redleaf Water Partners with ENSO to Produce Industry’s First Biodegradable & Recyclable Water Bottle Hitting Shelves Today

redleaf Water, Canada’s Ultra-Premium bottled water, is now distributing the industry’s first biodegradable and recyclable water bottle. redleaf’s BIO BOTTLES produced by Arizona-based environmental solution provider ENSO Plastics, will biodegrade naturally in aerobic and anaerobic (landfill) conditions and are #1 PET, allowing the bottles to be recycled without requiring any special handling.

Today nearly all water bottles are #1 PET, meaning they can be recycled. Some competitors have recently introduced plant-based plastic bottles. Plant-based plastic bottles can be recycled, but do not biodegrade and do nothing to reduce the quantity of bottles that end up in landfills or the environment. The BIO BOTTLE represents a significant step forward as they can biodegrade naturally or be recycled.

“redleaf’s BIO BOTTLES are a step in the right direction to further reduce the impact empty water bottles have on the environment,” said redleaf COO Dave Hillis. “When we started the company, we made a commitment to aggressively seek alternatives to reduce our impact on the environment, while still providing customers with superior drinking water. We still have work to do, but redleaf’s BIO BOTTLES represent an important step forward in our ongoing mission to provide premium Canadian water in guilt-free bottles.”

ENSO pioneered the bottles from its research facility in Arizona. The company has worked for three years to perfect a bottle that is both #1 PET recyclable and biodegradable. While the process is classified, the results have been validated by Northeast Laboratories, a testing facility certified by the FDA, EPA and the Department of Defense and ISO.

“Our bottle is designed to be placed into the existing recycle streams, but if placed into a landfill or other natural environments, depending on the natures microbial activity, these bottles will disappear within 1-15 years as opposed to 500 for normal #1 PET bottles,” stated NAME AND TITLE. “Simply put these bottles disappear the same way other organic materials do.”

Complementing the release of BIO BOTTLES, redleaf will also launch the “Disappearing Project” in Spring 2011. The project is designed to highlight how BIO BOTTLES disappear in various environmental conditions.

redleaf starts as great water from an artesian aquifer in Chilliwack, British Columbia, and is made even better through a proprietary purification and bottling process. The water’s high oxygen content and high pH of 8.3 have been known to have several health benefits for the drinker, including increased alertness, hydration and stamina – all of which are crucial to athletes and sports fans alike.

Keeping with its efforts to reduce waste and minimize its impact on the environment, redleaf’s production process has a 1:1 bottling ratio. While many competitors have a 6:1 ratio, that means competitors waste five gallons of water for every one gallon they bottle.

About redleaf water
redleaf is North America’s only ultra-premium bottled water. It starts with great water from a naturally renewable source in the Canadian Rockies, and is made better through a state-of-the-art purification and bottling process, that is the industry’s most advanced and the best way to improve on the Earth’s own natural process for making great tasting, healthy water. It is available in locations throughout the Mountain West region of the United States, including more than 100 Albertsons LLC stores.

For more information, please visit redleafwater.com.