Follett Cool Trends

Muddied Waters

Follett Ice — Thursday, 17 November 2011 09:10 PM

After we posted Blame the Bottle discussing the arguments for and against the movement seeking to ban water bottles at some colleges and public locations, this article appeared in the New York Times: Parks Chief Blocked Plan for Grand Canyon Bottle Ban.

According to the article, Grand Canyon National Park officials canceled plans to ban the sale of plastic water bottles. What seemed like a straightforward solution to a growing problem turned out not to be that simple.

What was the problem the Grand Canyon sought to address with the bottle water ban? According to Stephen P. Martin, who serves as head official at the Grand Canyon park and who authored the plan, plastic bottles are the biggest source of trash inside the canyon, accounting for 30% of their waste. So, it seems that banning water bottles and providing hydration stations as an alternative would directly address their desire to reduce the amount of bottle trash the park has to deal with.

But, as one of the park’s suppliers pointed out, “banning anything is never the right answer. If you do that, you don’t necessarily address the problem.” Take this example: The park would have continued to offer juice and soda in bottles. Don’t they end up in the same trash pile as water bottles? The retort to that is often that water can come from a tap – or in this case a hydration station – while juice and soda do not. Actually, they can come from a tap – from a soda fountain tap - which could also fill reusable bottles. Further, the park only banned the sale of bottled water inside of the park, and didn’t ban visitors from bringing their own. So was the move to ban the sale of water bottles an affront to the on-site vendors and their potential profits or the best way to end the continuing waste? It isn’t that the ban is a bad idea, but the unanswered question is does it go far enough to truly accomplish the park’s goal?

Read the full NYT article here. You’ll also want to read an interesting article here about Xanterra, the Grand Canyon’s bottled water supplier who actually supports the ban. And let us know what you think.

More Info

Blame the bottle

Follett Ice — Tuesday, 25 October 2011 09:00 AM

Not since Prohibition has a bottled beverage been so reviled. Bans on bottled water are gaining momentum, from municipal buildings, to college campuses, to community festivals. The arguments for the ban include:

Reducing or eliminating bottled water reduces the waste that ends up in landfills and pollutes our water.
The manufacturing process and transportation of bottled water leaves behind a large carbon footprint.
Refilling bottles with tap water has significant cost savings in the long term over purchasing bottled water for $1.00 or more.
Many brands of bottled water are simply filtered tap water anyway. Why purchase it?

To replace bottled water, many of these facilities are installing ice and water dispensers (like Follett’s Symphony and 7 Series) or hydration stations to provide drinking water. Their design makes it easier to fill reusable water bottles rather than trying to tip a tall bottle under a regular drinking fountain. Making these dispensers available throughout facilities encourages water consumption, a healthier choice than sugary drinks, and one that can have positive effects on energy levels and mental acuity.

But despite its noble attempt to reduce the impact of bottled water on the environment, the “ban the bottle” movement is not without its critics:

Other beverages can be sources of bottle waste; why focus on water? Some facilities will ban bottled water while continuing to sell sodas and other beverages in plastic.
Consumers have the right to choose, and that includes the right to choose bottled water.
Even if a facility institutes a ban, students, employees and visitors can still bring in their own bottles from outside the facility.
Not all tap water sources are safe. Older pipes or lax municipal testing can lead to contamination. Bottled water, even if it originated from tap water, is regulated by the FDA.

So what has been the effect on bottled water sales? After declining sales in 2007 through 2009, bottled water sales grew by 3.4% in 2010, and by another 2% in 2011, according to Beverage Industry.

What do you think? Are “ban the bottle” campaigns a step in the right direction or a misguided effort? What will the effect be in the long run?

More Info

A History Built On Ice

Follett Ice — Thursday, 29 September 2011 01:30 PM

It’s that time of year again – the leaves are beginning to change, the kids are back in school, and the holidays are just around the corner. Who doesn’t love fall?

One reason we love it is the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) Show happening October 2-4 in Chicago. The NACS Show is the #1 buying show in the country, drawing 22,000 attendees in the convenience store industry and featuring over 1,300 exhibitors, according to NACS.

It's interesting that the convenience store industry -- like Follett -- all started with ice. As the story goes, the first convenience store emerged in 1927 from the “ice houses” that supplied ice to customers in the days before refrigerators. Jefferson Green, the manager of the Southland Ice Dock in Texas, saw the need to offer his customers ice not just during the summer months, but year-round. He also recognized that they needed basic grocery items like bread, milk and eggs at times when the grocery stores were closed. Since his store was open 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week, he carried these staples at his store as a convenience for his customers. The idea caught on with the president and chairman of The Southland Corporation and was expanded to other Southland ice dock locations. If you want to learn more, read the interesting Brief History of the Convenience Store Industry in the NACS website.

Follett’s history is also inspired by ice, as well as convenience. In 1948, the business was founded when Roy Follett recognized the need to supply ice bins with more consistent quality and faster delivery than the local sheet metal shops could offer. Since then Follett has continued to develop products and technology that make ice production and management faster, safer and more efficient for our customers.

At the NACS Show we'll premier our new 7 Series ice and water dispenser that’ll rev up iced coffee programs. We’ll also show our Ice Pro™ ice bagger and dispenser that can increase profits on bagged ice, Vision™ ice and beverage dispensers that create a more attractive fountain area, and our Horizon™ ice machine with our exclusive Satellite-fill™ technology that can improve fountain sanitation. It’s all about helping you grow your business – with ice.

Going to NACS? Stop by and see us in Booth #5181. Let us know how we can make your job more convenient. Or, if you’re not going, talk to us in comments.

More Info