We don’t want to be cynical about such a worthy cause as recycling, but when the product in question is designed by a branding company we get a little twitchy. That the web site is entirely constructed in Flash just makes things worse.
The 360 Paper Water Bottle is exactly what it says it is — a water container made from paper. The 360 part is just marketing bunk, but the bottle itself is interesting. In fact, it doesn’t have to be made from paper — any fibrous material will do (bamboo or palm leaves, for example) and the result is 100% recyclable.
Why doesn’t it get soggy and wet? The secret is a thin coating of PLA, or Polylactic acid — a biodegradable, sugar based polyester. Great stuff, right? The trouble is, Brand Image (the designer) has addressed the wrong problem. Plastic water bottles are both recyclable and much more reusable than these frail paper versions. The real problem? Lazy Americans. From the site:
Each day, Americans throw out 60 million plastic bottles. Only 14% actually get recycled […] Could we design a container that would leverage sustainability, be easy to transport, and enhance the consumer’s drinking experience?
Seriously — "Leverage sustainability". Marketing nonsense. So we see that, instead of trying to up the recycle rate of the PET bottle, the branding company chose instead to "enhance the consumer’s drinking experience". I cry for our world.
Product page [Brand Image (annoying Flash) via Neatorama]
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