A Look Inside: Walnut Grove Spring Water

Walnut Grove Spring Water created a buzz at the 2007 Emmy Awards when stars like Leeza Gibbons, Paula Abdul, Bradley Whitford, and Lorraine Bracco expressed an overwhelming interest in the product. Why? The remarkably pure taste, the incredibly light mouth-feel of the natural spring water, and the environmental benefits of glass packaging.

To get the inside scoop, GPI talked with Ryan Bass, EVP & Chief Marketing Officer for the Indiana-based Walnut Grove Spring Water Company.

GPI: Walnut Grove Spring Water was featured at the 2007 Emmys as part of the celebrity gift bag. What was the celebrity response?

Bass: It was amazing! 90% of the celebrities that attended the gift bag suite stopped at our table and signed up to receive our offer of one case per month for the next six months. They were thrilled with the quality of our natural spring water, the glass packaging, and the unique swingtop closure.

GPI: How has that exposure helped your brand?

Bass: There's a real fear among discerning consumers about plastic packaging compromising the quality of the water it contains, and our product overall was a big hit. We have already received several inquiries from several of the celebrities asking how to purchase our product on a regular basis. When you have a quality product and a compelling brand, people want to know about it, and are likely to tell others about it. We are fortunate that our product has this key attribute.

GPI: What's the general consumer response to the glass package?

Bass: In a word … PHENOMENAL! Our bottle is 100% recyclable, preserves the true essence of our premium natural spring water much better than plastic, and has been a real hit with our target consumer. Read the rest of the interview

Partners Launch Website for Bar & Restaurant Recycling in NC

A new web site featuring resources and promotional materials to help North Carolina bar and restaurant owners start recycling went live this month.
The Partnership for Bar & Restaurant Recycling web site, www.partnership4recycling.org, launches in advance of the a state bill requiring holders of certain Alcoholic Beverage Control permits to recycle all beverage containers (glass, cans, and plastic) effective January 1, 2008.

The web site features "how to," best practices, model programs, collection resources, signage, and ads. Partners in this promotional effort are Land-of-Sky Regional Council, NC Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance, U.S. EPA, and the Glass Packaging Institute

PACKAGING TRENDS

Flint Bottles Dominate For High-End Liquor

Vitro President John Shaddox and Thomas Koy, O-I Director of Specialties, Sales and Marketing sat down with Package Design to talk about packaging trends for high-end liquor. Koy says super flint bottles continue to be used for ultra-premium brands. Also, expect paper labels to be prevalent in top-end liquors, although screen printed labels are focusing on new consumers in "trendy" brands. And vodka remains a "key driver". Read the full interview

LEGISLATION

Pennsylvania House Legislator Introduces Bottle Bill

Pennsylvania State Rep. Lisa Bennington (D) has introduced bottle deposit legislation identical to a Senate bill recently introduced by Sen. John Rafferty (R). Both bills would require that beginning Jan 1, 2008, a "returnable beverage distributor" (defined as state based manufacturers, as well as beverage distributors) pay a 5-cent assessment on each container manufactured or imported into the state on a monthly basis. Glass, aluminum, plastic and other packaging materials would be subject to this law, but aseptic packaging is exempt. More

GLASS RECYCLING

Grants for Recycling Bins

The National Recycling Coalition and Coca-Cola have established a recycling bin grant program. Grant recipients receive beverage container collection bins plus guidance on how to set up a recycling program. Eligible grant activities include establishing programs at schools, recreational venues, and business/commercial locations. Act fast. The application deadline is October 26. Learn more

Boulder, CO Single Stream Facility to Have Optical Sorting

Starting next spring, Boulder County residents will switch from source separated recycling collection to single stream, or all recyclables in one bin. This is a result of a $5.5 million expansion to the county's six-year-old facility. The plant will eventually sort through about 75,000 tons annually. In addition, the county is spending $1 million on an optical scanning system designed to remove contaminants from recycled glass bottles. The goal is to recover upward of 90% of all the glass that is brought into the facility according to Eric Lombardi, EcoCycle's executive director. Read more

This initiative is part of a wave of single-stream collection across the state. Denver, CO recently switched to single-stream curbside collection, with glass from that system going to Rocky Mountain Bottle Co. In addition, Alpine Waste & Recycling Inc. has announced the opening of a $5.5 million recycling plant capable of handling 10,000 tons of single-stream recyclables a month in Commerce City, just outside of Denver. Recycled glass containers from that facility will also go to RMBC.

Bar/Restaurant Recycling Grows in Key States

Bar and restaurant glass bottle recycling programs have taken off in several states. Check out what's happening:

Tell us about your bar/restaurant recycling program

Denver's ABC 7 News Features the Cycling Glass Recycler

Rob Martin, owner of "Rob's Bike Courier Service", hauls over 30 tons a year of glass bottles—on his red Schwinn bike. The glass containers from bars and restaurants in Old Town Fort Collins, CO are pedaled to New Belgium's glass roll-off container and then on to Rocky Mountain Bottle where they are made into new bottles. Denver's ABC 7 News (KMGH) features the story as part of its "Going Green" series. Watch the video

1000 WORDS

Oceans Depleted of Fish and Filled with Garbage

A slick of plastic container debris (reportedly double the size of Texas), otherwise known as the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch," lies a few hundred miles off the coast of Hawaii. Ocean currents known as the North Pacific Gyre circulate six pounds of plastic for every pound of plankton, swamping marine ecosystems. See the photos

Copyright © 2007 Glass Packaging Institute 

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