Issue 59 | Water Innovation by FoodBev Media Ltd

WATER innovation

foodbev com A world of food and drink

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Wildest dreams

PLUS

Could Waters of Patagonia be sitting on the ideal renewable water resource?

Product and company news Latest industry updates

Enter the 2010 water innovation awards now! Special report

FOCUS

PET: perfect package

Green guidance

water innovation awards

2010

INSIGHT

Lap of luxury: premium waters

漏 water innovation 2010. Reproduced with the kind permission of FoodBev Media - www.foodbev.com For details about syndication and licensing please contact the marketing team on 01225 327890.

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Issue 59 - March 路 April 2010

Inside this issue Springboard

An overview of new products.

Ingredient innovations

The latest from the world of ingredients.

Chico González / E185 / www.republik.cl

A selection of lighter news, including sipping celebs.

Product innovations

Waters of Patagonia tells us how and why it is striving to transform the world’s water supplies.

Tech innovations

SPECIAL

27 REPORT

water innovation’s technical news roundup.

Newsreel

PET power

News summary. For regular industry news updates, visit www.foodbev.com/water

A look at the benefits of PET for packaging water, and the latest industry developments.

Marketplace

water innovation products and services guide.

COVER STORY

Wildest dreams

Bubbles

Editor Medina Bailey looks at the importance of getting the green message across to consumers.

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Advertiser index.

One to watch Previewing the water innovation awards 2010.

FOCUS

Sustainability

Enter now!

How is the packaged water market addressing sustainability issues?

See ‘One to watch’ on page 50 and www.waterinnovationawards.com

INSIGHT

Luxury waters Take a dip into the elite world of premium waters.

FoodBev com A world of food and drink

Images: screen © Irochka, bottle © Filipe Varela, tomato © Mailthepic, carton © Photoeuphoria, cheese © Edyta Pawlowska, glass © Konstantin Tavrov, orange © Les Cunliffe, bean © Monika3stepsahead, biscuit © Picsfive, strawberry © Braendan Yong | Dreamstime.com

www.foodbev.com/water Issue 59 - March · April 2010

CONTENTS 3

Springboard

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Climate of communication

oming up with innovative sustainable solutions has been the main focus of many companies in recent years, but a recent study has highlighted the importance of them communicating their green efforts to consumers. MapChange 2010, a collaboration between Change, a green branding consultancy, Angus Reid Public Opinion and Climate Counts, researched nearly 100 companies in the US, spanning 10 product and service areas, including the food and beverage arena. It found that there is a clear discrepancy between perceived and actual corporate sustainability. For example, although the environmentally friendly actions of commercial delivery companies UPS and DHL are about the same, when it comes to consumer perceptions of the

firms, UPS’ score is five times higher. “To compete, brands must innovate - and the best new innovations tend to be sustainable,” said Marc Stoiber, founder of Change, which led the study. “But even that’s not enough in today’s marketplace. Brands need to generate sustainable innovation quickly and communicate it effectively. When they don’t - and when their green innovation isn’t consumer-facing - they sacrifice some of the competitive advantage of being a green leader.”

Food and beverage sector results Company

Source: Climate Counts / Angus Reid Public Opinion

Perceived

Actual

General Mills

The Kellogg Company

Kraft Foods

Nestlé

The Coca-Cola Company

Sara Lee

PepsiCo

Stonyfield Farm

Anheuser-Busch InBev

ConAgra Foods

31 64

Group Danone

Unilever

Molson Coors Brewing

SABMiller

The climate action figures were provided by nonprofit organisation Climate Counts as part of its annual climate change study of well known consumer companies, including The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, Nestlé and Group Danone. The perceptions calculations were garnered from

more than 2,000 American adults in a random sample, and measured by Angus Reid. Across every sector, MapChange 2010 shows a disparity between consumer perceptions of companies’ sustainability activities and their actual performances. “This study is a wake-up call for companies that don’t yet see green as a potent opportunity for new profits,” said Rafael Viton, President and partner of Maddock Douglas. “The real leaders are using green as a platform for developing products, services and business models that drive both their bottom line and positive global change.” In a similar vein, page 20 of this issue brings Waters of Patagonia’s incredible story as the company reveals its plans to tackle water shortages by redistributing water around the globe. You can also find out about the packaged water industry’s latest environmental efforts on page 38, read about packaging solutions in PET in the Special Report from page 27, and feast your eyes on some luxurious water branding on page 42. Enjoy!

Medina Bailey

In the next issue Don’t miss all of this: Special Report The perfect cover: Caps and closures Focus In the spotlight: Media, PR and marketing Insight Cool moves in refrigeration and vending Regional Review Asia Pacific

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4 EDITORIAL

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Bubbles

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Lightening up the news

Al Ain Mineral Water sponsors aerobatic show

Sipping celebs

Al Ain Mineral Water Company has gold sponsored the Al Ain Aerobatic Show for the third consecutive year. Held under the patronage of His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nayhan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of UAE Armed Forces, the show was staged in the Garden City of Al Ain. Set against the backdrop of one of the world’s oldest desert oasis settlements, this year’s event

The latest water related news from planet celebrity

featured a South African team attempting to complete a triple synchronised inverted parachute drop while an aircraft display performed a formation loop, as well as the only disabled pilots’ aerobatic display team in the world from Italy. A ‘FunZone’ with activities, games and competitions was also provided for children and families, along with complimentary Al Ain water bottles and Capri-Sun juice.

Stars including Jeff Bridges, Will Smith, Bono, Celine Dion, Stevie Wonder, Kanye West and Barbra Streisand were kept hydrated with H2Om Water with Intention as they gathered to record Haiti relief single, ‘We are the world’. The water brand is also donating a portion of its 2010 proceeds to Haiti, and The Samburu Project, which provides water wells to communities in Africa without access to clean drinking water.

Scottish European Tour player Marc Warren has signed a new sponsorship deal with Highland Spring. The golfer will drink the water as part of his dietary routine and his bag will feature the UK brand’s logo as he competes in tournaments around the world.

Szentkirályi to reveal new ad face Szentkirályi Mineral Water is keeping consumers guessing about which celebrity will feature in its latest television advert campaign. The water brand is keeping the star’s identity under wraps until its spring press conference, but it is allowing the public to choose which young footballer will appear alongside

them in the ad. Consumers can text in the name of their favourite out of a shortlist of nine, which were decided on after casting sessions with leading football clubs. Pictures of the young hopefuls have been displayed on labels of the water’s 1.5 litre still and sparkling bottles.

Connie Fisher, the leading lady in Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, The Sound of Music, is lending her vocal support to the 2010 WaterAid Munro Challenge. The event, which aims to raise money for the water charity, is appealing for over 5,000 people to form teams to climb every mountain in the UK and Ireland over 3,000ft on 12 June.

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light news 5

Innovations

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The Editor’s pick of the latest packaged water launches

Isklar set to sparkle Isklar Norwegian Glacial Natural Mineral Water is launching a lightly sparkling version of its mineral water. The new offering, which is said to contain millions of gentle bubbles, is available in 460ml bottles for on-the-go shoppers and a larger 975ml size for fine dining in restaurants and at home. As with Isklar’s still variety, the design aims to communicate the water’s pure and invigorating glacial origins through its faceted bottle, teal label and transparent cap. According to Isklar, nearly all sparkling mineral water bottles are cylindrical in cross section due to the internal pressure created by carbonated water, which pushes outwards. The firm overcame this technical issue

by analysing and modifying each individual facet on the bottle. By combining a curved profile with beading on the facet borders and a petaloid base, it has produced a structurally sound bottle that matches the still water variant, yet can contain sparkling. “We are very excited about this launch and will be backing it with a specific advertising campaign as part of our £2.5 million brand investment,” said CEO Peter Krogh. “With its eye catching bottle, Isklar sparkling is the perfect choice for the style and health conscious consumer, especially those that want a healthy sparkling drink on the go.” Price point: 975ml - £0.79 460ml - £0.49 6 x 975ml multipack - £4.45 6 x 460ml multipack - £2.49.

LFH overhauls Arwa water packaging

Recyclability and local sourcing from Echo Beverages Echo water has been developed to offer consumers a 100% recycled and recyclable bottle and locally sourced water. The product features packaging made from 100% post consumer recycled plastic and purified municipal water from LA, which is enhanced with electrolytes. The bottles also sport removable labels, which can be removed and thrown into the bin with the bottle, and are packaged and transported in boxes constructed from 100% post consumer recycled paperboard. Echo is made, distributed and sold in Los Angeles, US.

Arwa, the bottled water brand owned by The Coca-Cola Company, is being relaunched with a new packaging design by brand design consultancy LFH. Available across the Middle East, Arwa was originally launched in 2002. The Coca-Cola Company asked LFH to create a more contemporary design to communicate the brand’s positioning as: ‘Vitality for Life’. Steve Irvine, LFH’s Creative Director commented: “In a very cluttered and fiercely competitive market, there was a need to upgrade the design and give a much more contemporary flavour to help Arwa gain leadership of the water category. “So, we have integrated the logotype with the flow of water which runs across the pack. The water and the droplet communicate refreshment and vitality in a contemporary way. A simple, less cluttered design has brought it bang up to date to appeal to a younger, more active consumer.”

6 PRODUCT NEWS

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Innovations Billbury unveils mineral water and wellness beverage range Indian firm Billbury Food and Beverages has introduced a new range of mineral water products. The line, which includes Glacier, Vitalife and Hangover Over, has been launched at major retail establishments, with the assistance of the company’s distribution and marketing network. Currently available in Delhi, Punjab, Maharashtra and Goa, the range is produced at a plant in Himachal Pradesh, with technical services provided by a Japanese firm. Glacier mineral water is retailed at 35Rs for a litre bottle and 20Rs for a 500ml size.

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Redesign for Balance Water Blue Marlin is behind the packaging redesign for Balance Water, spring water made with Australian flower essences. The new look, which is also 100% biodegradable and recyclable, has already hit retailers across the US and Australia.

BEFORE

Vitalife and Hangover Over are priced at 65Rs for the litre formats and 45Rs for 500ml. Vitalife is being positioned as a wellness beverage that aims to aid digestion, neutralise acidity levels and remove toxins, while Hangover Over claims to help revitalise the body after alcohol consumption and boost stamina.

Harrogate Spa puts spring in its step UK bottled water brand Harrogate Spa Water is being relaunched as Harrogate Spring Water. Its new brand identity, which includes a packaging revamp, aims to emphasise the benefits of spring water, while retaining its strong British heritage. “Harrogate Spring Water is from the original British spa town and we’re incredibly proud of that heritage, but we wanted to highlight the water’s source so our customers realise that they’re getting the full benefits of a British spring water too,” explained Managing Director at parenting company, Water Brands Group, Paul Martin. “We now feel we have come of age and grown into a truly national brand so the time is right to align ourselves with the other major players in the bottled water sector. We’re a modern, stylish and distinctive brand that sources over 98% of our

packaging from within 70 miles of the source in Harrogate. This is something we’re immensely proud of, so we wanted to make more of communicating our British credentials, as we continue to keep our food miles to a minimum while simultaneously investing to keep the UK market thriving.”

AFTER

As well as the change of emphasis from spa to spring, the new packaging features a discreet Union Jack symbol. The brand will continue its UK golf sponsorship deals for both the British Women’s Open and the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. The new products can be found in supermarket chains Asda, Waitrose and Tesco, as well as at Vue Cinemas.

8 PRODUCT NEWS

www.foodbev.com/water Issue 59 - March · April 2010

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Coconut water laid bare Naked Juice has added a coconut water to its lineup. Naked Coconut Water claims to be made from 100% coconut water, which is a good source of potassium and electrolytes. Extracted from Brazilian coconuts, the product is free from preservatives, fat and gluten, and has no added sugar. It contains 60 calories per bottle, 650mg of potassium, 65mg of calcium and 23mg of magnesium. The water is available across the US in the functional beverage and grab and go sections of Whole Foods stores.

Milk it Developed for feeding babies, Nourish provides formula ready, purified spring water in a bottle with a teat top, eliminating the need to wash bottles out in toilets or ask for water in restaurants while on the go. Made from BPA free, recyclable PET, the 8oz container enables baby formula to be added, shaken and served. It features a reusable or recyclable teat and collar, wide

neck and extra room for adding and mixing formula, as well as volume markings. A toddler variant has also been developed, which comes with a spill proof sippy top and 10oz recyclable PET plastic bottle filled with purified spring water. Nourish was the brainchild of CEO Lara Hodgson, who found it stressful to feed her child while out and about. The company is based in Atlanta, Georgia.

Price point: 11.2oz - $1.99.

Green Planet rolls out 100% plant based bottle Green Planet Bottling has launched a water packaged in an organic, 100% plant based bottle. According to the company, the bottles are toxin free, carbon neutral, reusable, completely recyclable and compostable in 80 days. The water is vapour-distilled for purity and taste, and, when possible, sourced within 500 miles of its target destination. It is currently available in a 16.9oz size, with 12oz and 1 litre formats due to be released this spring.

For more information about the functionaldrinks newsletter, visit www.functionaldrinksnews.com

Functional findings Jenny Foulds, Editor of Zenith International’s functionaldrinks, brings us the latest news from the enhanced waters market.

Star backed coconut water set for growth Vita Coco, the reported bestselling coconut water and one of the fastest-growing beverage brands in the US, is poised for major growth in 2010, according to local press coverage. With a 60% share of the coconut water market and annual revenue more than

doubling in 2009, Vita Coco CEO and co-founder Michael Kirban’s recent announcement of a new, high profile set of investors could help the brand achieve record sales this year. On 4 February 2010, Kirban publicly revealed that entertainment manager Guy Oseary and his client Madonna have invested in the company - each contributing a reported US$1.5 million, with Oseary also bringing Matthew McConaughey, Demi Moore and Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis on board as additional investors.

The announcement apparently also went out on Madonna’s Facebook page, reaching 1.9 million people and increasing Vita Coco’s web traffic ten fold.

in the Vorarlberg region and there are plans to extend distribution both nationally and to Germany and Switzerland during 2010.

Glacier ice range offers promise

Coconut water added to juice line

Brands International Marketing & Sales Managing Director, Franz Ellmer, is pleased with the performance of the company’s near water range, Arlberg Quelle GletscherEis (glacier ice). Introduced to the Austrian market in June 2009, the product is currently available

Market Connections Group has expanded its Amy & Brian brand of natural juices with a coconut water offering. Packaged in a can, Coconut Juice is 100% natural, made from the water of young coconuts and has no added sugar or artificial additives.

www.foodbev.com/water Issue 59 - March · April 2010

PRODUCT NEWS 9

Ingredient innovations

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Natural, low calorie solution from Döhler

öhler developed MultiSweet Stevia in a bid to appeal to consumers looking for products which are natural and low in calories. The ingredient is a natural sweetener made from the stevia plant. Stevia rebaudiana has leaves containing steviol glycosides, which have up to 300 times the sweetness impact of sugar. Its sensory attributes have been significantly enhanced by Döhler using its Sweet Flavour Technology. The product can be used on its own or in combination with sugar or fruit juice concentrates. Stevia has already been approved for use in the US, Russia, Switzerland and many other countries. Approval by the EU is expected this year.

Stevia becoming mainstream, says PureCircle

t has been over a year since all natural, no calorie sweetener, Reb A, attained GRAS status in the US for use in food and beverages, and its manufacturer claims it now has a broad appeal across all categories. “The interest we’ve experienced across food and beverage

categories continues to reinforce that stevia is on its way towards becoming a mainstream ingredient,” commented PureCircle USA Director of Marketing, Jason Hecker.

“In the past year, we’ve partnered with companies to deliver great tasting products across global markets in diverse categories from beverage to dairy. All these new products continue to drive stevia into the mainstream.” One of the product ranges to contain stevia is no calorie SoBe Lifewater, which has extended its line to feature Strawberry

Dragonfruit and Cherimoya Punch variants. Further launches include PepsiCo’s Aquafina Plus Vitamins 10 Cal in Canada, low calorie beverage G2, which made its début in Mexico in three 100% naturally sweetened flavours, and Group Danone’s stevia-sweetened version of its Levite branded flavoured water for the Latin America market.

Firmenich commercially develops Senomyx sucrose enhancer

lavour and fragrance company Firmenich is proceeding with the commercial development of S6973, Senomyx’s enhancer of sucrose. The ingredient has demonstrated the ability to reduce up to half of the sugar in a variety of products, while maintaining the natural taste of sugar. Senomyx and Firmenich entered into a research, development, commercialisation and license agreement related to Senomyx’s Sweet Enhancers, which are novel flavour ingredients intended to enhance the taste

of sucrose, fructose, and Rebaudioside (stevia). During the collaborative period, Firmenich will have exclusive rights to commercialise selected Senomyx Sweet Enhancers worldwide in virtually all food product categories not currently licensed to other companies. In return, Firmenich agreed to pay Senomyx shared funding of ongoing research, license

fees, and royalties on sales of Senomyx’s Sweet Enhancers developed under the collaboration. Senomyx received an initial license fee payment of $10 million from Firmenich following execution of the agreement. A second $10 million license fee was scheduled to be payable to Senomyx following Firmenich’s decision to commercialise a Senomyx Sweet Enhancer that

received regulatory approval. In November 2009, following the receipt of GRAS regulatory designation for S6973, the companies agreed that Firmenich would conclude its evaluation of the ingredient in February. Senomyx also received a non-refundable $2 million payment fee based on its encouraging preliminary evaluation of S6973. Firmenich’s current decision to proceed with its commercial development has triggered payment of the remaining $8 million portion of the second license fee.

10 INGREDIENTS

www.foodbev.com/water Issue 59 - March · April 2010

Tech innovations Masafi opts for Oystar

Push pull sports cap from Bericap

he packaging shown below from Masafi might look like it should contain yogurt, but in fact it has been designed to hold water. The manufacturer of natural mineral water in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) fills the water cups with an Oystar ErcaFormseal forming, filling and sealing machine. The EF 600 outputs up to 27,000 cups per hour with filling quantities of 100, 125, 200 or 250ml. The cups are manufactured from APET material, or amorphous polyethylene terephthalate. APET is transparent like glass, but lighter. The amorphous structure also makes them easy to grip, without the cups ‘buckling’ when used for drinking. In contrast to the usual hard edges on plastic cups, Masafi’s one way cups have a chamfered lip for comfortable drinking. Their resealable lids are thermoformed

during production and adjusted to the containers, thereby ensuring an optimum fit. The Masafi logo is also printed on the sides of the cups. The installation of the new machine is a continuation of Oystar developing its long standing business relationships in the Gulf region. Since 1994, the packaging machine manufacturer has supplied 20 machines for forming, filling and sealing to the UAE.

ericap has started production on a new sports closure which is compatible for aseptic filling with both wet and dry decontamination, and offers a high flow rate. Designed for on the go consumption, the Push Pull Sports Cap Next Generation aims to combinine an attractive and consumer friendly design with technical developments. It employs DoubleSeal technology for standard 28mm necks

PCO 1881 and PCO 1810. Bericap has integrated fully automatic test units in different phases of the production process in order to ensure the three piece cap offers optimum performance. An extension of the production programme for necks PCO 1881 and 38mm is in the pipeline.

ewPage has launched EcoPoint Plus, a new bottle label paper featuring 10% post consumer waste recycled fibre.

apsnap by Greiner Packaging’s latest product innovation aims to achieve sealing, hygiene and functional improvements for 5 gallon bottles.

“Innovations such as the Kavocap Gallon are no mere accident. They result from commitment plus total

NewPage EcoPoint label paper

Kavocap from Capsnap

Produced from LDPE and TPE using bi-injection technology, the Kavocap Gallon features ‘kavo liquid-proof’ sealing geometry, with the base cap, plug and sealing ring produced as a single part for optimum hygiene standards. The ‘plug & valve’ mechanism also aims to improve the functionality of water bottles.

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thoroughness in implementing an innovation strategy within a powerful network”, said Capsnap by Greiner Packaging Sales Director, Michael Frick (above). The firm has built up years of experience in the water cooler business and been developing solution for caps, bottles and equipment for over a decade.

Enter now!

EcoPoint Plus is third party, chain of custody certified to the Forest Stewardship Council, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes.

remain a forerunner in specialty paper innovation.”

“We designed EcoPoint Plus to meet the growing demand for recycled fibre content label papers in bottled water applications, and to deliver the quality and performance our customers have come to expect from the NewPage family of beverage label papers,” said Ed Buehler, General Manager for Specialty Papers.

Available in 70, 75 and 80g per square metre basis weights, the paper features a bright, white, high-fidelity print surface for good artwork reproduction in offset and rotogravure printing. It is suitable for high speed converting and labelling processes and features reverse-side coatings that are engineered for hot melt adhesives.

“In addition, the availability of tri-certification reflects our commitment to sustainability, and demonstrates our intent to

NewPage’s other label papers for the beverage market include DuraPoint, ProPoint and EcoPoint product brands.

See ‘One to watch’ on page 50 and www.waterinnovationawards.com © water innovation 2010. Reproduced with the kind permission of FoodBev Media - www.foodbev.com For details about syndication and licensing please contact the marketing team on 01225 327890.

12 TECH NEWS

www.foodbev.com/water Issue 59 - March · April 2010

Click here to subscribe © water innovation 2010. Reproduced with the kind permission of FoodBev Media - www.foodbev.com. For details about syndication and licensing please contact the marketing team on 01225 327890.

Krones blow-molder/filler BLOC performs for Nairobi

enya based Nairobi Bottlers Ltd (NBL) has installed its own PET facilities in house for the first time.

The new line will provide an option for NBL to fill Coca-Cola’s international Dasani water brand on its own site. It features an integrated blow-molder/filler BLOC configuration from Krones and is rated at 22,000 containers an hour. Coca-Cola South African Bottling Company (Sabco) owns a majority holding in NBL. Sabco, is an anchor bottler for Coca-Cola, which operates 25 filling plants in 12 countries, divided up into three divisions, namely North East Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Mozambique), Southern Africa (South Africa and Namibia), and Asia (Sri Lanka, Nepal, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia). In 1995, Sabco, together with its partner Centum (ICDC), which owns a minority holding, purchased NBL directly from The Coca-Cola Company. Back then, there were three Kenyan facilities, two of which were closed down in

A Contiflow mixer has been installed for beverage blending

www.foodbev.com/water Issue 59 - March · April 2010

2004. The following year saw the entire production operation being concentrated in a new building in the suburb of Embakasi. There are seven other bottlers who handle Coca-Cola products in Kenya, but NBL is the largest, producing about half of Coca-Cola’s entire soft drinks volume in the country. The volume filled by NBL comes to roughly 20 million cases, which is 170 million litres, or 4.25 litres per head. For the new PET line, NBL opted for a blow-molder/filler BLOC configuration, comprising a Contiform S12 and a Volumetic filler accommodated in a cleanroom. “This enabled us to solve our space problems”, explained Production Manager Mwenda Ruona Kageenu. The PET bottles are dressed by a Contiroll wrap-around labeller, and packed in a Variopac Pro PFS nonreturnables packer. Palletising, has also been automated and is handled by a Pressant. A Contiflow mixer has been installed for beverage blending. Despite its satisfaction with the complete Krones glass line, NBL left no stone unturned before deciding on the investment. “We scrutinised four different vendors. And Krones was not the cheapest. You see, what’s really a very big problem for us in Kenya is the continued shift in the exchange rate against the dollar and the euro. In the period from order placement to PET line commissioning alone, we lost 20% by devaluation against the euro. In the final analysis, however, the determining factors were the good relations we’ve had with Krones staff over many long years and also the excellent local support from the LCS Centre in Nairobi, which guaranteed an efficient partnership. We’re in good hands with Krones.”

TECH NEWS 13

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Isklar set for expansion with new investor

orwegian natural glacial mineral water brand, Isklar, has attracted new investment through the sale of a 50% stake to a global conglomerate, the India-based Siva Group, for $22 million. The transaction creates a 50:50 joint venture between Siva Group and founding shareholders, Sabco Group, a Middle Eastern business group with a premier bottled water brand in Oman, and Jova Holdings, whose owners are also involved in a major Norwegian shipping and logistics company.

“We’re delighted by this investment which reflects continued success for Isklar on the international stage,” said Isklar CEO, Peter Krogh. “The Siva Group has always believed in spotting business opportunities ahead of time so this is a significant vote of confidence in our growing brand.”

Bottled water must-have item for UK shoppers

SABMiller acquires Rwenzori in Uganda

ABMiller, a UK based producer and distributor of beer, malts and carbonated soft drinks, has acquired Uganda’s Rwenzori Bottled Water. Rwenzori, based in Kampala and named after a mountain range that lies between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, has a 70% share of the Ugandan bottled water market. The company also sells water in the Congo and Tanzania. SABMiller has also recently bought water operations in Ghana, Nigeria and Ethiopia.

ottled water has been included for the first time in the basket of goods chosen by the Office for National Statistics to measure customer shopping habits. The government list has ‘dropped’ sweet carbonated drinks in favour of small bottles of water.

According to British Bottled Water Producers, the addition is inline with the latest figures for UK bottled waters, which have shown positive growth over the past 12 months, compared to imported waters. “Early indications are that 2009 figures will show a growth of at least 5% by UK produced waters,” said Jo Jacobius.

“There is continuing enthusiasm for healthy hydration, but for the foodservice and consumers, the significant innovations come largely from the sector’s efforts towards greater sustainability as well as the natural ‘green’ benefits of British waters - reduced food miles, known provenance and the fact that these companies act as stewards of the land, ensuring that the water sources produce naturally wholesome water. “People are getting the message that British brands constantly strive towards greater sustainability.”

Sparkletts and Alhambra acquire Yosemite Waters

S Waters, owner of the Sparkletts and Alhambra bottled water brands, has acquired the assets of Yosemite Waters’ home and office bottled water delivery, coffee and filtration service business. Yosemite Waters operates in Central and Southern California, US. As these companies combine resources, Sparkletts will assume management of the Yosemite operations in Greater Los Angeles, Orange County, San Bernardino, the Imperial Valley and the nearby area. Alhambra will assume management of Yosemite operations in Merced, Fresno and surrounding communities.

able to expand the reach of our bottled water delivery, coffee and filtration services and continue to ensure our rich history of superior water delivery service and quality,” said Ray McGillis, West Division President. “We welcome these new customers to our Sparkletts and Alhambra family.”

The combination of these companies will add new water delivery and service routes to the company’s roster. “With the acquisition of Yosemite Waters, we’ll be

14 NEWS

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Sunsweet invests in Herbal Water

erbal Water has formed an alliance with Sunsweet Growers. As well as an equity investment in Herbal Water, Sunsweet will collaborate in the marketing, sale and distribution of Ayala’s Herbal Water. “Consumers today are more health conscious than ever,” said Herbal Water creator and founder, Dr Ayala. “They want natural and

organic products and Sunsweet and Herbal Water both recognise this increasing demand. Our new partnership taps into that growth to lead the naturally enhanced flavoured water category.” Herbal Water, which made its market début in 2007, infuses organic culinary herbs in pure water to make natural, calorie and additive free beverages. Sunsweet produces, ships and promotes dried fruit and juices globally.

YouTube video addresses planet protection

he International Bottled Water Association’s (IBWA) consumer website www.bottledwatermatters.com has launched a new video about the bottled water industry’s corporate social responsibility on environmental issues. The video, titled ‘Bottled water’s environmental corporate social responsibility’ sees a teenage reporter asking bottled water industry executives about their concern for the environment and what their companies are doing to specifically meet their social responsibility as corporations. The responses, from representatives from Sparkletts, Nestlé Waters North America, Absopure Water Company and Eastman Chemical Company reveal a wide range of initiatives, including conversion to hybrid trucks, lightweighting of plastic bottles, building LEEDcertified bottling facilities, extensive efforts to recycle on a large scale, and adoption of new technologies that make

producing PET plastics more energy efficient. “In conversational discussions, IBWA members explain their companies’ environmental initiatives in a way that we all can understand how the bottled water industry is making a difference,” said Tom Lauria, IBWA Vice President of Communications. “In fact many US companies are doing a number of the same things. Here, the important, diverse and simultaneous environmental initiatives being conducted by IBWA members, seen as a total package, are intended to achieve significant and measurable results.” To view the video, go to www.youtube.com/user/ BottledWaterMatters

Waiwera announces multi million dollar US expansion plan

os Angeles based beverage marketing company Brandco has acquired the distribution rights for Waiwera Artesian Water in the US, Mexico and the Caribbean. Brandco’s initial US expansion plans for Waiwera will focus on growth of on-premise accounts in California and Hawaii, followed by a nationwide rollout during the course of 2010 to 2011. The company plans to invest up to $8 million to market and promote the brand during this period. Waiwera has drawn its water from an artesian aquifer in New Zealand’s Waiwera Valley since 1875. It is packaged in 500ml and 1 litre sizes in both glass and PET bottles, with a sparkling offering in 500ml and 1 litre glass bottles.

Albertsons stocks Redleaf Water

lbertsons has become the first national grocer in the US to sell Canadian premium bottled water, Redleaf. “Redleaf is the bottled water that health and eco-conscious consumers have been waiting for,” said Dave Hillis, Chief Operating Officer, Redleaf Water. “And we’re excited that Albertsons has taken the US lead in offering our ultrapremium water.”

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NEWS 15

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Weight of PET water bottles decreasing ET water bottles are continuing to shed grams off their weight. The weight of the single-serve bottled water container has dropped by 32.6% over the past eight years, according to analysis carried out by the Beverage Marketing Corporation (BMC) for the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA). The average PET bottled water container weighed 18.9g in 2000. By 2008, the average amount of PET resin in each bottle had decreased to 12.7g. BMC estimated that during this time, more than 1.3 billion pounds of PET resin has been saved by the bottled water industry through container lightweighting. In 2008, the bottled water industry saved 445 million

pounds of PET plastic by reducing the weight of its plastic bottles. “IBWA is proud the bottled water industry has worked diligently to reduce the weight of its plastic bottles,” said IBWA President and CEO, Joseph K Doss. “In addition, IBWA salutes the PET plastic resin manufacturers who worked hard to find new ways to strengthen PET plastic resin

so that less plastic goes further in maintaining the structural integrity of the thinner bottle.” Although PET plastic bottled water containers make up a small fragment of the waste material going into landfills (according to the US EPA, the figure is a third of 1%), lightweighting lessens the impact of water bottles that are not recycled.

waste, preserve resources and deliver a more sustainable product to consumers,” said Doss. Since the conclusion of the BMC analysis in 2008, some IBWA member companies have reported further declines in bottle gram weight, with some containers currently on store shelves weighing less than 10g.

“Advances made in lightweighting bottled water containers reduce

Ozarka helping to restore East Texas Wetlands

zarka Brand Natural Spring Water has donated $30,000 to Ducks Unlimited (DU) for wetland conservation efforts in Texas. The partnership has been formed to benefit wetlands throughout Texas and around Ozarka’s bottled water facility in Hawkins.

“Expanding on that environmental stewardship, Ozarka’s generous grant will not only improve wetlands surrounding their own facility, but will also support wetland restoration efforts along the Texas Gulf Coast.” Ozarka’s bottling facility is located on a 2,500-acre site

containing an abundance of high quality springs and spring-fed forested wetlands. In Hawkins, active wetland management will improve wetland areas that provide critical habitat for migratory and wintering waterfowl and benefit breeding wood ducks and other resident waterbirds and wildlife species. DU biologists and engineers expect this partnership and the associated projects to continue through 2010.

“They practice sustainable water management, using the resource responsibly while ensuring an ample supply is available to support a healthy wetlands environment.

“Ozarka fully recognises the importance of wetlands to protecting clean water as well as to waterfowl and wildlife habitat,” said Sean Stone, DU Director of Development.

Australian bottled water sales on the up

ales of bottled water in Australia rose 12% in 2008, with an increase of 8.3% predicted for last year, according to research from Leatherhead’s Global Food Markets database. Although per capita consumption is relatively low, compared to European standards, at around 25 litres, levels of consumption are thought to be increasing. Sales of more expensive smaller formats for children, along with the success of vitamin-enriched products targeted at adults, are being attributed to the growth.

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Coca-Cola and USAID expand global water partnership

Healthy theme for World Water Day

‘Clean Water for a Healthy World’ was selected by UN-Water as the theme for World Water Day 2010, which took place on 22 March. It aimed to raise the profile of water quality at a political level so that water quality considerations would be made alongside those of water quantity.

he US Agency for International Development (USAID) and The Coca-Cola Company have announced an additional joint investment of $12.7 million in their global partnership, the Water and Development Alliance (WADA).

needs for food and economic activity and threatens the sustainability of communities and critical ecosystems. USAID and The Coca-Cola Company established WADA to help tackle these enormous challenges.

UK campaigners target seat of power

n World Water Day more than a hundred Gordon Brown look-alikes queued behind a giant toilet in view of Parliament in London, UK, in a bid to call on the Prime Minister to take action on the global sanitation crisis.

“We recognise that no single organisation can solve the global water crisis, but by partnering with organisations like USAID we can make a positive difference in the lives of the people in need of safe water and sanitation,” said William Asiko, President of The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation. WADA focuses on four objectives: watershed management, water supply and sanitation, hygiene promotion, and productive water use. The partnership capitalises on the strengths and experience of its partner institutions, USAID, The CocaCola Company, and the Global Environment & Technology Foundation, which work collaboratively to demonstrate how government, business, and the non-governmental community can innovatively engage to solve global water challenges.

The queue was part of a global Guinness World Record attempt that saw tens of thousands of people in over 70 countries queue for the loo to draw attention to the fact that 4,000 children die every day because of lack of access to sanitation and safe water. According to Steve Cockburn from global campaign group End Water Poverty: “We know how to tackle this crisis - we simply need global governments to commit to taking action to provide the world’s poorest with access to both clean water and safe

Water scarcity, degraded water quality, and lack of basic water and sanitation services present severe global challenges, especially to the world’s poor. More than one billion people live without access to safe drinking water, and 2.6 billion people have no access to basic sanitation. The growing water shortage impedes human

Various events were organised around the world to increase awareness and boost fund raising efforts, including walks in the US and Europe for projects in Africa and Asia, campaigns in schools, street theatre shows, film showings, concerts, the launch of a new animated adventure-comedy series for children, newspaper articles and radio programmes.

Through this investment, WADA will support eight new multi-year programmes throughout sub-Saharan Africa in Angola, Burundi, Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, Senegal, South Africa, and Tanzania. These programmes will begin as three year initiatives, representing a shift toward longer term efforts and exemplifying each organisation’s shared commitment to lasting, sustainable solutions to global water challenges. With this new investment, USAID and The Coca-Cola Company will have committed a total of $28.1 million since 2005 to support 32 projects in 22 countries worldwide in Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.

The international observance of World Water Day grew out of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro.

sanitation. The moment is now. The world can’t wait any longer.” End Water Poverty is a global campaign that aims to bring an end to the global water and sanitation crisis. The coalition is formed of over 150 organisations from around the world, who are all demanding urgent action and leadership from donors and governments alike. Coalition partners in the UK include WaterAid, Tearfund, UNICEF UK and Pump Aid.

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Caring for the environment Click here to subscribe

eaquist Closures, now part of Aptar Food + Beverage, has developed a silicone valve with a different density from PET. This enables separation in sink tanks used in the PET recycling stream. The valve is also coloured for detection by vision systems. Swimming silicone, exclusive to Aptar Food + Beverage, is available as a standard for beverage and on demand for other applications using PET packaging. Conscious of the importance of PET recycling, a growing number of customers have adopted this solution.

General Bottlers CR, the Czech subsidiary of Pepsi Americas, selected the 28mm Original SimpliSqueeze Sport Cap for Toma Natura still water in a 700ml bottle.

Ringnes, part of the Carlsberg group, chose the 28mm Original to cap the new 300ml pack in the iconic Imsdal brand. Designed for children, the bottle is ideal for use on-the-go, during sports or leisure activities - a healthy way to keep hydrated. Ringnes chose the SimpliSqueeze beverage valve, in order to ensure compatibility with the PET recycling stream.

PET bottles arrive for sorting and recycling.

Recycled PET flakes ready for re-use.

Klara Kovacs, Purchasing Manager CEG of Pepsi Americas commented: “We were keen to use a silicone valve because of silicone’s superior performance and organoleptics and wanted to be sure that the valve could be integrated into existing recycling processes.”

Tymbark has launched an innovative beverage dedicated to young consumers, Waterr, with the Original Sport Cap in 30-25 neck finish. The handy bottle can be easily carried around during school and leisure activities. The closure, equipped with the SimpliSqueeze beverage valve, prevents the product from being accidentally spilled in kids’ backpacks.

A tried and tested solution COTREP Tests 23/12/08

PTI Europe Tests 06/11/08

“The recyclability tests demonstrated that the valves were easily separated during the float stage.”

“Results show that these floatable valves do not have a negative impact on PET recycling as they can be removed completely from the PET fraction by a sink/float operation.”

Aptar Food + Beverage is part of the Aptargroup family of companies, along with Aptar Beauty + Home and Aptar Pharma. We create innovative dispensing systems for leading food and beverage manufacturers. With a wide range of dispensing solutions and broad geographic presence, we help our customers stay ahead of the ever-changing demands of consumers around the globe.

changing our name, not our commitment

www.seaquistclosures.eu and www.aptar.com © water innovation 2010. Reproduced with the kind permission of FoodBev Media - www.foodbev.com For details about syndication and licensing please contact the marketing team on 01225 327890.

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ADVERTORIAL 19

Wildest dreams

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48°S 73°W Chilean Patagonia, South America, isn’t exactly a normal company address. But there’s nothing ordinary about Waters of Patagonia or the way it wants to transform the world’s water supplies, as water innovation Editor Medina Bailey finds out.

n 27 February 2010 central Chile was struck by an earthquake with a magnitude of 8.8. I was on a flight en route to the capital Santiago to visit Waters of Patagonia. The plane turned around and went back to the airport that we had departed from hours earlier. “Chile. Shaken, not stirred,” said my would-be host Ian Szydlowski (known as Raccoon) a couple of days later. Typical, I thought. I’d been in contact with the company for a few months and was familiar with the sense of optimism and perseverance that runs through its veins. It is a family run business with JC and his sons Raccoon and Allen (or the Bear) at the helm. The animal nicknames merely hint at what life is like for them on their site on the Southern Patagonia Ice Field. It might look like a dream-like, ethereal landscape,

but the realities of working and living there are very different. “It would be very difficult for us to briefly sum up the 20 plus years of life in this remote wilderness which have culminated in the creation of this company,” Bear explained. “The word adventure is honestly the best way to describe life here from day to day in a place that is pristine and beautiful, not to mention downright challenging. It has been our privilege to not only leave the beaten path far, far behind . . . but to call some of this region’s remotest areas home. “It took years of exhaustive searching throughout the difficult and mostly inaccessible terrain to find what we were looking for. If we had to sum up the essence of Patagonia in

just a few words we would have to say it is a world of waters. Here water in all its elemental grandeur is still actively shaping our landscape, and it’s also a great shaper of our lives. Drinking from a cold mountain stream makes you realise that water here is miraculous and can only be celebrated.”

The word adventure is honestly the best way to describe life here There are many areas in the world where having access to such an abundant, pure water

source would seem impossible to comprehend. Waters of Patagonia is seeking to address the issues regarding the future of fresh supplies of drinking water as it is in the start up phase of transporting massive bulk shipments to areas of the world with existing or imminent water shortages. It is staying ‘local’ to start with, developing its first programme for the north of Chile, where some of the largest producers of copper in the world need to provide fresh drinking water to the city of Antofagasta and for day to day mining operations. Further afield, the Mediterranean basin and Gulf would be future targets, followed by India and China at a later date. Raccoon admits that for most people this concept is beyond the scope of human imagination, but the company believes that

20 COVER STORY

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the critical water issues that the world is currently facing are making the redistribution of water an urgent necessity. “The notion that water should be free has to change,” said JC. “It is a commodity and it won’t be long before this is recognized. In time, redistribution of water will become a normal practice, just like with oil. But if an oil tanker leaks into the sea, you have a catastrophe on your hands. Not so with a floating aquifer filled with water.”

progressively drier, solutions to move this water were becoming an urgent necessity,” said Raccoon. “We had the resources but also had the challenge to provide a clear method of moving it.

“We had two advantages here - one that Chile is naturally a far away place, and already had many preexisting methods of moving bulk liquids to the northern hemisphere with wine and

juice in 24,000 litre TEUs. And two - that our project is set right on the largest shipping route in the southern hemisphere. This easily connects us to the world, and however remote we

So is Waters of Patagonia the first company to step forward with such a bold potential solution? ”We can’t believe that in all the financial reporting and water research reports from Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, and The Financial Times etc, no one has identified what we believe to be the mechanisms for the transformation of the water business, namely to create movable pipelines that could address so many issues, such as geographic distribution, dependability of supply and water quality, let alone the problems of staggering pollution, greenhouse gasses and inefficient energy use.

The price you pay for innovation is often seemingly insurmountable challenges. In this case, not only were the logistics of such an operation daunting, but gaining rights to what could add up to an unlimited resource was even more problematic. “We clearly understood from the outset that even though it is presently almost unheard of to move massive amounts of water, as the world runs

All photos courtesy of Chico González / E185 / www.republik.cl

“It’s been a long time since water has been truly innovative. Desalination, bottling purified water - all of these things were indeed innovative, but have only gone so far. We’re talking about redistributing the world’s water supply - that’s a significant innovation.”

Ice to meet you: Bear enjoys a well chilled bottle of Crevasse water

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COVER STORY 21

Wildest dreams

www.crevassewaters.com www.worldsfreshwaters.com

Click here to subscribe might seem, this proximity would make us a unique player.” It is integrating what it terms a ‘revolution’ into its programme. Portable aquifers will aim to compete with local water sources worldwide, and in some cases help to recharge and replenish natural aquifers. According to Raccoon, the aquifers can be pulled at neutral buoyancy by relatively small vessels, are completely spill safe and can transport 300 million litres per load. They can also provide optimal offshore storage when set at a vertical position in deep water for a long period. “The moment that bulk water is moved around the world will signal the dawn of water as a new commodity,” he said. It was back in 1999 that the idea first seemed possible due to the region’s resources: “We were living in an area naturally rich in renewable hydrographic resources for over 10 years before it truly dawned on us,” continues Raccoon. “The Andes at this latitude rise dramatically out of the remote Pacific Ocean with prevailing north-westerly winds. We have enormous cloud cover here in the roaring

forties and the mountain chain essentially sucks the moisture out of them in a patterned consistency that amounts to an impressive abundance of yearly precipitation, up to 30 metres in some places.” They initially targeted the Northern Patagonia Ice Field, but soon realised that the Southern Ice Field was much larger and had clearer, higher quality streams running through it. Using such an untapped resource

The ice is melting into giant rivers all year round immediately throws up questions about altering the natural life of the glacier. The team is quick to point out that they do nothing at all which could interfere with the cycle of the glaciers: “The ice is melting into giant rivers all year round, all we do

is source some of this before it flows into the ocean. “We hope to accomplish this without affecting our untouched environment. Quite the contrary, we hope it will contribute to its own conservation,” said Bear. “By allowing the natural services of the area to do what they do best undisturbed; we are putting large swaths under protection to work in conjunction with our only neighbour - the largest national park in Chile (Parque Nacional O’Higgins). In doing so we are not only insuring the quality and supply of our water for future generations, but also finding a way of translating the land’s intrinsic value into something that is economically viable and self supporting.” Achieving their aims without compromising the local environment has made the task of building their first bottling facility even harder. “Although it has taken us considerably longer and cost more to build than a conventional building, we are certain that in the long run it will be worth the extra effort. It allows us to stay true to our company philosophy and ensure the quality of our product for decades to come.” The plant will be responsible for bottling its new water. Crevasse has been developed to help build the company’s credibility in the market and prove the purity of its resource. “It’s our calling card,” said Raccoon. “It’s basically the culmination of everything we have done so far, helping work on the practice of handling our water and putting our philosophy into practice.” The company has partnered with Zenith International to assist with the bottling and handling of the water. Likely to be completed by August, the plant will initially offer a relatively small capacity of 1,000 bph. Crevasse has already been formally launched on the Chilean pavilion at the

Personally speaking How would you sum up Waters of Patagonia in three words? Raccoon (far right): Integritas, Consonantia, Claritas. This means wholeness, harmony and radiance and goes into everything we are about. It’s explains how beauty is perceived by the spirit, a wonderful metaphysical concept in itself, and we use it as a sounding board for everything we do. How do you cope with conditions alongside the ice field? Bear (right): A great deal of self-reliance, ingenuity and perseverance is required to survive here - let alone thrive - I think this has instilled us with a rather unusual mix of skills. We weren’t born in the boardroom, we were forged on the ground, with plenty of hardships and grime under our fingernails to tell the tale. Without old school pioneering toughness, this venture wouldn’t even have been in the realm of possibility. What’s the best thing about what you do? Bear: Being a tight knit family helps each of us work independently and always move forward without stepping on each other’s toes.

53rd Venice Biennale. “’Aqua di Cili? Bellissimo!’ - we got rave reviews from the Italians!” The water will be available exclusively at ABaC, a two Michelin starred restaurant in Barcelona, with a limited run planned with blue lacquer seals

22 COVER STORY

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漏 water innovation 2010. Reproduced with the kind permission of FoodBev Media - www.foodbev.com www.foodbev.com/water For details about syndication and licensing please contact the marketing team on 01225 327890. Issue 59 - March 路 April 2010

COVER STORY 23

Wildest dreams on the bottles, destined for Colette in Paris. Despite the prestigious distribution locations, the company has been keen not to be too heavy handed with the product’s packaging or marketing, so as not to dilute its message: “Glacier water has something special - water from Patagonia goes hand in hand with adventure and purity. We are fortunate that it really markets itself. Everything related to our packaging and labelling sets out to hit the heart of what we are about - it’s been a very convoluted and personal journey so far - we simply make sure it’s consistent with what sets us apart to begin with - the water itself.

“It was our desire to find a way to share this exquisite experience with others; setting us on our mission to find the purest, wildest, live water anywhere, so that maybe someone in the Middle East, Tokyo, or anywhere who might never have access to this kind of experience, could get it. “We understand the environmental challenges the world is facing, and the tough choices that have to be made to bring about decisive change,” continued Bear. “We believe this is a reflection of our concerns from way back. We want to be a part of a new way of looking at the positive responsibilities we can share.”

As cold as ice: a dramatic view of the landscape

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As a water distributor, being asked questions about the environment is a constant reality. It’s clear that fence-sitting isn’t part of Waters of Patagonia’s

Our mission was to find the purest, wildest, live water anywhere strategy: “We constantly observe that traditional methods of environmental activism often involve spending time and

effort raising money to pay for spiralling administration costs to basically raise more money, and that eco-tourism here is more often than not a misnomer. “Clearly the bottled water industry is under fire - it’s interesting that consumers have targeted high quality brands like Fiji as they continue to drink Coca-Cola guilt free. Why is this?” asked Raccoon. “Who is to say a bottle of Fiji shipped all the way across the globe to be consumed in London might not be a better green alternative to a ‘local’ brand trucked across the UK from Scotland? Transporting water from different water rich areas of the world to water bankrupt areas will be the game-changer here, as it will

The new bottling plant starts to take shape © water innovation 2010. Reproduced with the kind permission of FoodBev Media - www.foodbev.com For details about syndication and licensing please contact the marketing team on 01225 327890.

24 COVER STORY

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Insight - page 42 Luxury waters

Click here to subscribe offer multiple benefits - local bottling, but water provided from consistent and pure sources.” “Water can be an emotional subject,” added Bear, “and it seems to be more of an emotional debate among consumers than about what all the complicated variables actually add up to. It’s important to make the best and most responsible choices as you move forward, as ultimately these decisions will be passed on to consumers, but the real question we try to ask ourselves is: what happens when there is no water? Where making water from the sea will be taxing both on the environment and GDP? When over taxed groundwater plummets to even lower levels across the globe?” This is where Waters of Patagonia feels it can break the mould. Not only by providing a valuable raw material at a

time when water supplies are dwindling, but also by achieving 100% zero emissions on its site through mini-hydroelectricity, solar and wind power. And it feels that yet more can be done. “To quote Michael Braungart, head of Cradle To Cradle, who we are working alongside on packaging and logistics solutions: ‘What good would a marriage be if it was only sustainable?’ Let’s try to nurture it and make things better!” This genuinely positive, uplifting outlook serves the company well. On the day of the photo shoot for wi, conditions were ideal thanks to an unusual lack of precipitation. “If we’d waited one more day, it would have been a washout. We got lucky!” said Raccoon. I know that feeling. And there are some things on earth that should never be taken for granted - water being one of them.

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COVER STORY 25

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PET power

World demand for all PET containers, including water, carbonated drinks and beer, is 14.5 million tonnes, and is increasing at a rate of 8% per annum. With this growth rate expected for the foreseeable future, we look at the benefits of the material for packaging water, the latest developments from leading PET companies, and recent projects commissioned for the bottled water industry.

Page 28 Why opt for PET?

Page 29 Ask the experts

Page 34 The latest bottled water projects in PET

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SPECIAL REPORT 27

PET power

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Why opt for PET?

on-profit European association, Petcore, encourages the use and development of PET containers, facilitates PET recycling and assists with the development of recycled end material. Its Chair of Technical Committee Mike Neal, Secretary General Sue Ward, and Financial Administrator Rob Crawshaw outline the advantages of using PET for bottled water.

PET has been tested worldwide by independent food safety experts and despite many ill researched reports of adverse effects, it continues to be demonstrated

Increased demand for PET and recycled PET is driving down Europe’s carbon footprint

as one of the safest materials for packaging water. As it has very good barrier properties, particularly to carbon dioxide, it is able to retain carbonation in water, doesn’t alter the taste of flavoured water and gives a longer shelf life, while preventing ingress of dirt and contamination that can harm health. PET is easy to shape, which provides a range of branding opportunities to promote high product visibility. Its impact and burst resistance ensures safety instore and product integrity, while its light weight makes for easy shelf stacking. It is virtually unbreakable and bounces when dropped. Its light weight and strength make it ideal for use in mobile (‘on the go’) hydration, as it is easy to carry in a handbag or pocket and the bottles are easily resealable. This portability is all too often demonstrated as the material is used to supply emergency clean drinking water following disasters, such as floods and earthquakes, often in hostile environments.

The phenomenal growth that PET is experiencing can easily be explained when you consider its properties and the high demands for packaging bottled waters. PET is a very clean plastic manufactured from well known and understood, food-approved starting materials. Because it is a very pure material it does not affect taste and, for this reason, it is an ideal package for bottling still, flavoured and carbonated waters.

Lightweight PET provides environmental benefits by using 40% less fuel to transport plastic bottles than glass for the same amount of liquid. PET manufacture uses only 0.0016% of the world’s annual oil consumption. A typical PET bottle captures around 25g of oil which is available for continual reuse via recycling.

Over the last ten years, PET bottles have reduced in weight by 35%, and major brand owners are constantly announcing further reductions. Packaging designers, together with the whole PET value chain, are continuing to find ways to reduce the environmental footprint of PET. In Europe PET collection reached 1.26 million tonnes in 2008 (an increase of more than 11% on 2007) and the overall collection

rate rose by nearly 5% to 46% of all PET bottles on the market. This makes PET the most recycled domestic packaging polymer. Increased demand for PET and recycled PET is driving down Europe’s carbon footprint. The material can be recycled in three ways. The major recycling process is mechanical recovery where PET bottles are collected, chopped up, washed and heated to produce a clean raw material for more bottles. An alternative technology is chemolysis where the chemical backbone of the plastic is unzipped back to clean, reusable starting materials. Finally, the energy in PET can be recovered as heat, power or fuel. Effectively, it borrows the calorific value from oil in the polymer, thus conserving the oil’s high energy content.

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Ask the experts The panel Husky, Nadeem Amin, Director, PET Business Development (NA) Novapet, Miguel Angel Arto, Business Development Director (MAA) PET Engineering, Dino Enrico Zanette, R&S Manager (DEZ) Sacmi, Marco Savorani, Beverage B.U. PET, Business Manager (MS) Sidel, Franck Hancard, Packaging Product Manager (FH) Sipa, Business Development Director (GD)

Why is PET the best choice for packaging water? NA: It is safe, lightweight, unbreakable, resealable, glossy and transparent. Lightweight plastic water bottles also require fewer raw materials to produce, less fuel to transport and are completely recyclable. Bottlers have been consistently reducing the amount of material that goes into manufacturing beverage containers made from PET. Half litre plastic water bottles now use as little as 9.2g of PET, nearly 40% less than the average amount just a few years ago. MAA: Today nobody can deny that PET is the material of choice for packaging water. It continues to remain clear despite concerns about health and sustainability matters, along with the economical downturn and its effect on consumers’ habits. It is true that the high growth rates of the past are no longer being seen, but it is almost unthinkable to think about daily life without the presence of water bottled in PET. For example, when shopping in supermarkets, eating out in

Today nobody can deny that PET is the material of choice for packaging water

bars and restaurants, drinking in the workplace or on the go during a busy day, as well as in emergency situations. Concerns about health, sustainability and the economical downturn have been very important drivers to justify only using tap water, lightweighting bottles, recycling and so on; all of them designed to minimise the use of non renewable energies, carbon emissions and waste. However, PET packaging will always be necessary to deliver water to consumers. Nowadays, the increasing growth rates of water consumption by consumers is still compensating for the negative factors, giving slight net growth rate figures. DEZ: It is transparent and can be easily customised to distinguish the bottler, PET bottles are not as breakable as glass, CO2 emissions are being reduced during production and transportation, and recycling systems are in place. MS: It offers design freedom, transparency and a good price for the raw material. FH: For water bottling, there is not a huge choice when it comes to container materials - only PET or glass. Cans and cartons have not taken off for water as they have for CSDs and beer. Plastic packaging is strong, preserves water quality, is reclosable and unbreakable, and it contributes to environmental protection as it is recyclable and can be lightweighted. It is

Sidel’s 50% PET recycled bottle

also good for marketing as it facilitates many shapes and design possibilities for brand differentiation. GD: It offers transparency, low cost, good bottle characteristics for a very low weight, versatility, recyclability and a high production output. Is there a high level of demand for PET at the moment? NA: Yes, global demand for PET is growing, particularly in developing markets with emerging middle classes, including several countries in Asia Pacific and the Middle East. Increasing sustainability concerns have made PET a more attractive packaging alternative. Faster cycle times mean higher productivity for every dollar of invested capital. Husky has a long track record of providing customers with continuous productivity increases, which

have driven down the cost of manufacturing PET bottles and helped to make it more competitive with alternative packaging formats. This is the basis for PET’s increasing popularity over the last 30 years. MAA: PET for beverage and food applications keeps growing, with higher two digit rates in developing countries, and one digit growth rates in more mature areas, such as West Europe and North America. Trends are also very different depending on the niches of the market. This can also be said of the individual water market segments, such as flavoured, premium, distributors or fillers’ brands and commodity products. DEZ: No, because companies want to reduce the weight of their bottles and recycled PET is starting to be used in the production of preforms.

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SPECIAL REPORT 29

PET power MS: Demand is stable in developed countries, but increasing in areas like India, China, South East Asia and North Africa. FH: PET is the main material for bottling water and is used more than glass. PET is still requested for water despite the recent attacks it has faced surrounding health and environmental issues. PET for bottles actually represents only 3% of plastic consumption worldwide. Whereas tap water is suitable for within the home, it cannot meet expectations for the onthe-go consumption, meaning that interest in small, portable, resealable formats will remain. The single serve format for bottled water (1 litre or less) is still progressing and represents around 75% of the worldwide production of water in PET. For water bottling, there are two primary demands from industry - extreme lightweight bottles, or substantial, premium packaging for luxurious products. There is less demand for anything in between. GD: Yes, quite large. Describe the range of PET services that you offer the bottled water industry. NA: Husky offers a broad range of complete beverage packaging solutions, including preform design and development, injection molding preform systems, barrier

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solutions, factory planning, preform molds and mold refurbishing and conversion services, as well as optimised systems for beverage closures. From high to low volumes, we offer HyPET injection molding systems for every PET preform application. We believe that our HyPET systems are the most productive in the industry, with fastest cycles, high uptimes and low scrap rates. HyCAP is Husky’s injection molding system for high output beverage closure manufacturing and is the result of refinements to the entire system that maximise speed, reliability and efficiency. It is also ideally suited to meet the requirements of lightweight one piece closures that are growing in popularity for beverage packaging. Beverage manufacturers can work with us as a single source supplier to optimise designs so that all elements - neck finish, bottle and closure, work together as a complete package. This results in better co-ordination of package redesigns or lightweighting initiatives. MAA: Novapet is a European PET producer very focused on innovation in the packaging industry, which is reflected in our portfolio of customers, products and services. Our new packaging projects involve working in close collaboration

A range of bottles from Sacmi

with final customers and key players, such as fillers, converters and technology suppliers. In our customer portfolio, today water is the predominant destination for our products - in 2009 approximately 54% of our resin was for bottle applications. In our product range, we have resins specifically designed for water. Our MW line offers clarity, mechanical performance, a very low acetaldehyde level and process savings, while X_treme allows for lightweighting and for larger bottles in the HOD channel, and Glasstar makes bottles appear extraordinarily glasslike. In terms of services, we are developing a lot of technical commercial projects with projected final packaging and bottles destined for water, in which our special defined resins play a key role. They are looking to open up new applications for PET packaging with unprecedented levels of performance, which push the boundaries and broaden new growth opportunities for PET.

Husky recycled flake bottle preform closure

DEZ: PET Engineering is a technical design company based

in Italy. We offer drawings and technical designs of bottles and prototype mold production, along with bottle prototyping and laboratory analysis of the bottles. We also offer production molds for various blow molding machines and assistance during start-up. We help clients to select preforms or design dedicated preforms for their bottles. We can also provide advice about shelf life requirements due to our PET experience and knowhow.

Interest in small, portable, resealable formats will remain MS: Sacmi offers a full range of machinery, from the plastic material to the bottle on the pallet, compression and injection machines for the production of PET preforms and closures, blowers, mixers,

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filling lines, labelling machines, palletisers, belts and transport systems. We provide complete lines for the PET beverage industry, as well as a high quality service for bottle and preform designs, which meet customers’ needs and have marketing appeal. FH: We offer expertise in package design and packaging/ product compatibility, with the commitment of an industrial packaging solution, which is completely adapted to the drink’s characteristics, marketing, shelf life, storage and distribution conditions. This includes art and conceptual design, event related packaging, the development of optimised shapes for lightweighting, decreasing energy consumption, leading to significant cost savings and a lower environmental impact, feasibility tests to determine if the bottling equipment is suitable, product integrity assessments, and final packaging performance. GD: SIPA offers: PET container design and development for industrial applications through 3D modelling, FEM analysis, pilot production and full testing (filling, packing, storage and distribution); engineering of production, filling and packaging, tailored to the specific customer needs and logistical requirements; and the design, manufacture and supply of a complete range of PET preform and bottle production systems (single-stage and two-stage) for the widest output range (from 1,000 bph up to 50,000 bph). We also design, manufacture and supply a large range of filling equipment in standard and dual or three-bloc configurations, and packaging equipment (conveyors, packers and palletisers).

www.foodbev.com/water Issue 59 - March · April 2010

What are the latest technical developments in PET bottles for water? How are they broadening design possibilities for bottled water manufacturers? NA: The latest developments are helping to make the PET package more sustainable by reducing the carbon footprint of plastic PET bottles. In an effort to increase the content of recycled material in beverage packaging, Husky has developed the HyPET Recycled Flake system, which is specifically optimised for manufacturing preforms with high percentages of food-grade recycled material. The system will help to make PET packaging more sustainable by enabling the use of up to 50% post-consumer recycled PET flake. Husky also offers the EcoBase preform design, which is the first initiative of its kind to offer customers an industrialised lightweighting solution that yields up to a 2.5% reduction in resin use by focusing on the preform base design. Closures for PET water bottle applications are also getting increasingly lighter as some weigh less than 1g. MAA: All of them are linked to sustainability and recycling, economic factors and product differentiation: Sustainability and recycling There is a higher incorporation of rPET in bottles, along with virgin polymer. There are problems with sourcing rPET, and processing it with conventional equipment. There is also a trend towards bio polymers which originate from renewable sources, such as sugar cane. Lightweighting This has become a trend for sustainability reasons, but also for cost savings. PET resins must offer good performance for very high stretch ratios,

SPECIAL REPORT 31

PET power allowing the use of small, low weight preforms in PET that render well for achieving traditional bottle shapes. Savings are also being made in neck finish and base designs. Product differentiation At the moment, there is a focus on premium water with customised bottles developed to distinguish and upgrade products, with the highest level of packaging performance possible. These PET bottles boast a glasslike appearance and retain the advantages of both glass and plastic bottles. Customisation opens up lots of design possibilities, such as the addition of small details like etchings and rims. DEZ: The production of ultra-light bottles. Krones has developed a nitro-pouch for water that weighs around 6.5g, while PET Engineering has developed a bottle of 6.6g not requiring nitrogen. A new concept that permits the reduction of the neck finish and also the material under the neck support ledge

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has been developed by us, enabling an 8.1g 500ml bottle with commercial neck to be produced. MS: We believe that compression technology will change the rules of the market. This process makes it possible to: • manufacture preforms without a gate • manufacture preforms with thinner walls and dome thickness, compared to injection • connect a blower to the compression machine, so that bottles can be blown from hot preforms, which brings about high energy savings. FH: Lightweighting is an inescapable criterion to reduce TCO and environmental impacts. Sidel offers various possibilities, such as Nestlé’s Eco-Shape and our NoBottle concept. The complete consideration of the package is crucial: the main goal is to have an industrially validated bottle. Its purpose is to be distributed and consumed. If the bottle cannot be filled, palletised, or stored, the package does not answer the specifications. Sidel wants to guarantee the final product in the hands of consumers - it should always be practical. Lightweighting not only concerns the bottle body, but also the neck, which means a short neck with short caps. We also develop labellers that can use very thin labels

rPET preform resin from Husky

Sipa’s plastic packaging systems in action

and take into account end of line equipment to manage secondary and third packaging, use less overwrapping and avoid cardboard support. GD: In our opinion, PET is a superb resin which, in collaboration with injection and blow molding technology, allows for the creation of almost any design. The design must also comply with specific consumer habits, marketing requirements, logistical and ambient conditions, existing industrial production and distribution systems. Our job is to identify the limits set by the specific local circumstances and develop the water packaging that best suits the product at the lowest possible costs. How is your company addressing environmental issues? NA: We have long been committed to minimising the impact our business has on the environment with methods that are socially responsible, scientifically based and economically sound. Our buildings fit into the natural landscape and have highly efficient lighting, heating, cooling and insulation. We use natural elements wherever possible. Some examples of this are day lighting, ground cooling, solar energy and green roofs. We recycle virtually every waste stream profitably and invest

in products and technologies that support environmental sustainability. Our Preform Development Centre develops preform designs that are customised for the specific needs of each customer’s unique application. Husky ensures each design is optimised for product performance, tooling flexibility, part weight and injection molding cycle times. In addition, we offer the EcoBase preform, which delivers up to an additional 2.5% in resin savings. Most recently, Husky has been working to close the loop in terms of recycling and this is consistent with consumers’ increased interest in sustainability. What was once one-way packaging can now be recycled and exploring this is core to Husky’s environmental values. Our goal for the next generation of PET equipment is to be able to use recycled flake without the need for an additional process. Our Manufacturing Advisory Services team also provides operational consulting, design and project management services to help manufacturers increase the operating efficiency of their plastic injection molding facilities. MAA: All of our PET resins offer recyclability. We are very closely involved and ready to manage sustainability matters through

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our resources and direct collaboration with recycling players. DEZ: One of our major goals is to use less PET in the production of bottles. Reducing the weight of existing bottles cuts down the CO2 emissions in the environment. MS: Sacmi is assessing several possibilities for recycling. In particular, as compression technology for preform production is a continuous process, it allows for the use of a high percentage of recycled materials. Compression also gives a very low IV drop.

PET is the future for water as there is no other alternative Today, Sidel is going even further, working on a mineral water bottle using a 50% recycled PET perform from Husky, presented at Drinktec 2009. This bottle benefits from a perfectly controlled process and displays technical performance identical to that of a traditional PET bottle. These performance levels are explained by the heating reserve and the quality of heating which ensures a wide processability window and impeccable bottle quality. This is a further step forward for eco-design of packaging, thanks to waste reduction at the source: PET from old bottles is treated and reused to make new ones. This approach looks ahead to the reuse

of plastic bottles at the end of their life cycle, and it reduces their overall environmental impact. Sidel also works on reducing energy consumption in the heating process and in the bottle blowing step. GD: Bottle lightweighting and energy cost reduction are the primary ways in which the environmental impact of bottling water can be reduced. We have always been at the forefront of bottle lightweighting, and our injection and blow molding systems benefit from the latest developments. What does the future hold for PET as a packaging material for water? NA: In terms of lightweighting, there is still scope for more widespread adoption of lightweighted bottles. The lightest water bottles on the market still only represent a small percentage of all bottles in the world, so there is significant potential to reduce resin usage. But trying to get every bottle down to the lightest weight is not the goal. Each application is unique in its performance requirements due to differences such as filling equipment, cappers, shipping distances and conditions. With so many brands of bottled water available on the market, many brand owners desire bottle designs that differentiate themselves among the competition. This will lead to the development of increasingly unique designs. Several recent examples are the Isklar, Eska and 5100 Tibet Glacier bottles. MAA: Despite some of the public messages being made against bottled water for

Adding colour: Novapet bottles

sustainability reasons, we strongly believe in maintaining PET’s growth rates by working on developing new products with recycled material content, and also opening up new technical frontiers. DEZ: PET remains the major packaging material for water, but with the reduction of the wall thickness. Lightweighting reduces shelf lives as a result of water permeation, so treatment must be carried out. The barrier characteristics of biopolymers need to be improved before they can fully compete. MS: We believe that in the future water will be packaged with bottles blown from very thin preforms, which offers significant energy savings. The PET water market makes very small margins - the key ways

of being successful are vertical integration, efficiency, making energy savings, reducing costs and having captivating marketing. FH: PET is the future for water as there is no other alternative. Sidel is also working on biomaterial sourcing in partnership with different universities. The strength of PET and its future will depend on the quality and the capacity of sorting and recycling it. GD: It is definitely the best resin to produce rigid containers at the lightest weights and lowest energy consumption. It also allows for the production of any type of container and is easily and fully recyclable. We do not see any other material with such characteristics emerging in the near future.

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SPECIAL REPORT 33

PET power

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In practice: the latest bottled water projects in PET

Husky helps Tibet Glacier tackle high altitude molding

hen Tibet Glacier Mineral Water, one of China’s high end bottled water companies, faced the daunting task of molding their own preforms at 4,800m above sea level, they knew they needed more than just a basic machine supplier. They required a partner who could work collaboratively with them to provide a reliable, high quality PET preform system that could overcome the challenges of high altitude injection molding in the most economical and sustainable way possible. Tibet Glacier’s remote location means they had to manage unique supply chain issues, including difficulties with transportation of preforms and closures from industrial centres more than 1,000km away. Husky’s task was to help with all aspects of the transition, from planning through to successful start-up and beyond. An important part of this complete solution was providing the company with a system that could productively and reliably perform under very difficult operating conditions.

Having had no prior preform manufacturing experience, Tibet Glacier needed help to build their inhouse operation from conception through to successful production. This included: • Review of plant design considerations • Preform prototyping and design • Development of high altitude systems and auxiliaries • Specialised training to run systems • Installation and start-up of complete, integrated systems • Production testing and assessment to ensure optimal operational efficiency. Running a manufacturing operation at 4,800m above sea level in the remote mountains of Tibet would create challenges a normal bottling plant wouldn’t

Bottle volume

330ml

500ml

1.0 litre

1.5 litre

Preform weight

18g

23.5g

36.8g

47.6g

Cavitations

48 cavity

32 cavity

Cycle time

11.8

14.4

17.3

17.9

Efficiency

97%

Hourly output

14,205

11,640

6,459

6,243

have to deal with. For example, at extremely high altitudes air density is lower, which impacts the molding process. The altitude can also cause the internal temperature of the plant to drop as low as -10ºC, which can interfere with start-up, operation and shut-down. A complete high altitude system consisting of mold, hot runner, auxiliaries and machine was developed for Tibet Glacier’s unique environmental conditions. To run optimally, the systems were customised with several modifications, including a separate power pack with a low pressure pump, the increase of cooling capacity and component sizing, along with specialised motor selection. Resin drying capacity was also increased to adapt to low atmospheric pressure, and a special industrial PC with a solid state drive was required because the standard IPC hard drive is prone to failure above 3,000m. Two Husky HyPET 225 systems, with two 48-cavity molds and two 32-cavity molds, were successfully installed and have been running optimally, despite the facility’s challenging conditions. Tibet Glacier is currently producing four different bottle sizes for their 5100 premium brand, with 330ml the major category.

“Having had no prior experience in manufacturing preforms, Husky went the extra mile to ensure that we were armed with all of the knowledge necessary to effectively run our systems,” said Wallace Yu, Chairman of Tibet Glacier Mineral Water. “This ultimately helped us to be more productive because we were able to be trained on these systems ahead of time, greatly reducing that learning curve.”

Sidel and Nestlé output Eco-Shape

or Nestlé Waters North America, (NWNA) its current focus revolves around lightweighting, as it has a two-fold responsibility: to shareholders, as well to consumers and the environment. In 2005, Nestlé Waters and Sidel joined forces to develop an eco-friendly, lightweight water bottle: the Eco-Shape.

The project was broken down into two different phases. The first focused on lightweighting the body of the bottle. After redesigning the body, the weight of the bottle went from 14.5g for a 500ml bottle (in 2006) to 12.4g in 2008, with the new container proving to be a success. The second stage, which began in 2009, concentrated on

reducing the neck size, as well as the weight, and improving the shape of the body. The latest bottle design resulting from this phase reduced the weight to approximately 9.25g or lower, depending on the vintage of the blowmolder. Sidel is working with NWNA to convert 50 lines in 16 plants. Distribution throughout the US will be completed by May.

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Aqua Minerale sports a new look

PET timeline

1941

n eye-catching, innovative design for an essential, yet exciting product. That was the brief given to PET Engineering by PepsiCo Russia for the development of its new Aqua Minerale container. The design came to life in a 600ml format with a petaloid base, ergonomic grip and central label, all iconic of PepsiCo. The project took a year to complete, with PET Engineering responsible for the engineering of the design and all of the necessary technical aspects to create the container, which involved considering the limitations of the existing filling lines. Aqua Minerale is produced on five different Russian sites using blowing machines of different types with varying requirements. Two sites use Sidel blowing machines, one site a Krones machine, one a Sipa and another a SIG Corpoplast, which together supply 149 blow molds. Despite these requirements, PET Engineering was able to guarantee high technical performances and results for the customer. As well as providing the consultancy for the choice of the optimal design, PET Engineering carried out testing in its own technical centre to verify the performances of the lightweight preforms for still and carbonated mineral water. Trials were also performed on Ecobase preforms produced by Husky Injection Molding Systems, which gave excellent results, producing improved performances compared to standard base preforms.

The machines that PepsiCo uses in Russia are characterised by very fast filling lines, with a capacity of over 35,000 bottles an hour, meaning that the container must offer stability. The thermal stability tests were therefore fundamental, allowing the engraving on the shoulder and base to be monitored so that the correct design could be chosen without technical limitations. After the testing was completed, PET Engineering put the container’s production into practice, with even higher performances than expected.

Polyethyleneterephthalate (PET) aka polyester, was invented by chemists Whinfield and Dickson, employees of the Calico Printers’ Association of Manchester, UK. Its first application was for polyester fibres.

1950s The first polyester films were produced.

1970s The first polyester bottle resins appeared.

Global Bottled Water Report 2009 The most comprehensive analysis of global bottled water trends, this Zenith report provides a global overview, country rankings, and full market segmentation.

Data 2003-08 Forecasts 2009-13 Still vs sparkling Small pack vs bulk Regional commentary Company activities Product launches Support your investment Identify decisions new growth Adapt quickly opportunities to change and allowing you remain aware to be early to of what your market competitors are doing

www.foodbev.com/water Issue 59 - March · April 2010

SPECIAL REPORT 35

PET power

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Lightweighting a priority for Sipa

an Benedetto claims to be the leader in Italy when it comes to bottling still water in lightweight PET containers, all produced with Sipa blow molding systems.

bottles. The containers are filled on high speed lines - up to 70,000 bph for 500ml.

Even back in 2000, the 1.5 litre Guizza (third from left) weighed in at 25g, when all the other market brands were at least 33g.

Sipa has also provided assistance with premium waters in the US and Canada. Since 2008, it has been producing a 9.9g bottle, which is packed into 6x4 shrinkpacks and palletised up to six layers.

Since 2005, San Benedetto has been on the market with a 1.5 litre square bottle at 24g (right).

Today, the 2 litre square bottle is 27g, which Sipa believes is by far the lightest in the world, and the 0.5 litre is 11g (far right). All of these bottles are packed in standard shrink film packs with no cartons and palletised at the maximum storage level, for example, seven layers for 500ml when pressurised liquid nitrogen is added into the

These very light and high performance bottles are produced on Sipa single-stage and two-stage equipment at speeds up to 50,000 bph.

The firm also recently developed the new Aquafina Pepsi bottle (far left) for India, which will be on the market in three to four months. The 500ml bottle is another premium package featuring extreme lightweighting. It is produced on the Sipa SFR blow molding machine and then packed in traditional complete lines supplied under turn-key contracts. The latest Sipa dvelopment in water focuses on cost effectiveness and lightweighting technology. The new Tribloc technology, which was presented at the last Drinktec, offers a 1.5 litre bottle (second left) for still or carbonated mineral water at 22g. It is blown in Sipa rotary blow molders at 2,000 bph per cavity, and filled and labelled in the TriBloc, which features an innovative PE roll-adhesive labeller. The bottle was developed for a Greek customer, with Sipa supplying a complete turn-key line, including a TriBloc and and packaging and palletising line.

Key advantages of the TriBloc • Neck handling of very light containers through the complete blowing-filling-labelling process, ensuring that no one will have to change the settings and management of the conveyors • PE roll-adhesive technology which eliminates all the burdens of hot melt glue and traditional label cutting knives, improving efficiency • A simple packing line as bottles are delivered from the TriBloc

into table-top conveyors straight to be shrink packed, with quick line settings and high line efficiency • The space required for the line is 40% less than a conventional line • One operator can take responsibility for the complete line, with only additional assistance needed from forklift drivers for the supply of raw materials.

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Sustainability

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Giving the green light water innovation rounds up the latest sustainability issues affecting the packaged water industry and gets to grips with how companies are addressing them.

Quantis International carried out the study, which is believed to be the first peer-reviewed, comprehensive analysis of the environmental impact of water and alternative beverage options, including filtered and unfiltered tap water consumed from reusable plastic, steel and aluminium containers. Tap water was deemed to have the lightest footprint, followed by tap water consumed in reusable bottles (if

used more than ten times), and then bottled water. According to the report, packaging and distribution are key contributors to a beverage’s carbon footprint. It found that Nestlé Waters’ Eco-Shape bottled water has the smallest environmental impact among bottled beverages because it uses the least amount of plastic and travels a relatively short distance from source to shelf. The study said that 140g of greenhouse gas emissions are produced during the life cycle of a 500ml serving of Eco-Shape bottled water, compared to 160g for other bottled water brands, based on typical characteristics. Sports drinks, enhanced waters and soda are reported to produce nearly 50% more carbon dioxide emissions per serving than bottled water. The latter doesn’t

Water, in all its forms, has the least environmental impact of any beverage. And when compared to other packaged beverages, including soft drinks, sports drinks, enhanced waters and juices, bottled water has the lightest environmental footprint. Those are the main findings of a life cycle analysis study, which was commissioned by Nestlé Waters North America.

use ‘grown’ ingredients, such as sugar, which eliminates the environmental impact of the additional water, pesticides and energy usage associated with harvesting. “Bottled water, like every beverage, has an environmental footprint. The question is, what are we doing to reduce it?” asks Alex McIntosh, Director of Corporate Citizenship, Nestlé Waters North America. “This study helps us - and our

stakeholders - consider the impacts of beverage options in a fuller context. “For example, this report indicates that bottled water bans can be counterproductive from an environmental perspective, since research shows if bottled water were not available, two-thirds of people would drink other packaged beverages, like soft drinks and juices, which often have more impact on the environment than bottled water.”

Green innovations

Bonafont bottle made entirely of recycled plastic

onafont, the Mexican water brand of Danone, has launched a bottled water container made entirely from recycled material in what it claims is the first for a mass audience. The 4 litre bottle is made from recycled PET plastic that had previously been discarded after its initial use. Having undergone a series of stringent sorting and cleaning processes to ensure the plastic is fit for reuse, it is then turned into pellets that make the new bottles. Bonafont has also committed to ensuring that its range of smaller bottles (330ml, 500ml, 1 litre and 2 litre) is made of 25% reused PET plastic, with that percentage figure set to rise in the short term. Daniel Ordoñez, Marketing Director at Bonafont, has highlighted the environmental

impact that the initiatives will have. “This will enable us to reduce the volume of carbon dioxide that we emit into the atmosphere by 20,000 tonnes each year.” It also builds on Bonafont’s progress in reducing the weight of plastic used in the manufacture of its bottles in 2009. With all eyes set to turn to Mexico later this year, when the world’s leaders converge to try and deliver a lasting solution to climate change at the United Nations’ annual convention, the need to educate the public on sustainable practices has never been more relevant.

“Taking care of the planet is a priority that requires participation from all parties,” continued Ordoñez. At Bonafont we recognise this responsibility and are committed to setting an example through concrete actions that deliver real and measurable improvements to the environment.” According to research from the Instituto de Investigaciones Sociales (Institute for Social Research), 50% of all waste material that is dumped in Mexico every year is made of material that could be recycled. PET is one such material that is commonly discarded without being reused for other purposes. By ensuring that all of the bottles produced by the company are now made from recycled PET,

Bonafont hopes to reduce the strain on landfill sites across the country and contribute to a more sustainable ecosystem within Mexico.

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˙ Zywiec Zdrój relaunches My Strong Tree programme

˙ olish water brand, Zywiec Zdrój, has launched the second phase of its award winning My Strong Tree programme.

Started in 2009, the initiative aims to increase public awareness of the importance of environmental sustainability, highlighting in particular the key role of trees. As a result of the co-operation ˙ between Zywiec Zdrój and the Our Earth Foundation, one million trees were planted last year in the Beskidy Mountains region of Poland, which is where ˙ Zywiec Zdrój natural spring water is sourced. The tree planting programme is continuing this year, along with national educational activities to encourage high, primary and kindergarten schools to develop and implement environmental projects in their local communities. Free training in ecology and sustainability issues are also being offered to teachers to ensure that they are comfortable with the subject and can deliver effective and

enjoyable classes. Competitions with prizes for the most interesting project or lesson are on offer to all participants. Trees are an important symbol in Polish culture, and artistic activities also feature heavily within this year’s programme. Polish artists Beata Konarska and Paweł Konarski have created a work of art entitled ‘A house on a tree’, which will be open to the public throughout the year. The Friends of Trees - well known and popular media figures in Poland - have once again lent their support to the initiative and are encouraging the public to act in a more ecologically friendly way. Consumers are being invited to participate via an interactive website, www.mojesilnedrzewo.pl, where they can select their own tree, which foresters will plant on their behalf.

PlantBottle in practice

he Coca-Cola Company’s PlantBottle packaging arrived on store store shelves in selected markets in countries across the world late last year. The PET plastic bottles, which are made partially from plants are part of the company’s efforts to reduce its dependence on petroleum, a non renewable resource. The packaging is 100% recyclable, and according to Coca-Cola, preliminary research indicates that the carbon footprint of its production - from the growing of the plant material through to the creation of the resin is smaller than that of normal PET bottles.

Denmark is one of the countries where the bottle is available in 500ml and 2 litre sizes: “The PlantBottle market launch in Denmark puts Coca-Cola Europe at the forefront of biobased packaging innovation in Europe,” said Ulrike Sapiro at Coca-Cola Europe. “The PlantBottle represents a major step forward in our sustainable packaging journey but we believe that we can still go further. We want to continue innovating and to achieve the The Bottle of the Future, a bottle

that is made with 100% plantwaste material while remaining completely recyclable.” The PlantBottle was also available for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games for a variety of products including Dasani, Coca-Cola, Sprite and Fresca, as well as selected markets in the Western US, such as Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The company’s goal is to produce 2 billion of the bottles by the end of this year. They are made using a process that turns sugar cane and molasses, a by-product of sugar production, into a key

component for PET plastic. The ultimate aim is to use nonfood, plant based waste, such as wood chips or wheat stalks. “Coca-Cola is currently sourcing raw materials for its PlantBottle from suppliers in Brazil, where third parties have verified that best-inclass agricultural practices are the norm,” said Dr Jason Clay, Senior Vice President of Market Transformation for WWF. “Preserving natural resources through sustainable agriculture is essential for businesses like Coca-Cola as they search for ways to alleviate environmental challenges.”

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FOCUS 39

Sustainability

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Sustainable solutions Packaged water companies, an injection molding systems firm and labels printing company outline how their businesses have implemented a greener outlook.

Brecon Carreg

ick up a bottle of Brecon Carreg Natural Mineral Water in the UK and you will notice that it spells out its efforts to improve its environmental credentials on the label. The brand highlights the ways in which it respects the natural area where the water is sourced - the Brecon Beacons National Park - by striving to be as ‘green’ as possible. It was recently dubbed a ‘Sound Ethical Choice’ by the National Union of Students Service, which praised it for its sustained programme of reducing energy and waste. The water has also developed an inhouse ‘Green Team’, which is solely dedicated to continuous improvements in several areas:

Land management Brecon Carreg works together with the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority, ensuring that no heavy industry or intensive farming takes place on the land, which could adversely affect the catchment area and therefore the source and the water.

More sustainable packaging Given that 45 million individual bottles leave Brecon Carreg’s production site every year, making small changes towards reduced packaging can lead to sizeable reductions. Bottles have been lightweighted and the use of labels, packaging and glue minimised. The labels, for example, are sustainably sourced, and both their size and weight (85g per square metre to 80g per square metre) have been reduced, making a saving of almost 1 tonne of paper per year. In addition, the weight of the multipack films used has gone from 70 micron in 2003 to only 55 micron, offering a saving of 20% or 17 tonnes of film.

Logistics Brecon Carreg aims to maximise its pallet and vehicle fill, as well as encourage full load orders to save costs and cut down on needless food miles.

Reduced energy consumption Its bottling facility now uses ‘green’ energy, and the company has achieved energy savings of 19% between 2005 and 2009.

Wenlock Spring

iming to minimise the impact that bottling and distribution have on the environment, UK bottled water company Wenlock Spring works alongside The Carbon Trust to constantly review its procedures. This includes ensuring that 99% of all packaging and waste from its site are recycled, as well as using mains electricity from a renewable energy source and low energy lightbulbs throughout its buildings and offices. “Being environmentally aware is a constant process of reviewing our materials and procedures,” explained Wenlock’s Bruce Orme (above left). For example, the firm found that most of the waste that left its site was paper.

It now sorts and bales waste paper before it is sent for recycling. Digital communication is also used whenever possible for invoices and statements, saving huge amounts of paper, ink and envelopes. Food miles are kept to a minimum by optimising Wenlock’s own delivery vehicles and working with a network of distributors, providing a logical alternative to imported brands. All bottles, caps and labels are also sourced locally, which has a positive knock on effect of supporting the local economy.

Xeikon

elgium based digital printing company Xeikon is under contract with a primary energy supplier to use renewable energy at its toner manufacturing operations in Heultje. The Punch Graphix company division is aiming to ensure that its printing supply chain has as little an impact on the environment as possible. “Often when people speak about ‘green’ printing, they are primarily concerned with whether materials are printed on recycled paper or paper from managed and

renewable forests,” explained Lode Deprez, Vice President of Toner R&D and Production at Punch Graphix. “But that barely scratches the surface. The printed paper must also

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Husky

global supplier of injection molding equipment and services to the plastics industry, Husky has more than 40 service and sales offices, supporting customers in over 100 countries. In a bid to help its clients run more sustainable operations, it is investing in the development of innovative new technologies and services. The firm is examining the complete life cycle of beverage packaging, including bottle and closure, to determine ways to improve the manufacturing process to make it more sustainable. It is currently working with the Allied Development Corporation, a third party consulting and publications company, to conduct life cycle analysis studies. The studies show how the environmental footprint and greenhouse gas emissions of manufacturing and transporting PET bottles

be recyclable, the printing process must conserve water and use no VOCs, and the energy use and production of waste must be drastically reduced.” According to the firm, Xeikon has met these requirements, both in its manufacturing processes and in the way its customers use the equipment throughout its lifecycle in the field: “The new energy contract ensures we are

relates to alternative forms of packaging. “Husky is taking steps to support research to learn about the environmental footprint of beverage packaging,” said Jeff MacDonald, Husky’s Vice President of Marketing. “Our goal is to apply this knowledge to product development that will help to improve sustainability. For example, making it easier for manufacturers to use greater amounts of recycled PET.” The first study found that in North America, PET is the most favourable alternative when compared to aluminium cans and glass bottles for a 355ml carbonated soft drink application. When measuring greenhouse gas emissions, PET containers had the lowest output at 314.9 pounds per 1,000 units, approximately 250 pounds less than aluminium and 180 pounds less than glass. In terms of energy consumption,

using 100% green electricity in our toner manufacturing operation and we are proud to again assert our leadership position in an area of growing importance: environmental sustainability.” The firm’s plants also comply with the EU WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Directive to reduce the annual volumes of waste from discarded equipment. All of its facilities have systems

PET also performed the best with 3,225 MJ per 1,000 units, in comparison to aluminium at 3,917 MJ and glass at 4,227 MJ. In an effort to increase the content of recycled flake in beverage packaging, Husky has developed the HyPET Recycled Flake (RF) system, which is specifically optimised for manufacturing preforms with high percentages of food-grade recycled flake. The system will help to make PET packaging more sustainable by enabling the use of up to 50% post-consumer, recycled PET flake. At NPE 2009, Husky launched the EcoBase preform, which it claims is the first initiative of its kind, as it offers customers a standardised lightweighting solution that yields additional reductions in resin use by focusing on the preform design. The company also launched its HyCAP system, which has been designed for high speed beverage closure manufacturing. The system is ideally suited to produce the lightweight, one-

piece closures that are becoming increasingly common in beverage packaging. At Drinktec last year, it manufactured a new PCO 1881 closure weighing 2.3g, which is a significant improvement from the previous industry standard of 2.8 to 3g. In comparison to alternate processes, injection molded onepiece closures typically require less resin, making them more sustainable and cost effective to manufacture. Being proactive in minimising unplanned downtime and conserving resources are goals that Husky recognises as becoming increasingly important in today’s economic climate. The firm’s Manufacturing Advisory Services team helps customers achieve maximum operating efficiency by streamlining processes and lowering energy consumption. For example, Husky recently helped a leading manufacturer identify opportunities to streamline operations that resulted in total energy cost savings of 17% in just over one year.

that remove wastewater and rainwater separately, reducing the pressure on wastewater processing. In the Heultje site, energy consumption per kg of produced toner has decreased by more than 35% in recent years. This has been achieved through recovering heat from the toner manufacturing process to heat the building and investments in new production technology.

www.foodbev.com/water Issue 59 - March · April 2010

FOCUS 41

Luxury waters

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It’s no longer enough to look appealing through exquisite branding and packaging, or taste superior through exclusive sourcing and bottling. Luxury beverages are also cropping up in all areas of modern culture, such as film, food, art and shopping, through sponsorships, charity work and guest appearances. water innovation Editor Medina Bailey dives into the sociable, elite world of premium waters where image means everything.

Film & . . . Mondariz T

of cultural activities aims to attract millions of people to the region of Galicia throughout 2010.

he Spanish water brand that hails from Galicia, Aguas de Mondariz is taking to the big screen by participing in the filming of the movie, The Way.

It seems fitting that the water brand should have become involved with an event that is so deep rooted in history and culture, as the mineral water dates back to before the roman empire. It orginates from the Balneario de Mondariz spa hotel, where people still travel to drink it from the original pump source today.

The glass and PET bottles of Aguas de Mondariz appear in some of the scenes of the film, which is directed by Emilio Estévez and stars Martin Sheen. Adorned with distinctive celtic-style branding, the bottles were also on hand during filming and present at the picture’s press conference. Produced by Filmax, The Way tells the story of a North American ophthalmologist who, after receiving the news of the death of his son in the Pyrenees, travels to Europe and discovers that he intended to make the pilgrimage, the Way to Santiago. Despite their bad relationship, the father decides to continue the route to Compostela on his son’s behalf. By travelling this path, he meets four other characters from different parts of the world. The Xacobeo 2010, Galician Television and the Government

Steeped in history: Mondariz sparkling and still waters of Galicia also participated in the production. Aguas de Mondariz became involved in the film through its official sponsorship of 2010 Xacobeo, a public initiative organised within the Holy Year of St James, which falls only 14 times every century. The programme

The water has a natural thermal temperature of 17°C and is enriched with natural minerals such as bicarbonates, calcium, and sodium. The granite-like nature of the substrate through which the water circulates determines its characteristic composition, as shown by several hydro-geological studies carried out for Mondariz over the past few decades.

embossed in glass, which has a Celtic feel and is iconic of this region of northern Spain. As Export Director Miranda Clegg explained to water innovation, the glass bottle has a traditional feel, inkeeping with the company that first originated in 1873 and its Galician history, yet it is also contemporary enough to work in the present day horeca market.

Its latest packaging features the original typeface of Mondariz

Food & . . . Nornir T

argeted at the premium water segment, Nornir water from the Danish Bottling Company is participating in various events on Denmark’s 2010 food and fine dining calendar. The firm sponsored

the Nordic Culinary Chef 2010 event, which was recently held at the FoodExpo fair in Herning, as well as two leading Danish restaurants. According to the company, the water’s packaging, PET which

resembles glass, is provoking a lot of interest, so it is essential to maintain a strong presence in the areas where its key customers are represented. It is also currently focusing on optimising the energy

consumption required to produce the water, which will further boost its claims that every 750ml Nornir bottle saves 50% on carbon emissions, compared to premium glass bottles.

42 INSIGHT

www.foodbev.com/water Issue 59 - March · April 2010

Come on in, the water’s fine . . .

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Film, charity work & . . . Tyˆ Nant R

enowned for its iconic cobalt blue and crimson red glass bottles, Tyˆ Nant Natural Mineral Water was first unveiled to the world at London’s Savoy Hotel in 1989. Nowadays it is still served up at fine hotels, as well as restaurants and spas, and also regularly puts in an appearance at charity and celebrity events.

various high profile celebrity events, including Elton John’s White Tie and Tiara Ball, the BRIT Awards and the Fashion Fringe at Covent Garden, in a bid to become one of the most visible luxury brands on the market.

For the past three years, the brand has been working with the Pink Ribbon Foundation in aid of breast cancer charities throughout the UK. With a ‘Drink Pink’ message, the campaign has seen PET bottles being specifically designed for the cause. The ice-like containers feature pink caps and discreet pink labels, with a penny donated to the Foundation for very bottle sold. The brand also enlisted four British designers, including Justin Oh, Ben de Lisi, Elspeth Gibson and Hamish Morrow to decorate a collection of bottles. The unique collectables were auctioned online late last year during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, with all monies raised going to charity. When it comes to television and film appearances, Tyˆ Nant is not camera shy. The brand’s bottles have featured in films such as James Bond’s Die Another Day, Bridget Jones’ Diary (above right) and The Italian Job, as well as small screen shows including Friends, The Apprentice and The F Word. The brand has also sponsored

www.foodbev.com/water Issue 59 - March · April 2010

INSIGHT 43

Luxury waters

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Food & . . . . . . S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna I

talian style, elegance and brand heritage are just some of the elements that the limited edition S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna bottles have been specifically designed to connote. The dual branding exclusive collection will be introduced to leading chefs, international media and well known restaurateurs at the S.Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards in London on 26 April.

history and heritage. Towards the end of the 19th century, the S.Pellegrino springs were a popular haunt for European aristocrats, as they gathered at the elegant hotels, restaurants and cafés that lined the banks of the Brembo river in northern Italy. Three landmark buildings remain today as symbols of this ‘belle epoque’ - the Grand Hotel, Palazzo della Fonte and former Municipal Casino.

The S.Pellegrino bottle features an image of a casino, which reflects the water brand’s

The fountain on the Acqua Panna bottle represents Villa Panna, a luxurious villa in

Tuscany surrounded by orchards, gardens and a hunting ground, which was formerly owned by the Medici family. An official map dated 1792 - which still hangs on a wall in the Villa’s entrance hall - shows the ‘walled Cannucceto source’, one of the sources of the water. As well as being served on the evening of the awards, which are now in their ninth year, the collection will also be awarded to the 100 restaurants worldwide which made the coveted shortlist.

. . . Badoit M

ixing up the worlds of fine waters and cuisine, Badoit is one of the official partners to the Omnivore Food Festival, which took place in Deauville, France, at the end of February. As part of the festival, it launched an annual scholarship programme for chefs in 2009,

concept to life, be it a restaurant, event or association.

which awards them €10,000 to bring an innovative culinary

Participants competed for the prize by filling in an application form on the Danone brand’s website. The final jury, composed of 10 acclaimed chefs decided on the winners, which were announced at the recent festival.

Extra sparkling variant Badoit Rouge also offered French consumers the chance to win one of five invitations for two people to attend the Omnivore event and Badoit Rouge VIP reception by entering a prize draw.

. . . Malmberg M

almberg water took up its place as part of the Food from Sweden pavilion, organised by the Swedish Food Trade Council, at the recent BioFach exhibition. It showed its original, still, orange and lemon variants at the organic food show in Nürnberg, Germany. Malmberg Original has a naturally acquired balanced mineral content with relatively high levels of calcium and magnesium. It has a low salt content, mellow taste and

slight carbonation. The Stilla variant is similar in taste, but has no carbonation. The brand emphasises its neutral taste, which it says acts as a complement to both food and wine. Malmberg Original Water is run under the direction of Managing Director Per Malmberg, a fourth generation well driller. The Malmberg family hails from the village of Yngsjö on the southeast coast of Sweden, and has continued its tradition

of well drilling for around 140 years. In 1976, an artesian well was found by chance on the Malmberg’s property. The mineral water was first bottled in 1990. Although traditionally bottled in elegant glass for fine dining, the range was launched in on-the-go PET

bottles last year, which are targeted at delicatessens, hotels, spas and golf clubs.

44 INSIGHT

www.foodbev.com/water Issue 59 - March · April 2010

Food, art& . . . . . . Iskilde I

skilde donated 20 hand decorated bottles to the food and art festival, Taste the Art, which took place in Aarhus, Denmark, late last year. The bottles were individually adorned by various Danish artists and sold at auction, raising nearly DKK 34,000 for a charity dedicated to families with children with cancer. It also sponsored the Nordic festival, which brings together the worlds of art and food. Decorated by Charles Kastberg, the aquarium style bottle (below left) sold for DKK 4,000 alone.

www.foodbev.com/water Issue 59 - March · April 2010

Iskilde is named after the artesian spring where it is sourced, which was discovered in the Mossø conservation area of Jutland, Denmark. The water flows from an aquifer more than 50m below the earth’s surface. The area is covered with fine mineral coated glacial deposits from the ice age, with the organic materials present absorbed through the groundwater, lending a high mineral content. Saturating the water with oxygen before it is bottled aims to give an even cleaner taste.

INSIGHT 45

Luxury waters

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Shopping & . . . Offering a pleasant, relaxed ambience, vast range and expert advice, water stores make purchasing packaged water an eye-opening, insightful experience. Three water shop owners tell us more about opening and running stores in New Zealand, the US and Belgium respectively.

Aqua Deli, Mark Smith (MS)

How does your story start? MS: In 1995, our company introduced Kingfisher Indian beer to New Zealand. At the time, the choice of beers in Indian restaurants was effectively limited to those from the two main breweries. Over the following decade, we extended the range to include beers from China, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam. We sold the business in 2005. Almost immediately we began receiving phone calls from restaurant customers wanting to know where they could buy Kingfisher. We had approached off-trade liquor outlets to sell Kingfisher, but at the time the major liquor chains were effectively controlled by the breweries and had no interest. We therefore set up a mail order division, and later an online store, New Zealand’s first online beer store. So, how does this relate to water? Well, by 2005, the range of waters available from restaurants was less than the range of beers available in 1995, or even

Fine H2o Boutique, Naomi Del Toro (NDT)

1985. Italian restaurants were serving waters such as Ferrarelle or Surgiva, and French restaurants, Puits Saint Georges or Evian. But supermarkets only sold S.Pellegrino or local waters in PET, and there was nowhere to buy the waters we were enjoying in restaurants. And so, with a number of brands in existence, but not available, the idea of a water shop was born. NDT: Our company started four years ago in Los Angeles with one brand of water from New Zealand. The following year, we expanded to New York City, Philadelphia and several cities in Canada. We sold exclusively to distributors and they sold to restaurants, hotels and cafés. We saw a store as a great way of promoting and educating Americans about the wonderful world of unique waters from around the globe which should be appreciated, just like fine wines. DV: A free unit popped up next to our warehouse. It was an opportunity we couldn’t resist as it is logistically very

Waterwinkel, Peter and Suzy De Vos (DV)

convenient and practical, with good parking spaces just in front of the shop and easy access. The previous shop was located in the centre of Antwerp, so it was difficult to park, which is vital for any shop. After a lot of bureaucracy, we opened on 9 December last year.

One should never say ‘it's only water’ when talking about water! Talk us through your range MS: We offer about 40 waters, but can source any water available on the local market and import a number directly. NDT: We currently offer 15 different waters from Europe, New Zealand and the US. Within the next three months, we plan to double this amount

and by the summer we intend to have 50. DV: We have about 50 different waters in the shop, from Scandinavia and Iceland in the ‘north’ and the UK, down to Spain, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, New Patagonia, the US and Canada. If we don’t have a water from a certain country, we can find it and order it in. What are your best selling waters? MS: They tend to be glass, and brands not readily available from mainstream outlets. NDT: Brands like 420 which have unique bottle shapes have proven to be the most popular. Also the Philippe Starck designed bottle for St Georges water has proven to be a hit with the hip club crowd. DV: Our water, Nine Degrees (9°) is a superior water with the best combination of PHvalue, bottling temperature and TDS. It’s also a very attractive bottle in nine different colours, so is ideal for everyone’s homes and décor.

46 INSIGHT

www.foodbev.com/water Issue 59 - March · April 2010

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Can you describe your typical customer? MS: No. They are all very different and not at all what you might expect. Reasons for purchasing also vary. We are seeing more customers who would never have considered buying water when we opened over three years ago. NDT: Our intent is to appeal to everyone, which is why we must educate customers about the benefits of water and help create appreciation for our unique waters. DV: Our clients vary - some visit every week for their ‘everyday’ waters, while some come in to purchase designer bottles because they are hosting a dinner for friends. The attractive bottles always provide a conversation piece at the dinner table and, from experience, we know that more water will be consumed if it’s presented well. Some customers take water as a gift, instead of giving a bottle of wine or Champagne. A beautifully packaged bottle of water is very much appreciated. As a water sommelier, Peter can also work with restaurant chefs to create a water menu for a special meal, with different water suggestions to accompany different dishes. Is the décor important to the overall shopping experience? NDT: Yes, we want the consumer to appreciate how beautiful these bottles are and how great they will look in their home. DV: We have gone to a great deal of effort to fit out the shop’s interior, so the décor is extremely important to us. For example, have we made a lamp from empty Voss bottles, with dimensions of 4 x 1.5 metres and a weight of 400kg. Likewise, the walls feature decorative art and paintings. The water we sell is packaged

in attractive bottles, so they have to be presented in an attractive shop. What’s the best thing about running an aqua store? MS: It’s a hard one to answer. We are unique, unlike liquor stores. All of our customers have a genuine interest in what we are doing. In this sense, our suppliers are also unique. We attract a lot of interest from the trade and media, locally and internationally. It’s also nice to be invited to a function or dinner and hear people talking about ‘the water shop’. The market is changing very quickly and we feel after three years in water (and many more in beverages), we are becoming better established and have a solid base to build on.

Enter now!

17 exciting categories See ‘One to watch’ on page 50 or visit

www.waterinnovationawards.com for more details

What advice would you give to someone looking to open an aqua shop? MS: A water store, or any other business built around water (bottling, distribution etc), is still a business. There is no get rich quick fix, it is hard work, and you shouldn’t expect a payback for some years. But if you stick at it for long enough, it can be rewarding. I think there is a misnomer that because water is ‘free’, anyone in the water business has a license to print money. I can tell you that those in the business definitely know better!

Making an even bigger splash in 2010

NDT: Check with us in a year’s time! We have opened the first water boutique in the US and are learning ourselves. DV: You have to be prepared to provide information about all of the different waters and know exact details, such as how many different minerals they contain, if they have a saltiness or sweetness, and the different grades of sparkling and still waters. Never say ‘it’s only water’ about water!

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INSIGHT 47

Products and services

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Machinery and equipment Conveying

Packaging

Mould suppliers

Process equipment

Caps and closures

comep PET Engineering,

Sismatico (UK) Ltd Plumtree Farm Industrial Estate Bircotes, Doncaster DN11 8EW Tel: +44 (0)1302 719738 Fax: +44 (0)1302 719222 E-mail: info@sismatico-uk.com Website: www.sismatico-uk.com

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A. Water Systems S.r.l Località Piana, 55/D 12060 - Verduno (CN) Italy Tel: +39 0173 615636 Fax: +39 0173 615633 Website: www.watersystems.it Email: info@watersystems.it Water Systems can provide complete support to the bottling lines integrators, starting from water purification (cartridges, sand, active carbon, RO filtering systems) through ancillary equipments (CIP systems, bottle rinsing solution preparers, etc), to product processing machines (premix systems, flash pasteurizers, syrup rooms, etc).

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Corvaglia 26 Danish Bottling Company 45 Döhler 11 Greiner Packaging 13 Husky 52 Iskilde 43 OP Sarl 25 PET Engineering 31 Polymer Solutions 7 Seaquist Closures 19 Total Processing & Packaging 51 Vitafoods 17 Webtech 2 wi awards 2010 47 Zenith International 35, 37

Seaquist Closures Ltd 5 Bruntcliffe Avenue Leeds 27 Industrial Estate Morley, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS27 0LL, United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)113 220 3200 Fax: +44 (0)113 289 7323 E-mail: info@seaquistclosures.eu Website: www.seaquistclosures.eu Sports closures and dispensing systems for plastic packaging. Contacts: UK: Paul King +44 (0)7711 648 835 Germany: Gerhard Brandt +49 (0)151 1950 7325 France: Florent Gras +33 (0)6 78 86 35 91

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www.foodbev.com/water Issue 59 - March · April 2010

MARKETPLACE 49

water innovation awards 2010 Click here to subscribe

ave you heard about our brand new awards programme yet? Entries are now open, so here is all the essential information you need to become involved.

17 exciting categories Brands and products • Best new still or sparkling water • Best new flavoured water • Best new functional water • Best new children’s concept • Best newcomer brand or business

Packaging • Best new bottle in PET • Best new bottle in glass • Best new label or decorative finish • Best new closure • Best new bottling, manufacturing or production technology innovation

Ingredients • Best new functional ingredient for packaged water • Best new product enhancing ingredient: flavour, sweetener or colour

Sustainability

Entry criteria

Entry cost

Entries in all categories are open to products or initiatives launched since 1 June 2009

€195 per entry

And the award goes to . . .

• Best environmental sustainability initiative • Best ethical or humanitarian initiative

Marketing • Best consumer print marketing campaign • Best consumer TV/cinema marketing campaign • Best activation, store promotion or point of sale campaign

The awards will be handed out on 2 November during the 7th Global Bottled Water Congress in Gleneagles, Scotland. All entries will also be featured in the water innovation awards Showcase magazine

Other points to consider What products must do All products must: • be fit for purpose and fit for market • be able to justify any claims made • clearly communicate benefits - from hydration, health or functionality, to fun or indulgence

What the judging panel is looking out for New products and initiatives that are: • genuinely innovative • establish a real point of difference with competitors • introduce new concepts • offer added value • have market impact

Aspects of a product or initiative which directly reflect the following issues may be taken into account: • the health and obesity debate - from calorific value to use of ingredients and portion control • the environment - from responsible management of packaging and packaging waste to ‘food miles’ • ethical issues - from Fairtrade to Corporate Social Responsibility

Sponsorship opportunities The 2010 water innovation awards provides a unique opportunity for sponsors to secure valuable international exposure across the global packaged water industry: • at the Global Bottled Water Congress • in water innovation magazine • on www.foodbev.com • and through a publicity campaign involving traditional media, social networking sites and YouTube

For more details, go to

www.waterinnovationawards.com © water innovation 2010. Reproduced with the kind permission of FoodBev Media - www.foodbev.com For details about syndication and licensing please contact the marketing team on 01225 327890.

50 ONE TO WATCH