Family-owned, Shelburne, ON, Canada-based Ice River Springs is launching a new 15-L bottle for water coolers that is made of 100% recycled plastic and is green. The new bottles have been launched as part of Ice River Springs’ initiatives to reduce energy use and recycle plastics in a closed loop system. Ice River Springs is the only beverage company in North America to operate a bottle recycling operation that takes in bottles from municipal recycling programs, sorts and purifies them, and then produces certified food-grade plastic ready for reuse.
The bottles are green because it enables Ice River to reclaim plastic from green bottles that might otherwise go to waste. Consumers are supportive. According to the company, in a research study of 849 bottled water users, 82% said a bottle made of 100% recycled material giving them a green tint would make the brand more appealing.
The product will be available in major retail chains starting in Western Canada under the Arrowhead brand name.
Ice River Springs is committed to all efforts to reduce impact on the environment. “There’s enough plastic in the world today, we just need to find ways to reuse it,” explains Jamie Gott, CEO of Ice River Springs. “Few companies need the green plastic that we collect from our recycling operation. We have launched Arrowhead water in green bottles to make use of this plastic and take it out of landfills.”
Green PET bottles, which are BPA-free, are an alternative to returnable polycarbonate bottles. BPA is an ingredient that has been banned in baby feeding bottles. While the Arrowhead bottle is changing, the water itself is unchanged. Its source is near High River, Alberta, Canada, fed from rivers originating from the glaciers of Kananaskis country and the Rockies.
The launch of Arrowhead Spring Water is being supported by a website, FightforNothing.com, which explains the health and environmental benefits of spring water as an alternative to other on-the go beverages. It also provides a list of stores carrying the brand.
