Nestlé Waters' Poland Spring Joins with UMaine on Bio-Based Materials

This collaboration between academia and a major brand supports the development of technologies to identify and assess viable alternative materials that will reduce the environmental impact of packaging.

Nestle Waters North America U Maine

Poland Spring® Brand 100% Natural Spring Water announced a collaboration with the University of Maine and its Forest Bioproducts Research Institute to evaluate and develop bio-based solutions that could serve as alternative packaging for Poland Spring products. As part of the collaboration, the University of Maine will explore new possible uses of materials derived from sustainably harvested Maine wood, an effort that has the potential to advance the circular economy by contributing to the total utilization of this renewable resource.

"UMaine is grateful for Poland Spring's support of our world-leading research, development and commercialization in this area," says Joan Ferrini-Mundy, University of Maine President. "Forestry is a cornerstone of Maine's economy, and the Forest Bioproducts Research Institute was created to provide and promote technology validation and partnerships that will meet societal needs for materials, chemicals and fuels in an economically and ecologically sustainable manner. This collaboration serves that important mission, leveraging the expertise of our faculty and staff, and facilitating the engagement of our students in cutting-edge research with important implications for our state and the wider world."


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Poland Spring is initiating this collaboration with the University of Maine to assess biomaterial technologies that could serve as alternatives to petroleum-derived, non-renewable materials. This joint effort evolved after Nestlé Waters North America (NWNA) sponsored a two-day bioplastics summit at the University of Maine in May 2019 that brought together stakeholders representing all sectors of Maine's forest economy to discuss and explore these issues.

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