BWRWWW.BOTTLEDWATER.ORG IN THIS ISSUE A PUBLICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL BOTTLED WATER ASSOCIATION BOTTLED WATER REPORTER | FALL 2022 Also Inside: How to Re-engage Dissatisfied Employees Before It's Too Late The ofWonderfulMaddening,Messy,WorldPolitics Promoting the Benefi ts of Bottled WaterRuleFDA'sUnderstandingFluoride INCREASE YOUR HOD SALES FOCUS ON THE PERSON AND WATCH YOUR SALES SOAR CHICAGO2022 ANNUAL BUSINESS CONFERENCE AND TRADE SHOW 24OCT.-27 We're Back! In Person!
COLUMNS VOL. 62 • NO. 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS GOVERNMENT RELATIONS 28 | How to Cook in the Congressional Kitchen The recipe for success includes building relationships with your legislators and inviting them into your plants. COMMUNICATIONS 30 | Promoting the Benefits of Bottled Water and Bottled Water Packaging Remaining silent on the benefits of plastic packaging is not an option. TECHNICAL UPDATE 32 | Understanding FDA’s Latest Fluoride Rule FDA’s final rule for added fluoride levels in bottled water became effective June 19, 2022. BY THE NUMBERS 36 | HOD Poised for More Growth Review the latest projections by Beverage Marketing Corporation for the home and office delivery segment of the bottled water industry. CONNECT WITH IBWA BOTTLED WATER REPORTER, Volume 62, Number 3. Published four times a year by The Goetz Printing Company, 7939 Angus Court, Springfield, VA, 22153, for the International Bottled Water Association, 1700 Diagonal Road, Suite 650, Alexandria, VA 22314-2973. Tel: 703.683.5213, Fax: Subscriptionwww.bottledwater.org.703.683.4074,rateformembers is $25 per year, which is included in the dues. U.S. and Canadian subscription rate to nonmembers is $50 per year. International subscription rate is $100 per year. Single copies are $10. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Bottled Water Reporter, 1700 Diagonal Road, Suite 650, Alexandria, VA 22314-2973. CHAIRMAN'S COMMENTARY 2 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE ...................................... 4 WATER NOTES 6 CPO QUIZ ......................................................... 35 ADVERTISERS 35 CALENDAR 35 10 | The Need for Change Agents During These Changing Times The mantra of “always be closing” was made popular by movies and high-pressure sales training, but sales expert John Westman says that intense approach doesn’t work in today’s business environment. What does work? Embracing the mindset and behaviors of the “top 1% salespeople”: aim to be a “helper” rather than a “seller.” By Christine Umbrell 18 | Re-engaging Dissatisfied Employees Before It’s Too Late A record number of employees—47.8 million—voluntarily quit their jobs in 2021, and research shows that 40 percent of U.S. workers are currently considering quitting their jobs. Learn how to recognize the signs of dissatisfied employees and techniques that will help to re-engage them. By Chris Torres Plan now to attend the only business conference in America that focuses solely on the bottled water industry! Details on p.24.CHICAGO2022 ANNUAL BUSINESS CONFERENCE AND TRADE SHOW 24OCT.-27
Jillian Olsen, Cherry Ridge Consulting LLC
Shayron Barnes-Selby, Primo Water Joe Bell, Aqua Filter Fresh, Inc.
Dan Kelly, Polymer Solutions International Hih Song Kim, BlueTriton Brands
Joe Bell, Aqua Filter Fresh, Inc.
When IBWA announced its 2022 Annual Business Conference and Trade Show would be held in Chicago, in late October, my mind went to baseball.
Most importantly, we will finally be back together, in person, for the first time in three years! There’s something intrinsically human about physically gathering together. We do it for all of life’s important events: birthdays, graduations, weddings, anniversaries, even funerals. Although today we have various ways to communicate—phone, email, text, web chat, video chat, social media, etc.—none of that amazing technology can replace being face-to-face.
And
Immediate Past Chairman Robert Smith, Grand Springs Distribution BOARD OF DIRECTORS
William Patrick Young, Absopure Water Co., Inc.
Shayron Barnes-Selby, Primo Water Joe Bell, Aqua Filter Fresh, Inc.
Lynn Wachtmann, Maumee Valley Bottlers, Inc.
Chairman CR Hall, Hall's Culligan
Julia Buchanan, Niagara Bottling, LLC Maureen Hendrix, Primo Water Education Committee
Viola Johnson Jacobs, Primo Water Derieth Sutton, Niagara Bottling LLC. Membership Committee
Dan Kelly, Polymer Solutions International Technical Committee Glen Davis, Absopure Water Co., Inc.
Brian Hess, Niagara Bottling LLC
Michael Efron, The Waterways Company
Henry R. Hidell, III, Hidell International Dan Kelly, Polymer Solutions International Hih Song Kim, BlueTriton Brands
Brad Wester, Premium Waters, Inc.
As a lifelong Cubs fan, I expected to have to duck out and head to Wrigley Field for a playoff game or two. Since the Cubbies are mired near last place, there will be no playoff games this year. That’s OK because there will be lots to do and see at IBWA’s conference!
John Cook, Niagara Bottling LLC
David Redick, Steelhead, Inc. Lynn Wachtmann, Maumee Valley Bottlers, Inc.
Jillian Olsen, Cherry Ridge Consulting LLC Government Relations Committee
William Patrick Young, Absopure Water Co., Inc.
Glen Davis, Absopure Water Co., Inc.
OFFICERS
Ryan Schwaner, Niagara Bottling, LLC
The same can be said of video conference platforms (e.g., Zoom, Microsoft Teams, etc.). They are cost-effective alternatives to traveling for meetings, but they will never really replace what’s special about the concept of the conference: bringing people together in one space to network, discuss industry issues, and, quite frankly, just talk to each other. It’s strange that in-person, face-to-face interactions now seem foreign to how we conduct modern business. Far from being an outdated way of doing business, I think when you join us in Chicago, October 24-27, for the IBWA Annual Business Conference and Trade Show, you’ll be reminded of just how beneficial conferences can be— no matter your position in your organization. The IBWA conference provides a great opportunity to be in the same room as your mentors, employers, employees, partners, vendors, and, importantly, current (and potential) customers. For me, the greatest benefit of conferences is the chance to network with my in dustry peers. At an IBWA conference, you stand alongside of a diverse group of people who have a common goal: to grow and improve their business and the lives of those it touches. IBWA staff have done a fantastic job of organizing this year’s conference, but only we can make it an event to remember. Come to Chicago. Network. Attend education sessions. Have conversations. Ask questions. Take a client out to dinner. Schedule time with exhibitors on the trade show floor. Let’s celebrate the fact that for the first time in a long time, we’ll all be together—celebrating our important and valued Bottled Water industry. wait till next year for the
Robert Smith, Grand Springs Distribution
IBWA
Marge Eggie, Polymer Solutions International Kelley Goshay, Primo Water State and Regional Associations Committee
Chairman CR Hall, Hall's Culligan Vice Chairman Henry R. Hidell, III, Hidell International Treasurer Brian Hess, Niagara Bottling LLC
COMMITTEE CHAIRS Communications Committee
Robert Smith, Grand Springs Distribution Supplier and Convention Committee
Cubs! CR Hall IBWA Chairman CHAIRMAN'S COMMENTARY TAKE ME OUT TO THE… IBWA TRADE SHOW 2 • BWR • WWW.BOTTLEDWATER.ORG
International Bottled Water Association
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Douglas R. Hupe, Aqua Filter Fresh Environmental Sustainability Committee
IBWA
Doug Hidding, Blackhawk Molding Co.
Largest Selection of BPA-FREE Water Bottles in the World. Always in Stock BPA-FREEGenuine CALL US TODAY: 1 (800) 781-1680PROS@BRIOWT.COMBRIOWT.COM 2 Gallon BT207ET Crown Cap 3 Gallon BT307ET Crown Cap 5 Gallon BT507ET Crown Cap PO Box 310 Newtown Square, PA www.ProStack.com610.325.750019073 PLASTIC PALLETS Bottle-Up® Perfect for Home, Office and Retail Storage UpRight Platform Delivery System™ Ideal for Vans and Cube Trucks Bottle Hammock Stable Delivery & Retrieval ProStack® & TierStack® HOD Rack for Warehouse, Transportation & Delivery Routes Delivery, Storage & Handling Solutions Safe • Strong • Durable CELEBRATING OUR 25TH YEAR IN BUSINESS! HOME DELIVERY INCREASING? Bottle-Ups® are Storage Solutions for your Customers! Patent Pending• Extend the life and condition of your bottle • Organize bottles in your utility room, closet or garage • Highly stable and durable storage rack • Store bottles in a vertical or horizontal position 02-SV 03-DV 05-DH We have a full line of returnable nestable and plastic pallets for your distribution needs.
Recent events have shaken up not only the way industry works but also the way consumers buy products. For our cover story, “The Need for Change Agents During These Changing Times" (p.10), we talked with John Westman, a sales expert and adjunct instructor at the Harvard Division of Continuing Education, who teaches that to be successful in the current business climate, salespeople should see themselves as “helpers” rather than “sellers.” Often cloaked in negativity, “selling” can be tainted with the brush of suspicion, but “helping”—putting in the effort to make your clients’ lives better—is always a valuable and appreciated act.
The halls of Congress are also not immune to change. Legislators come and go, and elected officials can align with new issues each term. That’s why this issue’s Government Relations column (p.28) highlights the messy and sometimes irrational process of lawmaking—and reiterates how we must embrace change and actively engage in the legislative process to ensure legislators understand how policy affects our industry. The Communications column (p.30) shares facts you can promote that emphasize the positives about bottled water and bottled water containers. And our Technical Update column (p.32) provides a quick summary of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s recently published final rule for added fluoride levels in bottled water.
CHANGE, FOR THE BETTER 4 • BWR • WWW.BOTTLEDWATER.ORG IBWA International Bottled Water Association BOTTLED WATER REPORTER is published for: International Bottled Water Association 1700 Diagonal Road, Suite 650 Alexandria, VA 22314-2973. Tel: 703.683.5213 Fax: www.bottledwater.org703.683.4074 IBWA PresidentSTAFF Joe jdoss@bottledwater.orgDoss Vice President of Communications Jill jculora@bottledwater.orgCulora Vice President of Government Relations Cory cmartin@bottledwater.orgMartin Vice President of Education, Science, and Technical Relations Al alear@bottledwater.orgLear Director of Conferences, Programs, and Office Administration Michele mcampbell@bottledwater.orgCampbell Director of Government Relations J.P. jtoner@bottledwater.orgToner Director of Communications Sabrina E. shicks@bottledwater.orgHicks Director of Member Services Cheryl cbass@bottledwater.orgBass Director of Science and Research Vacant Coordinator of Conferences, Meetings, and Programs Claire ccrane@bottledwater.orgCrane Communications Coordinator Courtney cmiller@bottledwater.orgMiller Bottled Water Reporter Layout and Design Rose Tel:rozmack@gmail.comConnelly315.447.4385 Editor Sabrina E. shicks@bottledwater.orgHicks Advertising Sales Stephanie stephanie@bottledwater.orgSchaefer
We are looking forward to seeing you there!
One change that I think we are all looking forward to is, for the first time in three years, meeting in person for IBWA’s Annual Business Conference and Trade Show, being held at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago, October 24-27. Turn to p.24 to review the schedule, learn how to register to attend and exhibit on the trade show floor, and more. You can check our conference website anytime for updates: https://conference.bottledwater.org
Joe Doss IBWA President PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
A change experienced by a lot of companies during the last two years has been a high rate of employee turnover. Bottled water companies still struggle to find qualified candidates to fill job openings. One way to combat that issue is to flip the script by ensuring your current employees don’t leave. In “Re-engaging Dissatisfied Employees
“The greatest danger in times of turbulence is not the turbulence—it is to act with yesterday’s logic." — Peter Drucker
Before It’s Too Late” (p.18), we review the many reasons why employees become dissatisfied and how to identify them. Interviews with an expert from the Society for Human Resource Management and several IBWA bottler members reveal strategies you can use to bring them back into the fold.
IBWA agrees with that assessment and encouraged CBP to move forward with its proposed change.
designating that water coolers be imported under their current HTS code of 8418. CBP is seeking to revoke rulings made in 1997, 2004, and 2017, and instead change the import code to 8516, which, in its view, is needed because these units provide both cold and hot water.
In the recent notice of revocation, CBP argues that neither the refrigeration nor the heating function constituted the principal function of the water dispenser; thus, it cannot be classified solely as a cold-water dispenser (under HTS code 8418).
On July 15, IBWA submitted comments to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in support of a proposal to change the harmonized tariff schedule (HTS) code used to import water dispensers producing both hot and cold water. This change will remove the 25 percent tariff imposed on imports from China on those coolers, although there will be a general 2.7 percent ad valorem tariff imposed. In June, CBP issued a notice of proposed revocation of rulings
IBWA Supports U.S. Customs Proposal Removing 25% Tariffs From "Hot and Cold" Water Coolers Imported From China
FEDERAL ISSUES
Water coolers that provide room temperature and cold water (often referred to as “cook and cold coolers”) will continue to be imported under HTS code 8418, which is the code for coolers that produce refrigerated water. While those coolers often provide room temperature water as well, because there is no mechanical system in place to heat or cool the water to ensure it is at room temperature, the principal function of the cooler remains to refrigerate theCBPwater.is expected to move forward with the proposed change at least 30 days after comments were due on July 15, although it could be later in August or September.
undertoforprotestsadministrativetotheirtoareHTStariffsthatCompanieshavepaidundercode8418encouragedworkwithcounselsubmitarguinghardshipduetariffspaidthatcode.
Once the decision is finalized, companies that have paid tariffs under HTS code 8418 are encouraged to work with their counsel to submit administrative protests arguing for hardship on the company due to tariffs paid under that code. There may be some ability to receive refunds, even if in a limited capacity. For more information on this issue, please contact IBWA Vice President of Government Relations Cory Martin: cmartin@bottledwater.org or 703.647.4618.
WATER NOTES 6 • BWR • WWW.BOTTLEDWATER.ORG
Data is critical to better understand the capacity and recycling abilities within the United States. Gaining more information on the current recycling market, including a biannual inventory of public and private material recovery facilities (MRF) and a description of the materials that each MRF can process, will help the recycling industry learn from successes and improve weaknesses in the stream. In addition, people cannot participate in the recycling process if they lack access to critical infrastructure. Providing underserved communities with grants to improve the ability for consumers to recycle will help increase the amount of postconsumer recycled content available for bottled water packaging. SWIFR. On July 25, IBWA, along with other members of the Recycling Infrastructure Now (RIN) Coalition, submitted comments to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding a request for information related to its Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) Program. RIN comments urged EPA to prioritize funding for programs included in the Save Our Seas Act 2.0 and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Specifically, this includes the following: • federal funding and technical assistance to improve community recycling programs, including investments for access, collection, and sorting and processing of materials, including modern infrastructure improvements • continued and expanded investment in domestic material processing and end IBWAmarkets.isanactive supporter of efforts to increase recycling. Improving recycling infrastructure to reduce contamination and increase PCR content yield will help improve industry access to high-quality, food-grade recycled plastics that are needed for bottled water packaging.
For more information on this issue, please contact IBWA Vice President of Government Relations Cory Martin: cmartin@bottledwater.org.
RIAA and RCAA.
an improved U.S. recycling infrastructure is of paramount importance to IBWA and the bottled water industry. As more states become interested in implementing legislation that requires plastic bottles to contain specified percentages of post-consumer resin (PCR), it is important that recycling programs are in place to help provide more supplies for the production of recycled PET and recycled HDPE—and important for all U.S. residents to have access to those recycling programs.
IBWA Continues to Support Recycling Infrastructure Improvement
On July 28, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Recycling and Infrastructure and Accessibility Act (RIAA), which establishes a pilot program to improve recycling accessibility in underserved communities, and the Recycling and Composting Accountability Act (RCAA), which includes the creation of several reports to better collect data on the country’s recycling capacity and market. IBWA, along with several other organizations, strongly support both bills and will work toward their passage in the House of Representatives.
WATER NOTES FALL 2022 • BWR • 7
TheRECYCLINGneedfor
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has agreed to a scientific review of bisphenol A (BPA) based on a petition filed by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), Consumer Reports, and the Endocrine Society, among other organizations. The petition requests that FDA “revoke uses of [BPA] for adhesives and coatings and strictly limit the migration of the substances into food from various plastic food contact articles.”
alear@bottledwater.org
The DOE is accepting public input on the current draft rule language and will share updated revisions of the draft as they become available. If you would like to provide comments, be specific, note potential impacts to feasibility or applicability, identify needs for greater clarity, and suggest alternate language where relevant. You can comment on the most recent versions of the draft until November 1, 2022. Anyone wishing to provide comments to the DOE may do so via the following link: https://swm.ecology.commentinput. com/?id=PipAR. In the spring of 2023, DOE will offer a 60-day public comment period on the proposed rule that will include public hearings. If you have any questions, please contact IBWA Director of Government Relations J.P. Toner: jtoner@ bottledwater.org
WATER NOTES 8 • BWR • STATEWWW.BOTTLEDWATER.ORGLEGISLATION
Washington State: Efforts to Implement Recycled Content Mandate Continue
Now that FDA has agreed to undergo the review, the agency is accepting comments on the food additive petition until September 9, 2022. IBWA will work together with other industries and associations to respond to this petition. If IBWA members would like a copy of the food additive petition or the letter FDA sent to EDF with notification that the petition was accepted, please contact IBWA Vice President of Science, Education, and Technical Relations Al Lear:
The DOE is accepting public comments on the current draft rule language until November 1, 2022.
The Department of Ecology (DOE) in Washington State is continuing its efforts to implement the recycled content requirements for plastic con tainers. All producers were required to register with the state by June 15, and the DOE is currently calculating the annual producer fee. Registered producers were expected to be invoiced for 2022 work during the first two weeks of August. That fee will cover the DOE’s work on imple menting the mandate. For specific details on the draft rule, fees, and the calculations to determine fees, visit https://scs-public.s3-us-gov-west-1. amazonaws.com/env_production/ oid100/did200005/pid_203076/ project-documents/REVISED%20 7-13-2022%20-%20PART%20A-%20 C%20-%20DRAFT.pdf
A meeting of the advisory committee was held on July 28, focusing on parts A – C of the draft rule, with specific attention to Part C. At the next meeting, scheduled for September 29, DOE will share updated language for parts A - C and focus on the first draft of Part D (enforcement). During that meeting, the advisory committee will discuss the entire rule draft. To register for this meeting, go to https://waecywa-gov.zoom.us/meeting/register/ tZUuduihrzgjH9DIEfVxY_EAq04yCmscG_YA?utm_medium=email&utm_ source=govdelivery.
BISPHENOL A FDA Reviewing Safety of BPA in Food Contact Materials
FDA did not accept the initial petition because it was based on a draft European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) opinion, and EFSA was still accepting comments. When the organizations refiled the petition last April, they supplemented it with additional information that EFSA had received during the comment period as well as new research that had been pub lished in the intervening months.
Elements Anaylized for in Food, Beverage, and Water Matrices
RRAs include remote assessments of a covered establishment and/or its records and are intended to be a supplement to on-site inspections. The term RRA describes “a category of activities for which FDA may use different terminologies,” including “remote interactive evaluations” and “remote record reviews” of covered establishments. FDA developed RRAs as a tool to support field operations in response to travel-related restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the last two years, FDA conducted RRAs of approximately 1,470 domestic and 600 foreign FDA-regulated establishments. According to the draft guidance, FDA found this tool effective in getting essential information to regulators, enabling the FDA to intervene when needed and use agency resources more efficiently to do so. Given that record, FDA concluded that RRAs should be used for certain scenarios outside the current pandemic and intends to consistently incorporate RRAs as a tool across all FDA-regulated products.
HEALTH Favorable Results for Bottled Water
On July 22, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a draft guidance formalizing its plans to continue using remote regulatory assessments (RRAs) for FDA-regulated products, including bottled water, outside of the current COVID-19 public health emergency. The purpose of the draft guidance is to help industry understand RRAs and facilitate more effective use of RRAs in FDA regulatory activities.
The additional four elements analyzed for in water only (far right side of right circle) are elements identified in the bottled water regulations, 21 CFR 165.110. The TDS is a continuous survey, and one of the tools FDA uses to monitor the food supply. For the TDS, FDA collects foods from retail outlets and measures concentrations of various nutrients and contaminants in the food. To learn more about the TDS, visit www.fda.gov/food/fda-total-dietstudy-tds/fda-total-diet-study-tdsresults. If you have any questions about the TDS results, please contact IBWA Vice President of Science, Education, and Technical Relations Al Lear: alear@bottledwater.org
WATER NOTES FALL 2022 • BWR • 9
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently released its Total Diet Study (TDS) Report for Fiscal Years (FY) 2018–2020. In FY 2018, FDA implemented a modernized TDS research design that included streamlined analytical methods, a populationbased sampling plan, and an updated food list. In addition to bottled water, the following categories of foods were sampled in the TDS: alcohol, baby food, baked goods, beverages, candies and sweets, condiments and sauces, dairy, fruit, grains, ingredients (such as sugar), meats, mixtures (such as canned soup), nuts and seeds, restaurant foods, seafood, and vegetables.
The study sampled both bottled water and bottled water intended for infants. All results for bottled water fell safely below the FDA’s Standards of Quality (SOQs), including those for lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury. Also, bottled water intended for infants had no detectable levels of lead, arsenic, cadmium, or mercury.
FDA EVALUATIONS FDA Issues Draft Guidance on Remote Regulatory Assessments
A chart from the report (above) shows the 18 elements analyzed for in all foods (the intersection of the two circles), the 21 elements analyzed for in foods/beverages (left circle), and the 22 elements analyzed for in water (right circle).
To obtain a copy of the draft guidance, contact IBWA Vice President of Science, Education, and Technical Relations Al Lear: alear@bottledwater.org. in FDA's New Total Diet Study
When you encourage your sales team to help their clients, you also help your company By Christine Umbrell
The Need for Change Agents During CHANGINGTheseTIMES
For the last two years, bottled water businesses have shown they are adept at responding to the evolving needs of our customers. Today’s consumers not only have options and an abundance of knowledge (thanks to the internet) but also they value convenience. So, how can you boost sales among current and prospective customers and help your route salespeople be more successful? According to sales expert John Westman, your sales team needs to embrace the mindset and behaviors of the “top 1% salespeople”—and aim to be “helpers” rather than “sellers.”
FALL 2022 • BWR • 11
5. Exhibit inspirational leadership. Inspire, motivate, and support your route salespeople. Believe in them more than they believe in themselves. Give your clients the experience of being seen, heard, and felt.
12 • BWR • WWW.BOTTLEDWATER.ORG
2. Initiate conversations. Ride with or talk at length with your route salespeople, and ask them to brainstorm ideas that can make their clients—both commercial and residential—even more successful.
3. Create connections. Encourage HOD drivers to ask clients how things are going, empathize, and brainstorm on what else you and your team can do to make them more successful.
Westman, an adjunct instructor at the Harvard Division of Continuing Education who has been teaching a course on “Professional Selling and Sales Management” since 2012 (bit.ly/Sales_Westman), points to a study by Daniel Pink in To Sell Is Human that says 40 percent of everyone’s activity is selling or persuading. “To enable more excitement for this activity, you can start calling it ‘helping’ or ‘serving’ instead of ‘selling,’ and sidestep the negative feelings we all have about ‘sales,’” Westman says. “What we do is honest, valuable, and appreciated by our customers, so the legitimate negative associations we have with sales that others have created by bad behaviors need not apply to our efforts to make our clients’ lives even better.”
4. Make new friends. Have HOD drivers ask current customers for warm introductions and/or help contact potential customers—and ask insightful questions and provide helpful insights related to what you can offer them.
Tips on How to Motivate Your Sales Team
1. Define the route salesperson’s purpose. Frame the job in terms of an elevated purpose, a reason to be excited to serve clients and make their lives even better. Help each route salesperson create their own purpose that motivates each of them—for example, is your purpose to “sell bottled water” or “give your clients freedom and peace of mind so they can focus on higher priorities”?
Westman recommends several strategies specifically for sales managers seeking to assist their route salespeople in making more sales.
At bottled water companies, HOD route salespeople who receive support from management will be better positioned for success—and more likely to sell more products. “From the CEO down, make the selling effort an element of personal pride, and train everyone on the best practices in your industry and the behaviors—what you do and say—of the most successful salespeople,” says John Westman, adjunct instructor, Harvard Division of Continuing Education.
FALL 2022 • BWR • 13
Once route salespeople have better defined their ideal customer companies, Westman proposes the following three rules of customer engagement that are important for bottled water salespeople to understand.
Rule #2: Continually improve. The top 1 percent of salespeople follow this rule, and, according to Westman, it has taken on elevated importance post-COVID “because we had to become experts in selling without face-to-face interactions.” Top sellers embraced the challenge and “jumped in, making many improvements; they weeded out the less successful behaviors for more successful ones—and quickly learned how their customers wanted to be treated during lockdowns and beyond.” In the current Customer Engagement: The New Rules Home and office delivery (HOD) drivers aren’t akin to Amazon and UPS drivers; they don’t just deliver product. Instead, they enjoy the sales side of their jobs and view their routes as their own small businesses—and the best way to boost sales among current clients and find new clients is to view the HOD sales position as a problem solver.
Westman recommends that HOD drivers first consider and define their potential sales base. “Write the characteristics of your ‘ideal customers’” by defining their business size, culture, openness to change, budget to invest in your offerings, and “any element that helps you determine that they can be a great lifetime partner,” Westman recommends.
Once your route sales drivers have identified their ideal customer companies, they can seek out contacts in their highest value organizations. For route salespeople who aren’t sure whom to contact in a potential client company, Westman suggests that you "ask your current clients for warm introductions to people they know in similar situations—so you can help their friends."
Rule #1: Become an expert in human interaction skills, active listening skills, and giving clients the experience of being seen, heard, and felt. Westman says this tried-and-true rule of high performers has always been important—but became even more important in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
HOD SALES
“Seller’s paradox”: The more you focus on the person and not the sale, the more the person decides to buy more from you.
DO be kind, and be a good human.
Do’s and Don’ts for Route Salespeople
Westman describes "top performers" as salespeople who "honor the client as a whole person first, understand their motivations and their challenges, and then ask about how they can make them even more successful."
Try these tips when interacting with clients and potential customers along your bottled water sales route, says John Westman, adjunct instructor, Harvard Division of Continuing Education.
DO be disciplined and focused on high-priority activities.
How to Help and Inspire
Rule #3: Make lifelong friends of people who start out as clients. “Top 1 percent performers don’t tell you that this is their habit: They focus completely on making the lives of their clients even better. This focus increases trust, gains respect, and eliminates ineffective behaviors often pushed down by management,” says Westman. “Come back with more orders” is a common senior management command that reduces HOD delivery effectiveness, he says. “The high-performing HOD driver needs to stick with behaviors that cause strong and long-term relationships. These behaviors are remarkably similar to the behaviors of lifelong friends.”
During face-to-face negotiations, Westman recommends a three-step process to facilitate sales: “Ask questions that help your client fully understand the positive and negatives of their current situation; assist your client in seeing a com pelling future; and suggest there are easy steps to attain their better future”—steps that involve purchasing bottled water and other company products.
DON’T allow self-limiting beliefs do anything except motivate you to environment, discussing with customers how they prefer to interact is essential. “Ask the client how they want to be contacted and updated,” Westman suggests—and offer the choice of interacting face-to-face, emailing for an appointment, talking via phone call, etc.
DO give with no expectation of getting.
DO behave as if you are financially independent, so you don’t a need to pressure your clients.
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These rules of customer engagement all center around helping customers and making their lives even better, rather than simply selling to them, says Westman. In the wake of COVID, embracing a more empathetic role, focusing on helping clients and potential clients, and letting go of the outcome of a sale have become even more important.
When HOD route salespeople pursue new clients, or ask current customers to purchase additional items (such as nonwater beverages, coffee, or snacks), Westman points to Lau Tzu’s famous saying: “Leadership is best when the people say, ‘We did it ourselves.’” He believes persuasion is most effective when the client convinces themself to buy more. “Only the individual can change their mind,” Westman acknowledges. But salespeople can add value to a customer by “asking questions and sharing new information that can cause clients to reconsider their decisions.” He has developed an “Inspiration Equation” tool, a structured approach to help clients fully consider their current and future situation, so they can make their best decision on how to move forward. “It evolves the selling conversation into a friendship conversation, where we treat clients like we treat our most valued friends, and we try to help them attain a better future that may or may not include selling our products—rather than try to sell them products that help us make our numbers more than helps the client address their challenges,” explains Westman.
DO be excited and spread positive energy. Humans are contagious—positively and negatively. In general, people want to be with upbeat people.
Learn
When approaching prospects and clients, such as small companies that order 5-gallon jugs, HOD drivers should “think about, ‘How am I really helping this small business and this individual and team, and what else can I do to help them?’” Because bottled water customers make up their own minds about purchasing, “find questions that empower the client to make decisions” regarding what additional products may be useful for them to purchase, says Westman. Instead of upselling or cross-selling, ask about the clients’ challenges and how more products can help meet needs—such as economic, health, convenience, quality-of-life, safety, and peace-of-mind needs, he says.
“Try to understand your client’s own needs and help them fully appreciate their own choices,” Westman adds. For example, perhaps a small business is struggling to retain employees. Westman suggests talking to that client about how much employee goodwill and employee satisfaction they are potentially losing by not offering more products in the breakroom, which would improve employees’ experiences while at work. “A driver can ask if a business is having any problems with retention”—and then explain why offering more products can help boost employee satisfaction—and prevent employees from leaving, Westman explains.
• Access free videos on 25 sales tips: DyUI1zOzmXplaylist?list=PLnGTnWKBZrh-FnHMLcDYLQD-https://www.youtube.com/
to inspire customers to make purchasing decisions in tough economic climates—such as the current inflation-riddled U.S. economy, according to Westman. HOD drivers just need to remember to position sales as helping, by ascertaining how their products can change clients’ lives for the better. Perhaps small businesses want to provide more beverages and snacks for employees to ease the burdens of inflation being felt by those employees— in such a case, HOD drivers can point out the benefits of employers stocking up on bottled waters and extras that their employees might be struggling to purchase at home.
• Take or learn more about the Strategic Sales Management course taught by Westman and Michael McCarthy: course/strategic-sales-management?delta=4https://pll.harvard.edu/
John Westman has more to say about successful sales in the courses he teaches for Harvard Division of Continuing Education. He also explains his proprietary Inspiration Equation— which he developed based on neuroscience, psychology research, and proven selling methods—in these courses. Find out more:
Westman states that the “always be closing” mantra is a myth made popular in movies and high-pressure sales training. “The reality is that during your ‘discovery’ phase, when you ask questions to discover client needs, implications of needs, etc., you help the client better understand their current situation. Then clients come to their own
• Watch a YouTube video explaining the goals of the Strategic Sales Management course: watch?v=s6n064fGcUohttps://www.youtube.com/
For residential customers lamenting high gas prices, perhaps the most helpful sales today revolve around reducing customers’ need to drive to stores to purchase products. By asking questions that help customers realize the benefits of home delivery of clean water and add-on products— including savings in fuel purchases—HOD drivers can help customers save money when purchasing needed products.
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Those decisions “may go your way” if the client decides to purchase more—or they may not. Sometimes accepting and validating a client’s decision not to purchase is part of helping the customer, and that behavior increases trust and can lead to increased sales over the long term.
More From Sales Expert John Westman
• Take or learn more about Westman’s Professional Selling and Sales Management course: selling-and-sales-management?delta=0https://pll.harvard.edu/course/professional-
“You need to tap into the true needs of the client,” then ask questions so they fully consider the rationale and emotional state of the present and future. This may—or may not—help them conclude to purchase your products. “Top performers let go of the fierce desire to ‘close a sale,’ so they can focus on helping the client,” Westman explains. “This is the ‘seller’s paradox’: The more you focus on the person and not the sale, the more the person decides to buy more from “Rememberyou. that every decision is emotional,” adds Westman. “When a client shares a quality-of-life issue, ask them questions so they tell you more about it. How many hours a week, a month, or a year are they losing a better life? Then focus on the future: ‘What would be your ideal situation?’” After they answer, “you can ask permission to share new information and make suggestions. The goal is for the client to own the vision of the future and decide, if appropriate for them, to include your solution as part of this Andfuture.”itispossible
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The most successful salespeople “lead themselves” by exhibiting a consistent, relentless passion for their professional purpose. “Do you ‘sell bottled water,’ or do you have a higher purpose to ‘give your clients freedom and peace of mind so they can focus on higher priorities,’ or ‘help entrepreneurs make their colleagues happier and stay longer,’ or ‘solve economic and convenience challenges so entrepreneurs are more successful’?” asks Westman. Successful salespeople can articulate a career strategy; accumulate customer knowledge to deepen and broaden customer relationships while being able to communicate the health, economic, quality of life, convenience, peace of mind, and other benefits of bottled water’s HOD service; and master a sales process that is “matched to the customer buying process,” he says. They “lead their customers” by creating value for them— and by understanding persuasion skills to create effective questions to inspire customers to make good purchasing decisions. They also prioritize and manage their time effectively and are open to coaching from managers, clients, and colleagues.
Christine Umbrell, is a freelance writer based in Herndon, Virginia. Email her at christineumbrell@gmail.com.
If you want your HOD route salespeople to perform at a high level, you must encourage them to be great leaders. Successful route salespeople understand how to lead themselves, lead their customers, and lead their organizations.
Positioning Salespeople as Leaders When a salesperson is involved with the product, then the product is not a commodity. The product becomes a “solution” where the HOD driver brings attention, attitude, care for the client, delivery, communication, and value well beyond the product, says Westman. “Buyers have stated that they want sellers to make the clients’ lives better and easier. Buyers want salespeople to make them champions in their organization, to celebrate them, to bring positive energy, and to give them peace of mind. HOD drivers can use this knowledge to reframe their role and own their power as leaders and change agents for their clients.”
Finally, high-performing salespeople “lead their organizations” by linking colleagues with customers—for example, identifying clients that could be a good match for other HOD drivers’ routes. And they “lead up” to boost their company’s performance—by creating a plan to fully understand the needs and wants of their managers and company executives and increasing their value to their company.
Being a good leader drives HOD route salespeople’s ability to be good helpers—and, ultimately, increase sales. It all comes down, says Westman, to doing your job well, spreading a can-do attitude, and becoming an expert at motivating yourself and others. BWR If you want your HOD
greatthemmusthighperformsalespeopleroutetoatalevel,youencouragetobeleaders.
conclusions if they are dissatisfied with their current situ ation—and own the decision to get excited about a better future,” Westman explains. When the time comes for the client to make a purchase, the route salesperson can ask, “Are you ready to move forward?” says Westman. “When the client is motivated enough, they will say yes. If they say no, you can ask why and learn their reasons for not yet being ready to take the next step with you. And in the sales world, every situation is different—so all of these ideas depend on the specifics of the buyer-seller situation.
is president of retail at DS Waters in Atlanta and co-chair of IBWA’s Environmental Sustainability and Communications Committees.
QUARTER 2 2022 ADVERTISE WITH US IN 2022 Visit bit.ly/IBWA_2022MediaKit for more info or email stephanie@bottledwater.org .
RE-ENGAGINGDISSATISFIEDEMPLOYEESBEFOREIT’STOOLATE
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, a record number of employees, 47.8 million, voluntarily quit their jobs in 2021 (bit.ly/21resign). This period of employee upheaval, referred to as “The Great Resignation,” was ignited by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and it’s still going on in 2022. While money is a factor, for many of the employee departures it’s not the factor. Reasons for leaving a job can vary: increased living costs, people wanting work that inspires them, advancement opportunities, and more work-life balance, among others. For the most part, employees aren’t leaving the workforce; they are simply going to new jobs.
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By Chris Torres
If your bottled water business needs help slowing down departures, you must find ways to re-engage dissatisfied employees and look for any signs before it’s too late.
workers across the country have had their schedules and lifestyles upended.
“The last thing we want would be an upset employee that feels not valued,” he says.
Maston confirms Hanstein’s appraisal of dissatisfied employees. She notes that employees who lack motivation, perform poorly, or display a negative attitude may indeed be looking for another job—what’s worse, they can sometimes spread discontent throughout a company.
In his book Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs, John Doerr defines objectives and key results, or “OKRs,” and outlines how they can be used to help individuals, teams, and companies accomplish largescale goals. OKRs require alignment and transparency in order to achieve those goals.
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The impacts are still being felt, which means employers have been forced to take a hard look at how flexible their workplaces can be. “Flexibility” does “not necessarily mean working from home, although some employees do want that,” Maston says. “They also want flexible work hours because they are caretakers.” According to the PEW survey, 53 percent of employees who quit their job for a different one in 2021 said they have an easier time balancing work and family responsibilities.
It isn’t hard to notice the signs of a dissatisfied employee. “You can really tell through their actions,” says Tanner Hanstein, controller of the Oklahoma-based Ozarka Water Company.
Reasons for Dissatisfaction Employees can become dissatisfied and leave your employment for a number of reasons. According to a survey by Pew Research Center, individuals who quit their jobs for another are most likely to say that their new job has better pay, more opportunities for advancement, more work-life balance, and more flexibility (pewrsr.ch/3ov6PuY) About half of the individuals surveyed (48 percent) cited childcare issues as a reason why they quit a job.
ISCOMPANYONLYASSTRONGASITSWEAKESTLINK.
WHAT ARE OKRs?
The system of OKRs was created by Andy Grove of Intel, and in his book, Doerr presents the OKRs framework. The objective serves as the goal, and the key results serve as the path to it. The objective is action-oriented, while each key result is specific, timely, and measurable. Key results must be tracked regularly to ensure measurable progress is being made. For more information about OKRs, visit bit.ly/MeasureWhatMatters22.
He added that production leads or any other plant supervisor would notify him or others in the company about any morale or character changes that would raise concerns.
Inflation also plays a role, according to Betsy Copiskey, vice president of human resources and talent development at Premium Waters. She says that as gas prices have increased dramatically over the past year so have employees’ desire to work closer to home. According to AAA, as of July 7, the national average for a regular gallon of gas was $4.75 (gasprices.aaa. com)
Compared to the same date last year, the national average was $3.13.
A
“We have a lot of great and animated employees, but when they stop acting like their true selves, we know we have a problem.”
Deniece Maston, a human resources knowledge advisor for the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), says that, even before the pandemic, flexibility and work-life balance have been the most sought-after job benefits—and since the start of the pandemic, a greater emphasis has been placed on those qualities. The ramifications of COVID-19 have meant that
You still have opportunities to re-engage and motivate them. The answer is simple: start with basic communication.
“Most of our employees work on production lines where all parts depend on each other. If one fails, they will eventually all fail. It sounds cliché, but it is true: we are only as strong as our weakest link. It only makes the job harder—not only for themselves but for others too—when an employee is disgruntled during their job require ments.”
Having routine one-on-one talks with your employees—regardless of if you include their colleagues, direct supervi sors, human resources, or other upper management—can make a difference, says Maston. Simple, scheduled or unscheduled conversations with employees can go a very long way in understanding each “Notother.oneperson is going through these tough times unscathed,” says Hanstein. “We are able to empathize with a strug gling employee, and, in most conversa tions, find the root of the problem. We’re able to get over this roadblock with either offering incentives, or, should the opportunity present itself, offer a different role within our company. We have moved different employees around in the past, and it has fixed a lot of issues with re-engaging within the company.”
• taking an excessive amount of sick
Anotherleave.more subtle sign of dissatisfaction could be an outstanding employee known for often going above-and-beyond with their work who suddenly gets into a stretch of doing bare-minimum work. Other examples include a sudden lack of creativity, an employee distancing themself from other team members, or providing much less feedback and input on the job. Bringing Employees Back Into the Fold If you’ve noticed the signs of a dissatisfied employee, that doesn’t mean they’ve completely checked out from the job.
Dissatisfaction can also affect the way your employees interact with and provide service to your customers, ultimately providing them a negative experience. Other signs that might signal dissatisfied employees include the following:
When talking with employees, at some point you’ll want to learn more about their long-term goals. Some employees may plan to stick around and grow with the company long-term, and companies should have various trainings or programs in place to help them take that next step.
“Even though we are a midsize company, there are many different avenues for growth in every department we have,” Hanstein says. “We always promote from within the company, and we believe this ideology encourages employees to stick with us for the long haul. A career certainly won’t come overnight—you have to work at
RETENTION
At Premium, Copiskey says the company has implemented a continuous review process with employees, which was inspired by a book titled, Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World With OKRs, by John Doerr. The review process involves providing employees with consistent feedback and showing them metrics in pre-shift meetings, so they know how they’re succeeding, she says. (For more on OKRs, see sidebar at left, p.20.)
• unwillingness to collaborate on team projects
• an increase in procrastination
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• missing deadlines or doing an inadequate job • absenteeism and lateness
“Negativity can certainly be contagious,” says Hanstein.
During those conversations, it’s important that employers be active listeners and take action following those discussions to demonstrate to their employees that they care, says Maston. Hanstein says that at Ozarka Water Company they make great efforts to actively communicate any news or updates to their team as much as possible, with hopes of receiving constructive feedback in return. “If we do not receive communication from our team, then we are left in the dark on what areas to improve, employee morale, potential ideas, etc.” he says. “If we fail to communicate to our employees, they may be in a situation with a customer and lack the necessary information for sales and relationships to move forward. The more both sides communicate, the healthier workspace everyone is going to have.”
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it. Yet, we believe that we have the tools necessary right here to help employees grow and cultivate a career within these walls. Those employees who invest back into our company will rise amongst the ranks and have a worthwhile and long career in this industry.”
For bottled water professionals who want to work in the industry long-term and advance throughout their career, IBWA’s Certified Plant Operator (CPO) Program is an excellent resource to help them get to where they want to go. A CPO is any person qualified to operate and maintain a bottled water plant by experience, education, and training. CPO certification is valid for a period of three years, beginning in the calendar year of the examination date and expiring on December 31 of the third calendar year. Employees of any IBWA bottler, candidate bottler, distributor, or supplier member are eligible to become a CPO. Employees attain CPO certification after passing an examination, which is taken after studying IBWA’s Plant Technical Reference Manual and the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice. Candidates must register to take the exam. The test is 135 multiple choice questions, and candidates have up to three hours to complete the test. The cost for the exam registration is $80 per examinee. IBWA staff serves as a proctor for the exam, which is now offered online and once during IBWA’s annual conference.
Re-engaging Can Take Time
“It’s what distinguishes a company from one another,” Maston says about company culture. She adds that many applicants today want to “be behind the work they do,” meaning that they want to work for companies they believe in and share similar values. There are many employees today that put more value on company culture than their pay, she says. “Our employees are not just another ID number in our payroll system,” Hanstein says about Ozarka’s culture. “We have authentic and genuine interactions with our employees on a daily basis. In my opinion, this is a place where ideas are not ignored and innovation is encouraged. If there is a better way to do something that we haven’t thought of, we’re all ears. In my opinion, I think word of mouth is the most powerful way of getting the word out. We have received many referrals that way and great employees that have been with us a long time.”
Premium Waters also invests in internal training, including a Leadership University Program, which offers more than 30 courses for employees who want to advance within the company. The program is available to all employees.
Some employees may plan to work in a different industry one day or go back to school to learn another profession. Regardless of their plans, the skills they learn on the job now will help them be successful in the future. Employers should have infrastructure in place to help support their employees with their future. Many companies today offer training programs that can be related to either another position within the same company or one outside of it, says CopiskeyMaston. says Premium offers tuition assistance for employees going to school when they aren’t working, as well as opportunities for professional development seminars that are paid for by the company. Benefits such as those can show a lot about a company’s commitment to employees and the company’s culture overall.
“People want to know how their contributions are helping the overall good of the company,” says Copiskey.
“And they want to know if they won or lost every day.”
To renew CPO certification, a CPO must accumulate a minimum of 21 continuing education credits (CEUs)—1 CEU per each contact hour of training—during their certification period. For more information about the CPO program, visit the Member Resources portal on the Membership Dashboard after logging into the IBWA website (www. bottledwater.org), or contact IBWA Coordinator of Conferences, Meetings, and Programs Claire Crane: ccrane@bottledwater.org.
Employers should be aware that with cost-of-living expenses as high as they are now, there likely won’t be a dramatic slowdown in resignations with the workforce. Companies should proactively look for signs of employee dissatisfaction and be prepared to address them. Body language is an obvious sign, but behavioral shifts may be more prevalent. If you sense a lack of motivation, enthusiasm, a negative change in attitude, performance drops, missed deadlines, lateness, or increased procrastination, among others, an employee might not be the happiest with their role or the company. Providing communication to and encouraging feedback from employees is critical to repair and maintain positive relationships.
BWR HOW BECOMING AN IBWA CPO CAN HELP YOU ADVANCE IN THE BOTTLED WATER INDUSTRY
Chris Torres formerly worked for IBWA as its communications coordinator.
REGISTER NOW FOR IBWA'S ANNUAL BUSINESS CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW OCTOBER 24-27 // PALMER HOUSE HILTON, CHICAGO Be inspired by your peers and experts alike at the IBWA Annual Business Conference and Trade Show, which is being held in conjunction with PACK EXPO. In our first in-person conference since 2019, IBWA will provide a forum for industry professionals to come together and discuss the lessons we’ve learned and discover how to evolve your business model to reflect the needs of the post-COVID consumer. LEARN HTTPS://CONFERENCE.BOTTLEDWATER.ORGMORE:
CHICAGO2022 ANNUAL BUSINESS CONFERENCE AND TRADE SHOW 24OCT.-27 The only business conference in America that focuses solely on the bottled water industry. Join us to collaborate with your industry peers and discuss the issues of importance for America’s No.1 packaged beverage: bottled water! Learn details at conference.bottledwater.org. Bottled water companies that implement best practices stay a step ahead of the competition. You can learn about those best practices and more at IBWA’s 2022 Annual Business Conference and Trade Show. We’ll discuss the issues that are important to the future of the bottled water industry. Get trend forecasts, business solutions, policy insights, and more—all in Chicago, the city voted Best Big City for the fifth year in a row by Conde Nast Traveler readers. The IBWA registration fee includes access to the following: ● 15+ education sessions offering 16.75 continuing education units (CEUs) ● 40+ exhibitors at the Trade Show ● IBWA General Session with Annual Business Meeting, Awards Ceremony, and Keynote Presentation ● IBWA Board of Directors and Committee Meetings ● IBWA Welcome Reception ● Complimentary badge to PACK EXPO International 24 • BWR • WWW.BOTTLEDWATER.ORG
IBWA Executive Committee Meeting 7:00am – 9:00am and Breakfast (closed) Registration 7:15am – 5:15pm Continental Breakfast 7:30am – 9:00am Charting a Course for Future 1.0 CEU 8:45am – 9:45am Workforce Decisions The Latest Developments in Water 1.0 CEU 8:45am – 9:45am Filtration: A Part of High-Quality Assurance IBWA Communications 8:45am – 10:00am Committee Meeting* Emerging Contaminants: 1.0 CEU 10:00am – 11:00am Keeping Updated on What’s New Preparing Your Business for 1.0 CEU 10:00am – 11:00am an Economic Downturn IBWA State Affairs Task Force* 10:15am – 11:45am Alan Leff Memorial Lecture: 1.0 CEU 11:15am – 12:15pm Machine Learning in Modeling the Elusive Daily Water Requirement IBWA State and Regional 11:45am – 12:15pm Associations Committee Meeting* IBWA Trade Show and Lunch 12:30pm – 4:00pm DWRF Trustees Meeting* 4:15pm – 5:30pm DWRF Casino Night Fundraiser 7:00pm – 9:30pm (Ticketed Event) IBWA is offering 16.75 CEUs for IBWA CPO attendees (8.5 Technical CEUs CEU and 8.25 Business CEUs ). * For IBWA members only For updates, visit conference.bottledwater.org. Registration 10:00am – 5:30pm IBWA Education Committee Meeting* 11:00am – 12:00pm Cybersecurity Basics: How to 1.0 CEU Protect Your Business and Customers 1:00pm – 2:00pm IBWA Environmental Sustainability 1:00pm – 2:00pm Committee Meeting* Reaching Sustainability Goals 1.0 CEU 2:15pm – 3:15pm ThroughCollaborative Treasure Hunts Building a Purpose Driven Culture 1.0 CEU 2:15pm – 3:15pm in Route Operations IBWA Supplier and Convention 2:15pm – 3:15pm Committee Meeting* Making the IBWA Audit Program 1.0 CEU 3:30pm – 4:30pm Work For You Charting Water Source Resiliency 1.0 CEU 3:30pm – 4:30pm in a Changing Climate IBWA Government Relations 3:30pm – 4:30pm Committee Meeting* Leadership Forum: “What Keeps .75 CEU 4:45pm – 5:30pm You Up at Night?” Welcome Reception 5:30pm – 7:00pm 24 MON 25 TUE SCHEDULE-AT-A-GLANCEOCT SessionEducationSpeakers AL LEAR BRIAN NEALMUÑOZ,COLLEENPHD CHAN-TIN,ERIC PHD J.P. TONER MICHAEL F. BERGERON, PHD PAUL MELVILLE RICK ZIMMER ANNA BAKER CORY MARTIN GARY HEMPHILL LOUIS F. VITTORIO, JR., PG MATT HOWARD PATRICK MCCARTHY STEVEN FELTMAN BOB MASON BOB HIRST GLEN DAVIS ROBERT ENTEZARIAN,MAJIDLEMKEPHD RAE MINDOCK
Special Offer for IBWA Conference Attendees IBWA is holding our conference in conjunction with PACK EXPO International, which enables IBWA registrants to receive a complimentary badge for attendance at PACK EXPO International just by indicating this preference on your IBWA registration form (see p.27). CR HALL HENRY
III JOE
Tuesday, October 25, 7:00pm – 9:30pm General Session, Annual Business Meeting, Awards Ceremony, Keynote Presentation and Continental Breakfast
26 WED 27 THU 25 TUE SCHEDULE-AT-A-GLANCE* For IBWA members only For updates,
The Drinking Water Research Foundation (DWRF) Board of Trustees invites you to attend this lively event to raise funds in support of important drinking water research. Ticketed event.
Registration 7:00am – 5:00pm General Session, 1.5 CEU 8:00am – 10:30am Business Meeting, Awards Ceremony, Keynote Presentation and Continental Breakfast Membership Committee Meeting* 10:45am – 11:45am
Monday, October 24, 5:30pm - 7:00pm DWRF Casino Night Fundraiser
Celebrate and kick off the week by networking with peers, catching up with old friends, and enjoying an evening of hors d’oeuvres and an open bar.
IBWA
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Want to exhibit? Contact Director of Conferences Michele Campbell: mcampbell@bottledwater.org
Special Events
IBWA Chairman CR Hall (Hall’s Culligan) will discuss what he’s learned during his tenure— and pass the gavel on to IBWA’s 2023 Chairman Henry R. Hidell, III (Hidell International). Stay for the Awards Ceremony celebrating the achievements of bottled water professionals and companies.
Wednesday, October 26, 8:00am – 10:30am Don’t Miss the Trade Show! 12:30pm – 4:00pm Have you been searching for that one offering that will take your company to the next level? Do you have questions for a current vendor?
Annual
IBWA
Welcome Reception
The IBWA Trade Show offers attendees the opportunity to be introduced to the latest and greatest products and services offered by vendors who understand the bottled water industry. With time dedicated solely to conversation, decision making, and networking, this event has established itself as one of the most popular and well-attended conference events.
Bottled Water Sales Trends 1.0 CEU 10:45am – 11:45am Defining and Recognizing 1.0 CEU 1:15pm – 2:15pm Good Water Stewardship IBWA Technical Committee Meeting* 1:30pm – 3:00pm Elections Have Consequences: 1.0 CEU 2:30pm – 3:30pm How Will the Midterm Elections Impact State and Federal Policies in 2023?
CPO Study Session 1.5 CEU 3:30pm – 5:00pm IBWA Board of Directors Meeting 8:00am – 10:00am and Continental Breakfast* CPO Exam (Ticketed Event)* 8:00am – 11:00am visit conference.bottledwater.org. R. HIDELL, DOSS
Come hear Joe Doss, IBWA president and CEO, report on IBWA’s latest achievements and predictions for what’s in store for the future.
FALL 2022 • BWR • 27 ✁ ONLINE REGISTRATION: https://bit.ly/2022IBWAConferenceRegistration (enter this address into your internet browser) MAIL FORM TO: IBWA Conference, 1700 Diagonal Road, Suite 650, Alexandria, VA 22314 SCAN/EMAIL FORM TO: conventioninfo@bottledwater.org QUESTIONS? CALL: 703.647.4612 (Claire Crane) INFORMATION AND CURRENT SCHEDULE OF EVENTS: https://conference.bottledwater.org ATTENDEE 1ST TIME ATTENDEE? NAME: ___________________________________ BUSINESSEMAIL: _____________________________________________ ❑ Yes ❑ No ❑ Yes, IBWA may share my name and email with exhibitors COMPANY NAME: ___________________________ WEBSITE: _____________________________________________________________ ADDRESS: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ CITY:_____________________________________ STATE: ____________________________ ZIP: ________________________________ PHONE: ___________________________________ CELL: _____________________________ FAX: ________________________________ (for onsite use only) HOTEL: http://bit.ly/Hotel2022IBWA September 23, 2022 is the cut-off date for the group rate, but rooms may sell out prior to that date. Date I will arrive: Date I will depart: Hotel I will stay at: REGISTRATION FEES INCLUDE: Monday Reception, 1 lunch, 3 continental breakfasts, 15 education sessions (16.75 CEUs), general session, trade show; badge to attend PACK EXPO International at McCormick Place IBWA MEMBER BOTTLER/DISTRIBUTOR ❑ New IBWA Member (10/1/21-9/30/22) ❑ Existing Member Select One: ❑ Bottler ❑ Distributor ❑ Academic/Government ❑ Other: Until 10/1/22: $595 per person After 10/1/22: $695 per person NON-MEMBER BOTTLER/DISTRIBUTOR Select One: ❑ Bottler ❑ Distributor ❑ Academic/Government ❑ Other: Until 10/1/22: $900 per person After 10/1/22: $1000 per person NON-EXHIBITING SUPPLIER ❑ New IBWA Member (10/1/21-9/30/22) ❑ Existing Member ❑ Non-Member Select One: ❑ Bottler ❑ Distributor ❑ Academic/Government ❑ Other: ❑ Member Rate Until 10/1/22: $850 per person ❑ After 10/1/22: $950 per person ❑ Non-Member Rate Until 10/1/22: $1050 per person ❑ After 10/1/22: $1150 per person Payment Registration * DWRF Fundraising Event * Guest of Attendee: Monday Reception * PACK EXPO Badge Attendee $_________ #___ @ $175 each= $______ #___ Guest{s) @ $40 each= $_________ ___Yes ___No ❑ Yes, please register me for the CPO Exam @ $80/person. (IBWA members only.) Payment Method $_______ Total Due ❑ Check (payable to IBWA, mail with this form) ❑ Credit Card (provide account # here or call IBWA) ___ AMEX ___ VISA ___ Master Card ___ Discover Name on Credit Card: ______________________________________________________________ Authorized Signature: _________________________________ Account Number: ____________________________ Security Code: ______ Exp. Date: _______ Confirmations and Cancellation Policy • Confirmations will be emailed to registrants within 48 hours of receipt. If you do not receive one, please call IBWA. • Cancellations must be received in writing no later than October 10, 2022 and are subject to a $50.00 administrative fee. After that date, no refunds will be issued. • Substitutions can be made, but they must be in writing. They can be emailed to Michele Campbell at mcampbell@bottledwater.org. CHICAGO2022 ANNUAL BUSINESS CONFERENCE AND TRADE SHOW 24OCT.-27 PALMER HOUSE HILTON ATTENDEE REGISTRATION FORM
By Cory Martin, IBWA Vice President of Government Relations
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How to Cook in the Congressional Kitchen
Legislating is often a messy, convoluted, irregular, and irrational
“If you like laws and sausages, you should never watch either one being made,” is a quote attributed to Otto Von Bismark, the first Chancellor of Germany. In his opinion, legislating, like sausage making, can be a messy and unappealing process. Is sausage making really like law making? Maybe in the 1870s, when Chancellor Bismark was in office, but sausage production today is a relatively clean process. Lawmaking, on the other hand, is arguably dirtier and uglier than ever. For today’s market, manufacturers make sausages by adhering to specific food regulations using carefully measured out ingredients, and then the product packaging is accurately labeled. An inspector from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service visits the plant where the sausage is made to ensure the cleanliness of the plant and safety of the food product. Also, all of the unsavory and inedible parts are discarded, and there is typically one person—the Wurst Meister—who alone decides what kind of sausage is made and what ingredients are added. Lawmaking, regardless of whether it’s happening at the local, state, or federal level, couldn’t be more different.
workingperspectiveunderstandbestrecyclingtheincludingissuescontinuesThecmartin@bottledwater.org.bottledwaterindustrytofacenumerousonthefederallevel,tariffs,PFAS,andneedtoimprovetheU.S.infrastructure.Thewaytoensurelegislatorsindustry'sistoestablishrelationshipswiththem.
It’s not uncommon for legislative cooks to disagree about what recipe to use: some may view language as absolutely essential to gain support for the bill; others may argue that the same language will lead to the bill’s downfall. Rarely do single bills pass in our modern Congress. What’s more common is to create an omnibus package, which means the legislation includes a little something that everyone likes—and other things that they may not like but can live with. This process helps to ensure a bill has enough votes to pass. In addition to the complexities of the legislative process, you’ll find the congressional kitchen is staffed with professionals akin to Jamie Oliver and Gordan Ramsey: celebrated chefs who just don’t get along. Trying to have your position heard is complicated when legislators can’t put aside their differences; it also makes it harder to build relationships and work together behind the Legislatorsscenes.hear from myriad inter ests and have to decide which interests to appease and when. And those inter ests often do not agree, which means a legislator ends up picking the winners and losers on issues. A legislator’s knowledge, passion, and connection to any issue plays a major role in their determination to support legislation, and their mastery of the politics of dealmaking can influence what issues
BUT WE MUST ENGAGE. make it into a bill. In addition, paid staff differ in their abilities and may not be able to do the tasks needed to move a bill appropriately through Congress. Participation Is the Best Spice Politics and legislating are not for the faint of heart. It takes time, often many years, to see even minor changes. If you are lucky enough to experience legislation worthy of “three Michelin stars,” it’s likely that the recipe (i.e., strategy) used to craft and pass the bill will be somewhat dated by the time you learn about all of the variables involved in passing the legislation. Usually, legislating is a test of patience and an arena of constant changes, both in the makeup of legislators serving in the legislative body and reasons behind the legislation.
The recipe for success includes inviting policymakers into your plants, visiting with legislators in their districts and state or federal offices, participating in political events, calling your elected officials to check in, making them aware of even minor news related to your plant, and more. Once you’ve completed all those tasks, you start at the beginning and do it all over again—with the same, and new, policymakers. It’s a neverending process, and your participation is absolutely necessary to create good legislation.Thegood news is that it’s completely worth the effort! Having a say in the legislation and regulations that govern our industry outweighs the weight of the work required. And you are not alone in this effort! IBWA is here to help you connect with your elected officials and build those all-important relationships. Through those personal connections, you are able to educate legislators and help them gain a passion for the policies that impact your business and our industry. In the end, your legislative “cooks” will be more inclined to support our needs when dealing with other legislators in the congressional kitchen.
LAWMAKING IS A MESSY AND SOMETIMES MADDENING PROCESS,
FALL 2022 • BWR • 29 GOVERNMENT RELATIONS enterprise, and no one bill is made the same way. The “ingredients” for legislation differs between bills, and the cooks (i.e., legislators who get to decide what ingredients make it into a bill) can differ year to year or even bill to bill. Often, several cooks will be in the congressional kitchen preparing legislation, and sometimes almost half of those cooks want what’s being prepared to turn out poorly, so the end result is thrown out. (Not unlike the TV cooking show “Rat in the Kitchen.”)
For more information on your elected officials, please contact IBWA Vice President of Government Relations Cory Martin: 703.647.4618 or
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While lawmaking is a messy and sometimes maddening process, we must engage. Not doing so would allow others (who may not have the industry’s best interests in mind) to decide what is best for the bottled water industry. To be fully engaged means you’ll have to put on the apron, roll up your sleeves, and get to work in the congres sional kitchen.
PET plastic bottled water containers have the lowest environmental impact compared to all other drink packaging types, according to a report by Trayak prepared for IBWA. The report measured several variables to determine the overall impact of specific packaging types, including PET water bottles, PET soda bottles, glass bottles, aluminum cans, and beverage cartons. The variables measured include fossil fuel use, human impact, water use, mineral resource use, greenhouse gas emissions, and freshwater ecotoxicity and eutrophication. The assessment shows that PET water bottles have a lower environmental impact than the other containers across each of the considered indicators (weight, greenhouse gas emissions, water use, and fossil fuel use). Much of the benefit is derived from the low material usage compared to the other container types, with the average PET water bottle considered using less than half of the material weight of the other container types. Lower material usage means less impact from material extraction, manufacturing, and ulti-
By Jill Culora, IBWA Vice President of Communications
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PET Plastic Bottles vs. Cans and Cartons
We’re noticing more and more media coverage on the so-called “benefits” of alternatives to single-serving sized PET plastic water bottles. For such an important topic, it is paramount that IBWA members keep the facts front and center during these discussions. IBWA encourages members to share the following facts with your customers, retailers, and government representatives. To help you present the full story, feel free to include IBWA graphics (links provided below) for use on social media posts. Promoting the Benefits of Bottled Water and Bottled Water Packaging
IBWA created a graphic that presents the findings of the report in an easy to understand manner: bit.ly/ DrinkPackaging
Bottled water does not compete with tap water. Bottled water competes with other, often less-healthy, packaged drinks (e.g., carbonated soft drinks and other sugary beverages). Results from IBWA’s Harris Poll show that most bottled water drinkers (71 percent) drink both tap and bottled water. That same poll shows peo ple are consuming bottled water when they are out and about instead of choosing less healthy calorie-laden beverages. Those results indicate that most bottled water drinkers are “water” drinkers in general, preferring to consume a calorieand additive-free beverage in place of other packaged drinks, especially when away from home. Sales data support the statement that consumers prefer to drink bottled water, as soda and juice sales have declined during the past decade while bottled water sales have increased. In fact, from 2010 to 2020, sales data from Beverage Marketing Corporation show that approximately 44 percent of the growth in U.S. bottled water con sumption came from people switching from carbonated soft drinks and juices to bottled water. IBWA depicted that data in this chart for social media: bit. ly/BWConsumptionShift
• Make a pledge to always recycle all your recyclable plastic food and beverage containers. BWR
Most bottled water is packaged in 100 percent recyclable PET (#1) and HDPE (#2) plastic, which are the plastics that are most recognized by consumers as being recyclable and the most recycled plastics in the world. That means consumers do not need to be confused about recycling bottled water containers because they are among the few consumer packaging types that are universally recyclable across the United States. Not all cities and towns recycle glass bottles and laminated paper cartons, which are most commonly comprised of multiple layers of paper, plastic, and aluminum or wax.
PET plastic bottled water containers are a valuable resource because, as the National Association for PET Container Resources state, they can be recycled and used over and over again (bit.ly/PET_reuse).
PET bottled water containers use significantly less plastic than other drink packaging because products such as carbonated soft drinks, juices, and other sugary beverages require more plastic packaging due to carbonation and manufacturing processes (using at least 142 percent more plastic).
FALL 2022 • BWR • 31 COMMUNICATIONS IT IS UP TO US TO REMIND CONSUMERS ABOUT THE POSITIVE ASPECTS OF PLASTIC PACKAGING.
Bottled Water and Tap Water
The healthy consumption shift from sugary drinks to bottled water could also work in reverse. If bottled water is not available, 74 percent of people say that they will turn to other packaged drinks, not tap water, The Harris Poll found, as this graphic illustrates: bit.ly/OtherDrinksPackagedInPlastic Ultimately, that would contribute to a less healthy population and more plastic waste going into the landfills. Recyclability Distinction
mately results in less material entering landfills or needing to be recycled.
• Shop wisely. Buy products that are packaged in 100 percent recyclable containers and packaging. (For more, watch this reel: bit.ly/PositivelyPET_ Impact.)
If people want to reduce their plastic footprint they can:
Bottled water’s recyclability distinguishes it from other common plastic products that are truly “single-use,” such as non-recyclable plastic items (e.g., straws, cutlery, and plates); food and goods packaging (e.g., film, heatsealed and multi-layered laminate bags); and containers (e.g., non-PET, non-HDPE, and non-PC bottles and tubs). In addition, PET plastic bottled water containers are the most recognized by consumers as being recyclable and is likely why they are the most recycled containers in curbside recycling programs in the United States.
• Purchase items that include recycled materials.
The recyclable plastic used to make bottled water containers—PET, HDPE, and polycarbonate (PC)—account for a very small portion of the average plastic currently used by consumers. In fact, Science.org reported on a study that found the average American generates 130.1 kilograms of plastic waste each year (bit.ly/IndWasteGen). Of that amount, bottled water packaging makes up only 1.9 percent (2.47 kg). And that 1.9 percent is plastic that is 100 percent recyclable, unlike other common plastic consumer products that aren’t recyclable (e.g., kitchen plastic wrap, exterior packaging of most consumer goods, grocery bags, squeezable food containers, garment bags, snack food bags, plastic cups, straws, utensils, and most takeout containers). All those non-recyclable plastics have a much greater negative impact on the environment.
By Al Lear, Vice President of Science, Education, and Technical Relations
• “Manufacturers are not required to fluoridate their water, or to fluoridate to a level of 0.7 mg/L…. Instead, our regulations … provide that fluoride may be optionally added up to the allowable level.”
FDA to establish ranges for added fluoride for compliance purposes. Although FDA did not adopt our suggested ranges, the agency did address IBWA’s concerns, stating the following:
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) final rule for added fluoride levels in bottled water titled Beverages: Bottled Water became effective on June 19, 2022. This final rule amended the allowable level for fluoride in domestically packaged and imported bottled water to which fluoride is added to 0.7 milligrams per liter (mg/L). The compliance date for the rule is October 17, 2022. FDA’s rule does not affect the allowable levels for fluoride in bottled water to which fluoride is not added by the manufacturer (e.g., bottled water that contains fluoride from its source water).
Understanding FDA’s Latest Fluoride Rule
Background In June 2019, IBWA provided comments to FDA on its proposed rule. IBWA supported the standard of quality (SOQ) of 0.7 mg/L but asked
FDA’s nutrition labeling rules, as amended in 2016, included fluoride as a nutrient that is voluntary to declare. If a claim about fluoride is made, however, it would be mandatory to declare fluoride in nutrition labeling (in units of mg/ serving, rather than mg/L). [Note that if the claim “with fluoride added” is made, a simplified Nutrition Facts Panel (NFP) would be needed, but no mg/ serving declaration of fluoride would be required in the NFP.]
Who is eligible for the NFP enforcement discretion when a claim about fluoride is made? IBWA mem ber companies that were specifically identified in the 2018 request to FDA are eligible for the enforcement discretion. If you are not certain whether your company was included, please contact Al Lear: alear@bottledwater.org
• “We recognize that there are potential variabilities in adding fluoride in bottled water during manufacturing and variabilities during fluoride measurement.”
FDA’S DOES NOT CHANGE THE DISCRETION FROM FDA TO IBWA MEMBERS.
• “Furthermore,… bottled water manufacturers that fluoridate their water are not required to fluoridate to a level of 0.7 mg/L—lower levels are permitted. A bottled water manufacturer could target a fluoridation level below 0.7 mg/L, and, even with the slight overage consistent with current good manufacturing practices, we would expect the finished product to be in compliance with both the labeling requirement in § 101.9(g)(4)(i) and the allowable level for fluoride finalized in this rule.
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PREVIOUSLY GRANTED ENFORCEMENT
• “A label declaration is required if a claim about fluoride content is made on the label or in the labeling of foods (see § 101.9(c)(5)). Our regulations would require the fluoride levels in such products to be at least at the level declared on the label. That minimum fluoride level is not incompatible with the fluoride level finalized in this rule. We understand that, to account for process variability, industry may formulate to a slightly higher fluoride content to ensure the impacted products consistently meet the minimum requirement for nutrient declaration as described in § 101.9(g)(4)(i). We expect that the slight overage of fluoride used to account for process variability is small and would be consistent with current good manufacturing practice (§ 101.9(g)(6)).”
Fluoride Standard of Quality IBWA staff worked with Hogan Lovells to review the rule and created a summary for IBWA members. The summary provides a review of the SOQ for fluoride and highlights that the rule does not change the previously granted enforcement discretion from FDA to IBWA members.
• Quantitative Statement of Fluoride Content (such as “Contains 0.7 mg/L fluoride”)
A copy of the Fluoride Rule summary is available from IBWA. For a copy, con tact Al Lear: alear@bottledwater.org. BWR
• Health Claim for Fluoride (such as “Drinking fluoridated water may reduce the risk of dental caries”)
Nutrition Labeling and Enforcement Discretion
In 2018, IBWA requested enforcement discretion from FDA to omit an NFP if the product label bears a claim such as “with fluoride added” or a quantitative statement of the amount of fluoride. Health claims were not covered by the request. FDA granted IBWA’s request in 2019. This enforcement discretion remains in place, even after issuance of the new final rule on the SOQ.
• Fluoride Added or “with added fluoride” or “fluoridated”
What does the new SOQ for fluoride require? The new SOQ provides a maximum allowable level of fluoride that may optionally be added to bottled water of 0.7 mg/L. The new level applies equally to imported and domestic bottled waters, but it does not apply to products to which no fluoride is added. The compliance date for the new requirement is October 17, 2022. Did FDA address a compliance range under the new SOQ? FDA did not establish a compliance range as IBWA requested, but FDA has recognized that slight overages, within current good manufacturing practice, may be used in formulation to ensure fluoride will be present at a minimum of 100 percent of the amount declared. How does the new SOQ for fluoride affect previous enforcement discretion that FDA granted related to nutrition labeling when fluoride is added? It does not change the previously granted enforcement discretion.
TECHNICAL UPDATE
FLUORIDE RULE
A table is included in the Fluoride Rule summary that lists fluoride claims and how each claim applies to the current rule for nutrition labeling and the FDA Enforcement Discretion for nutrition labeling. The list below identifies the three types of fluoride claims covered in the summary:
34 • BWR • WWW.BOTTLEDWATER.ORG CPO QUIZ IBWA certified plant operators (CPOs) are encouraged to complete the following quiz for ½ IBWA continuing education unit (CEU). The questions are derived from material presented in this issue of the Bottled Water Reporter, the IBWA Plant Technical Reference Manual, and the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice. Submit this quiz to Claire Crane (ccrane@bottledwater.org / IBWA Coordinator of Conferences, Meetings, and Programs), 1700 Diagonal Road, Suite 650, Alexandria, VA 22134. Look for additional quizzes in future issues and earn additional IBWA CEUs! Name Company Address City State/Province ZIP/Postal Code 1| The 2022 FDA fluoride rule applies to bottled water that may contain fluoride from its source water. O True O False 2|Which of the following is not considered to be a common source of contamination of natural source waters? O Dissolved gases O Suspended solids O Calcium Carbonate O Dissolved organic substances 3|A chemical commonly used to disinfect wells and boreholes is ______. O Ozone O Potassium iodide O Sodium fluoride O Sodium hypochlorite 4|1 ppm of hardness measured as calcium carbonate is equivalent to ______. O 17.7 grains per gallon O 5.7 mg/L of calcium O 25.5 umhos of conductivity O 17.7 mg/L of iron 5| The new standard of quality for fluoride is ______. O 0.5 mg/L O 1.0 mg/L O 0.7 mg/L O 2.0 mg/L Check your selection for each question 6|Low pH and high levels of an oxidizer exposed to metals can cause ______. O Corrosion O Scaling O Reduction O An acid-base reaction 7|The compliance date for the new fluoride rule is ______. O June 19, 2022 O October 17, 2022 O January 1, 2023 O April 1, 2022 8|Inadequate flushing of certain cartridge-type filters can lead to ______ in water. O Adverse health effects O Off-taste O Spoilage O Enhancement 9|Is “with added fluoride” considered a fluoride claim? O True O False 10|Presence of brown or black specks or flakes in water is typically caused by ______. O Calcium O Magnesium O Lead O Manganese
• SEPTEMBER 18-20 CBWA Convention and Trade Show Paso Robles Inn Paso Robles, CA • OCTOBER 26-29 NEBWA Fall Conference Mystic Mystic,HiltonCT • OCTOBER 24-27 IBWA Annual Business Conference and Trade Show Chicago, IL Palmer House Hilton • NOVEMBER 3-5 NEBWA Conference Mystic, CT Mystic Hilton • APRIL 26-29 NWBWA Convention The Coeur d'Alene Golf and Spa Resort Coeur d'Alene, ID • JUNE 5-8 IBWA Board of Directors and Committee Meetings Hilton Alexandria Old Town Alexandria, VA CALENDAR 2022 CALENDAR 2023 BlackhawkADVERTISERSMoldingCo... . . www.blackhawkmolding.com . . Inside Front Cover Brio Water Technology . . . . . www.briowt.com . . . . . . . 3, Inside Back Cover Plasscon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.plasscon.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Polymer Solutions Int'l . . . . . . . www.prostack.com 3 Sigma ProductsHomeCo., Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . www.sigmahomeproducts.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Steelhead Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . www.steelheadinc.com. . . .Outside Back Cover FALL 2022 • BWR • 35 Want to Advertise in IBWA Media? If you are interested in advertising in IBWA's Bottled Water Reporter magazine, Splash weekly e-newsletter, or the recently updated website—www.bottledwater.org contact Stephanie Reyna: stephanie@bottledwater.org or 817.719.6197. Sigmahomeproducts has been serving for bottled water industry since 1992. We are offering variety designs of water dispensers, cup dispensers, manual and electric water pumps for different design bottles, drinking cups, bottle handles, bottle racks, porcelain dispensers and wooden stands, non-spill caps, aqua valves, and metal cradles etc. We can also provide with customized services. If you plan to develop new items for your business upgrading by using unlimited China manufacturing resources, please contact us by info@sigmahomeproducts.com. We will charge no design fee for all R&D projects. CLASSIFIED AD
100%90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10% OTHERDOESN’TRECYCLINGMAKEADIFFERENCESOMEONE ELSE IN MY HOUSEHOLD DOES THE RECYCLING IT’S TOO DIFFICULT TO RECYCLE I DON’T KNOW HOW TO RECYCLE I DON’T HAVE TIME RECYCLETO THERE DROP-OFFAREN’TCENTERSLOCALTOMERECYCLING ISN’T AVAILABLE AT BOTTLEDCOMPLEX/HOMEMY WATER: BY THE NUMBERS 36 • BWR • WWW.BOTTLEDWATER.ORG HOD VOLUME GROWTH HOD WHOLESALE DOLLAR GROWTH Source: How2Recycle, 2022 WHY DON’T NON-RECYCLERS RECYCLE? IBWA’s H2OIn The Know podcast has 12 episodes, with the latest on “Water’s Role in Healthy Aging.” Have a listen: in-healthy-aginguser-746400801/waters-role-soundcloud.com/ The home and office delivery* (HOD) segment of the bottled water industry is poised for more growth in 2022, with Beverage Marketing Corporation (BMC) forecasting a volume growth of 4.1%. HOD* wholesale dollars surged by nearly 8% in 2021. BMC projects an 11.2% growth for first half of 2022. 53% 36% 12% 11% 10%10% 4% 3% 12 In 2021 bottled water’s growth in the categoryprivate-labelwas 6.9% more than 2.8cases.billion * *192-ounce cases Source: BMC DrinkTell Database * Includes home and commercial delivered bulk waters, plus retail bulk (vended plastic and can packaged) waters. 1.41.21.0 2.01.51.01.4172019 1.9351.935 2.087 1.394 1.435 20192020 20202021 2021 GALLONSOFBILLIONS GALLONSOFBILLIONS › › ›(-1.6) (+3.0) (+7.8) Source: BMC DrinkTell Database
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