Naya Achieves Important Industry Benchmark Through Innovation and Ongoing Dedication to Reducing Its Impact on the Environment
Canada-based Naya Spring Water announced today it is the first bottled spring water company in the world to use 100 percent recycled plastic in its bottles. Recycled plastic, or rPET, is made from plastic that was previously used as packaging, then recycled and processed to create new bottles.
Less Waste
After seven years of R&D, Naya’s 100 percent rPET (recycled polyethylene terephthalate) bottles are engineered to utilize plastic waste, which otherwise could end up in landfills. The rPET plastic used in Naya’s new bottle is FDA approved and meets the same rigorous safety standards as virgin plastic bottles. Naya’s pure spring water will be available in the new bottles in the New York City area beginning this month and the rest of North America in early 2010.
“We’re proud to be the first major spring water brand to introduce 100 percent recycled plastic bottles, which is a win for the environment as well as for consumers who enjoy bottled water and want to reduce their impact,” said Daniel Cotte, president of Naya Waters, Inc. “This innovation is another demonstration of our commitment to put the environment at the heart of Naya’s company strategy.”
Less Carbon
Having led the movement to 25 percent and 50 percent rPET last year and this, Naya is also the first Canadian company to have had the carbon footprint (full product lifecycle) of some of its products certified by the Carbon Trust, an independent leader in measuring companies’ carbon footprints. While turning a used plastic bottle into a clean, reusable bottle requires energy and emits carbon, using 100 percent rPET versus virgin plastic significantly reduces both. Specifically, Naya reduces the full lifecycle carbon footprint of its 1.5 liter bottle by 30 percent when using 100 percent rPET versus the same bottle made with virgin plastic, as certified by the Carbon Trust.
“In our work with Naya, we have been impressed by their commitment to fighting climate change. The 100 percent rPET bottle represents a significant reduction in carbon over virgin plastic and we applaud this important step,” said Euan Murray, General Manager, Carbon Footprinting at the Carbon Trust.
Naya’s commitment to innovation allows the company to set a new standard for the industry. The company estimates that if just 10 percent of the US beverage industry adopted 100 percent rPET for its plastic bottles, the reduced use of virgin plastic would save 715,000 barrels of oil per year.
Naya’s Sustainability Commitment
The launch of Naya’s 100 percent rPET bottle further demonstrates the company’s leadership to move the bottled water industry to be more sustainable as a whole. In addition to reducing the impact of bottle packaging, the company has focused its efforts in three other key areas: water quality and conservation of natural resources, minimizing operational impact and recycling.
Through its relationship with 1% for the Planet, Naya gives 1 percent of total revenues to environmental programs and created the NAYA Waterways fund with the ‘Fondation de la Faune du Quebec,’ a nonprofit organization committed to wildlife conservation. The NAYA Fund is currently helping to revitalize six rivers and streams in Quebec.
Operationally, Naya currently recycles 96 percent of waste from its plant, including paper, cardboard and plastic. To encourage broad recycling adoption, Naya supports education programs, including a project in partnership with waste management experts Consortium Echo-logique that introduces pilot programs to collect recyclable waste in pedestrian streets. Naya is also a founding member of ‘Table pour la recuperation hors foyer’ (TRHF), a Canadian non-profit whose mission is to develop and implement large-scale recycling programs in out of home channels.
About Naya Natural Spring Water
Naya is a Canadian Natural Spring Water whose philosophy is to offer natural spring water of exceptional quality while minimizing its environmental footprint. For more information please visit www.naya.com.