2.14.2007
Biota
Thanks to the fab ladies who do the More Hip Than Hippie podcast, which I love, I found out that there's a bottled water company called Biota, based out of Colorado, that is using bottles made from corn plastic, not oil-based plastic. Oil-based plastics are made from non-renewable resources and never biodegrade, no matter how many thousands of years they sit in a landfill, but corn plastic (PLA) is made from a renewable resource and breaks down over a period of only about 80 days. They can be composted, burned without giving off any hydrocarbons, or even put in a landfill, and they'll actually go away. I'm so excited to learn that this even exists. Biota owns the bottling company as well, and they're trying to work with other drink corporations to get their bottles out there, which is a worthy aim. Another nice thing about these bottles is that they can be reused without leaching chemicals into the water you're drinking, unlike PET plastic (what most water and soda bottles are made from), which are considered single-use bottles and shouldn't be reused.
Problem for me: nobody in Louisiana currently carries Biota. I just sent an email to the manager of our local Whole Foods, since many other Whole Foods stores in other parts of the country carry Biota already, and I'm hoping to get it carried here, or at least special-ordered. Here's the letter I wrote my store, and you can just copy it and use it yourself if you're so inclined!
"I've recently heard about Biota Spring Water, a company based out of Colorado that is the first bottled water company to use bottles made from corn plastic (PLA), not petroleum-based plastic. The bottles are completely biodegradable, unlike petroleum-based plastics, which never biodegrade. I know that Whole Foods stores in some parts of the country currently carry Biota, and I'd love to see it in your store. I can assure you that if this were available, it would be the only bottled water I would drink, and I'm sure other customers would feel the same way after learning about the product. Their website is http://www.biotaspringwater.com if you'd like to read up on them. Thanks for your consideration, and please email me back if you do decide to carry it so that I can come stock up!"
It's a really exciting thing to learn about, and I'd be even more excited if it were more widely available.
Problem for me: nobody in Louisiana currently carries Biota. I just sent an email to the manager of our local Whole Foods, since many other Whole Foods stores in other parts of the country carry Biota already, and I'm hoping to get it carried here, or at least special-ordered. Here's the letter I wrote my store, and you can just copy it and use it yourself if you're so inclined!
"I've recently heard about Biota Spring Water, a company based out of Colorado that is the first bottled water company to use bottles made from corn plastic (PLA), not petroleum-based plastic. The bottles are completely biodegradable, unlike petroleum-based plastics, which never biodegrade. I know that Whole Foods stores in some parts of the country currently carry Biota, and I'd love to see it in your store. I can assure you that if this were available, it would be the only bottled water I would drink, and I'm sure other customers would feel the same way after learning about the product. Their website is http://www.biotaspringwater.com if you'd like to read up on them. Thanks for your consideration, and please email me back if you do decide to carry it so that I can come stock up!"
It's a really exciting thing to learn about, and I'd be even more excited if it were more widely available.
Labels: greening, listening miscellany
- posted by erica 2/14/2007 04:23:00 PM
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Comments:
I must do some research now. If the bottles are bio-degradable in about 80 days, how does the bottle continue to hold water if they are left on the shelf that long? Or, if you decide to reuse the bottle, how can you use it without it degrading? I think this is the coolest thing ever, but it has me scratching my head!
"rqzllebu!" says Lauren. :-) (yes, silly me, I can't resist doing that. BTW, E, is it a problem for comment spam if I say the "secret word" in my comment??)
Interesting! Don has a good point...how do they not biodegreade as you're using them?
I am so glad you like the More Hip than Hippie podcast since I recommended them to you! :-) I love them. They are fun but have great information too. I am behind and haven't listened to them in a while, but I will one of these days.
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Interesting! Don has a good point...how do they not biodegreade as you're using them?
I am so glad you like the More Hip than Hippie podcast since I recommended them to you! :-) I love them. They are fun but have great information too. I am behind and haven't listened to them in a while, but I will one of these days.
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