conservative and I can't imagine too many people would pay over 3 times the price of competitors brands to enjoy the purity of 9000 year old glacier water, no matter how good it tastes.

The bottle design is simple, yet attractive. They have utilized a 1.9g HDPE 30/25 water neck closure and a 19.5g preform. It is refreshing to see that they have not gone for a heavy preform simply to make their bottle feel more expensive as some artesian brands do, but the foil pack does seem quite wasteful.

Water for Water

“Recently finished design for a new line of bottled water called ‘Water For Water’ which is currently stocked across all Gloria Jean’s Coffee houses in Australia, with plans to implement the water into the international GJC franchises in the near future as well as other retail outlets.

The goal of the design was to reflect the international goals of the water (via the small text on the front with WATER in different languages) along with providing a design that would stand out from the rest of the bottled water that’s currently on the market. The design of the bottle took on and off approximately six months, going through various different design iterations including trials on different stocks, and was also affected by getting approval for the right launch date.

All of the profits from the sale of Water for Water go directly towards water based projects and initiatives and currently the first project is a Water Station in Caloocan, Philippines. It’ll provide not only clean drinking water at a minute cost, but also host a community centre that’ll he provide education both for children and adults as well as run programs on healthy living.”

Source: Lovely Package

Method Laudry Detergent

Method Laundry Detergent has just dropped their new fabric cleaner in the US market and claim that it is 'smarter', 'easier', and 'greener' than their competitors brands. How? Well they are utilizing a new formula with 'smartclean' technology, their precision dosing pump avoids wastage, and their plant based formula is 95% natural packed in bottles that are not only easier to hold and transport, but also uses 36% less plastic than other leading detergent brands. While it usually cost consumers more to go green, Method Laundry Detergent is actually giving visitors to their website $2 off of their next Method purchase. While USA and EU are offering subsidies to manufacturers who cut emissions in those regions, we still have to weigh how cost effective it is to 'go green' in Africa.

Ashley Greene x SoBe Life Water

Ashley Greene, gorgeous star of the super famous 'Twilight' TV series franchise recently posed naked for SoBe Lifewater, a spread that will feature in the annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. SoBe Lifewater boasts zero calories and now a semi-nude Ashley Greene to make their product all the more attractive. You gotta love celebrity endorsements.

Is Glass Packing Best for the Environment?

Beverage Daily today published an article titled 'Glass Packing is Best for the Environment'. While the article does contain some interesting facts, it is however based on a study conducted by the EU Association for Container Glass. 2 countries that have the most successful glass recycling systems in place are Belgium and Sweden with close to 100% of their glass jars and bottles that were put on the market, being collected for recycling.

Responsible beverage manufacturers do regularly ask the question, is glass better for the environment? Based on extensive studies, the answer is yes. But is it a practical solution for 3rd world or West African market place? The cost of manufacturing glass bottles is more expensive as is distribution. The recycling process is also costly and bottles have to be collected from various vendors. Transporting bottles to rural areas takes trucks over some rough roads which inevitably leads to breakages. Glass is also more heavy in areas where goods are transported over long distances by manual labor.

While both Sweden and France have some of the best drinking water available from their taps, they also boast the most sophisticated glass bottle and jar recycling systems. But in places like Africa where there is a greater demand for packaged food and beverages, there are few facilities to deal with the rubbish left over. It is still evident that the recycling technology available in the America's and Europe has not even begun to trickle down to Africa, while large beverage manufacturers can still take advantage of the loose carbon and waste emission laws. It seems to me that the question is not really weather PET or glass is better, but rather, what else have we got?

COCO Organic Coconut Water

“Brazilian scientist Dr Antonio Martins invented a revolutionary new way of extracting coco juice so that it is left as pure and untouched as it is in the coconut.

His brief to us was to craft a new identity that linked his coco juice, coco milks and indulgent coco cream, and to create packaging that also communicated the various health benefits and taste characteristics of the different products.

Our brand overhaul managed to pull off Dr Martins’ various demands and had a dramatic effect on sales, securing the brand an award at an international exhibition and a prestigious launch at Harvey Nichols.”

Green Coco Europe appears to have a great business model where they source only organic coconuts from local co-operatives. They also try to invest directly in education charities passing on Dr. Martins patented extraction technology. They got a pretty good assortment of products with mixed flavors including pineapple and banana. One of their goals is to expand their range using all parts of the coconut (water, flesh, and husk).

Source: Lovely Package

Recyled PET Bottle Dwellings

While PET beverage packaging is practical and cost effective, most manufacturers and consumers alike are aware of the environmental impact our addiction to PET has on this planet. While we can not eliminate the need for PET bottles, there are more solutions available to recycle PET.

Individual environmentalists and scientists have been working with impoverished communities in Latin America and Caribbean nations using waste PET bottles to build homes. They have demonstrated that by filling bottles with silted sand and with their method of construction, "PET bottles make a tougher, more durable construction material than common concrete blocks used in most Central American building."

PET bottles are either woven together and stacked with reinforcement to make walls or even poured in molds with cement to create modular panels.

Not only has this method proven to be practical and durable, some conversationalists are even making these homes look good!

With an island of PET the size of North America taking shape in the Pacific Ocean and our demand for packaged beverages on the rise, this is just another solution for 3rd world markets to consider.

Sources: Learning Site, Temasactuales, EcoPop