Biodegradable water bottle introduced

Niche bottled water vendor Aquamantra today introduced a new type of PET plastic bottle that it claims is recyclable and biodegradable, even in landfills.

Retailers and consumers have felt pressure from environmental groups and others concerned about landfills and oceans overwhelmed with non-recyclable or compostable plastics (see The dirty little secret of plastic recycling).

Morgan Stanley analysts have found that "23 percent (of consumers) say they are cutting back on bottled beverages in favor of tap water or beverages in containers that create less waste."

Aquamantra consultants and advisors investigated alternatives including PLA (cornstarch) bottles and found they weren't viable as they wasn't easy to dispose of and had a high carbon impact.

"The reality is that water has to be packaged in a bottle that will not disintegrate on the store shelf in 1-2 years, and that is an issue with the PLA bottle," said company founder and president Alexandra Tekla.

"We investigated oxy-degradables, but there were 'big ifs' surrounding it such as an adequate amount of exposure to sunlight for degradation which is not likely in a landfill."

The company found Phoenix, Arizon-based ENSO Bottles, LLC, which had developed a form of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) that appeared to be both recyclable and biodegradable within 1-5 years in microbial landfills, in either aerobic or anaerobic conditions.

The company claims its new bottles do not leach plastic, are not PLA, are not oxo- degradable and are FDA approved "food grade" PET 1. The bottles maintain the same properties as traditional PET and can be intermingled with standard PET in recycling streams and programs, it said.

Auquamatra introduced the new bottle at Natural Products Expo West Show 2009 in Anaheim, Calif. Its various water products are to be available in the new bottle in May.