IBWA
International Bottled Water Association
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE HOW TO BE INNOVATORS AND INFLUENCERS
BOTTLED WATER REPORTER is published for: International Bottled Water Association 1700 Diagonal Road, Suite 650 Alexandria, VA 22314-2973. Tel: 703.683.5213 Fax: 703.683.4074 www.bottledwater.org
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More and more, I hear people acknowledge that bottled water is, indeed, the best healthy packaged beverage option. Yet, they still show concern about the delivery method: the plastic container. The bottled water industry has been very active in implementing innovations that reduce the impact of bottled water on the environment. In fact, our hard work has paid off by giving us the smallest water-use and energy-use ratios of all beverages packaged in plastic and the highest recycle rate in curbside recycling systems. But, because we know we can do even more, the cover story in this issue of Bottled Water Reporter, “Sustainable Innovation” (p.8), offers tips from the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) that can help bottlers enhance the quality and increase the supply of recycled PET (rPET). Interestingly, the APR Design® Guide for Plastics Recyclability reviews how the materials used to create labels—paper, PVC, inks, etc.—can have a positive or negative effect on the recycling process. Labels are again the focus of our Technical Update column (p.24), which examines how the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) revised nutritional labeling regulations will affect bottlers. In short, several revisions will impact bottled water, specifically sodium claims on the label and how fluoride content is expressed on the label. Consumers often look on our labels for answers to the questions they have about bottled water products. In our second feature, “Overwhelmed: Getting the Facts Straight About Bottled Water” (p.14), we provide answers to some of the most often asked questions about bottled water. Feel free to share these bottled water facts with consumers to help them make informed purchasing decisions. This issue’s Government Relations column (p.20) reveals how in today’s political landscape there’s no such thing as a part-time legislator. Even when a state legislature doesn’t meet year-round, the “off-season” interim period is a great time to reach out to legislators to educate them more about bottled water. Our Communications column (p.22) reviews the power of using visuals to communicate in the digital age—proving once again that a picture is worth a thousand words. This issue of Bottled Water Reporter presents a lot of valuable and educational content. We hope you learn something new when you read it—and that you share that information with your coworkers and consumers!
President Joe Doss jdoss@bottledwater.org Vice President of Education, Science, and Technical Relations Robert R. Hirst bhirst@bottledwater.org Vice President of Communications Jill Culora jculora@bottledwater.org Vice President of Government Relations Cory Martin cmartin@bottledwater.org Director of Conventions, Trade Shows, and Meetings Michele Campbell mcampbell@bottledwater.org Director of Government Relations J.P. Toner jtoner@bottledwater.org Director of Science and Research Al Lear alear@bottledwater.org Director of Communications Sabrina E. Hicks shicks@bottledwater.org Manager of Member Services Cheryl Bass-Briscoe cbass@bottledwater.org Education and Technical Programs Coordinator Claire Crane ccrane@bottledwater.org Communications Coordinator Chris Torres ctorres@bottledwater.org Executive Assistant Patrice Ward ibwainfo@bottledwater.org Bottled Water Reporter Layout and Design Rose McLeod rozmack@gmail.com Tel: 315.447.4385 Editor Sabrina E. Hicks shicks@bottledwater.org
Joe Doss IBWA President 4
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