Government Relations
January 2010: EPA Administrator's Priorties (PDF)
Good News
(from IBWA Lobbyist Carol McGarah)
The Texas Legislative Session ended officially around 10:00 p.m. on Monday, June 1st.
This session will be remembered more for what did NOT get done as opposed to what was accomplished. Fortunately a bottled water tax or fee is included in the “NOT” category, as well as any other major water legislation. We do expect a special session may be called sometime next spring to deal with some major issues involving the Texas Department of Transportation that did not get accomplished this session.
We will be producing a comprehensive end of session report which will be sent to you in the next few days.
Mountain Valley Spring Company Helps Restore Middle Fork of Saline River Arkansas
Mountain Valley Spring Company is proud to have recently placed an important role in The Nature Conservancy’s continuing restoration of he Middle Fork of the Saline River Arkansas!
Mountain Valley’s springs are located on almost 2,000 undisturbed acres in watershed of the Middle Fork. This river has been designated by the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality as an “Extraordinary Resource Water- body” and an “Ecologically Sensitive Waterway.” As part of the restoration process, the Nature Conservancy required rocks to halt erosion o the riverbank and improve habitat for the many species of wildlife using the river. “The Conservancy approached Mountain Valley about donating the required rock, which is easily accessible and plentiful on company property and naturally, we were more than pleased to assist in such a worthy project,” said Breck Speed, President & CEO of Mountain Valley Spring Company.
Mountain Valley salutes the many good works of The Nature Conservancy and wishes it great success in its continuing progress on improving the Saline River and entire Ouachita River system.
Sigg tries damage control on BPA issue
By Natalie Zmuda | ADVERTISING AGE
NEW YORK (Aug. 31, 4:45 p.m. ET) -- Sigg USA, maker of the metal, reusable bottles that became a badge of consumer eco-consciousness and all-around cool, is in danger of becoming a poster child for brand deception and corporate dishonesty.
The marketing darling, which saw its business explode in 2007 as a result of environmental concerns and fears surrounding bisphenol A in polycarbonate bottles, is doing some crisis control after admitting some of its bottles do, in fact, contain BPA.
The pricey metal bottles have built
a loyal following thanks to trendy designs and star appeal. Placement
at London Fashion Week and Sundance Channel events, as well as designs
featuring Hannah Montana and celebrating America and Earth Day, have
helped the brand cultivate a contemporary image. Information on Sigg
sales isn't publicly available, but sales are pegged at about $100 million.
Sales rose 250 percent between 2006 and 2007, and that was before the
bottled-water and BPA debates really heated up. The brand is available
in 15,000 stores worldwide.
Now consumers are lashing out in
response to a letter posted by Sigg CEO Steve Wasik. The letter admits
that bottles produced before August 2008 contain trace amounts of BPA
in the bottle liner. The company has carefully crafted its message in
recent years, letting consumers believe and, in some cases, the media
report that its bottles were BPA-free.
BPA began raising eyebrows when several
regulatory groups expressed concerns about its impact on children. Since
then, several states have considered regulations limiting or banning
BPA, and last fall Canada labeled BPA a toxic substance.
Wasik defended the company, saying
that previously the conversation surrounding BPA was focused on leaching.
Sigg's bottles showed 0 percent leaching, so why mention it, the argument
seemed to go.
"The primary reason that I am
writing this letter today is because I believe that the BPA conversation
has changed dramatically in the last 12 months," Wasik said in
the letter. "Last year, the primary concern was that of BPA leaching
from bottles. Since that time the dialogue has evolved such that now
some people are concerned about the mere presence of BPA and some states
are considering legislation."
Further angering consumers, Sigg
began working on a new, BPA-free liner in 2006 and invested $1 million
in new equipment to produce its BPA-free EcoCare liner. Yet, the company
was less than transparent in communicating that to the public.
"They were aggressive in responding
to anyone that said they did [have BPA]. It was very cleverly constructed
to look like it was a denial that BPA was in the product, but it wasn't,"
Jeremiah McNichols, co-editor and publisher of the blog Z Recommends,
which targets parents. "It's incredibly damaging. At this point,
we're not really sure what they're going to be able to do to salvage
the situation."
Elaine Shannon, editor in chief at
the Environmental Working Group, said in some ways, the situation is
less about the presence of BPA and more about the way the company has
handled the situation. "Americans want transparency, and this company
doesn't seem to understand that. It's mystifying," she said. "[Wasik's
letter] seems to be talking down to people, and a lot of people won't
tolerate that tone."
Indeed, consumers are turning to
social media sites such as Twitter and a slew of environmental and parenting
blogs to criticize the brand. Wasik's Twitter profile, @siggceo, hasn't
been updated since Aug. 16. He did, however, publish his e-mail address
in the letter, and several of his responses to consumers' e-mails have
been posted online. Wasik told Ad Age he has been personally communicating
with hundreds of consumers and bloggers.
Wasik said the company is considering
larger-scale outreach to publicize the fact that consumers can trade
in old bottles. Consumers can get their old bottles replaced with new
ones if they pay part of the shipping costs. Retailers with old inventory
can contact the company directly to discuss the situation.
"If a retailer chooses to keep
them on their shelves, that is their choice," Wasik wrote in an
e-mail. "All of our resources are focused on servicing consumers
and our retail partners. I believe the best thing we can do for the
Sigg brand is to address any concerns and act swiftly to resolve issues."
Mitch Baranowski, founding partner
at BBMG, which produces the Conscious Consumer Report, said Sigg could
be doing more to respond to consumers and explain themselves. "They
would be wise to pay close attention to this engaged, passionate group
of consumers that are asking for transparency," he said. "Otherwise
there is a risk that it could continue to gain steam and people could
look to other alternatives in the marketplace."
Already reviews of Sigg alternatives
have been popping up all over the web. And rival brands, such as CamelBak
and Klean Kanteen, have publicly addressed the situation with letters
on their own sites, reassuring consumers they are BPA-free, subtly damning
Sigg.
"We empathize with consumers
who are now discovering the presence of BPA in their aluminum bottle
liners, particularly when they believed they had specifically chosen
a BPA-free option," wrote Klean Kanteen owners Jeff Cresswell and
Michelle Kalberer, in their letter. "Not all metal bottles are
created equal when it comes to health and human safety."
