Bobble Turns One! In a Single Year the Iconic Self-Filtering Water Bottle Has Gone Global

NEW YORK, March 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Move Collective, LLC, the creators of bobble (www.waterbobble.com), the iconic, reusable, patented water bottle that filters as you drink, today proudly announced that the company's signature creation has reached its first birthday. Bobble was created to give consumers a smart, well-designed alternative to single-serve plastic water bottles, which are expensive and exact a destructive toll on the environment. And consumers have responded, on a global scale.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110307/NY60136 )

"Single-serve water bottles are a part of everyday life, in every major country around the world, so we knew the size of the challenge that we faced," said Richard Smiedt, founder, Move Collective LLC. "The grab-and-go-and-discard habit was pretty well ingrained. And the results of that habit are disastrous – the impact of plastic water bottles on our oceans and our landfills is well documented. Bobble is a better, more beautiful alternative. It is an elegant solution to a global problem. And consumers have flocked to it by the millions. Together we are making water better, worldwide."

Bobble now has significant retail coverage in every U.S. state and leads the market in portable filtration. More than 2500 retailers in 20,000 outlets worldwide now offer bobble, across five continents. Consumers in the U.S., the U.K., France, Italy, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Taiwan, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Canada and Latin America can now find bobble in retail outlets nearby. Another fifteen countries including Mexico, Brazil and Germany are also coming on board soon.

"The consumer response has been tremendous," said Richard Smiedt. "We are starting a movement with bobble, to create a fun, healthy and more sustainable way to consume beverages. We started with portable water filtration but we are not stopping there. The movement continues to grow. Our retail partners saw what we saw: millions and millions of consumers who love the portability and refreshment of single-serve water. They recognized that if you give consumers a better alternative, and an emotional connection to beautiful design, they will react."

Bobble is now sold by retailers such as American Apparel, Bed Bath & Beyond, Bloomingdale's, Boots (UK), BHV (France), City Super (Hong Kong), Collette (France), Container Store, Crate & Barrel, Galleries Lafayette (France), Gigasports (Hong Kong), GOD (Hong Kong), GNC, Harrod's (UK), Harvey Nichols (UK), JC Penney, Printemps (France), John Lewis (UK), Macy's, Meijer, Old Navy, Plaza (Japan), Sainsbury's (UK), Target, Vitamin Shoppe and Wegman's – among  many others, this represents the who's who of global retailers – with more coming on board monthly. Bobble's widespread accessibility makes it easy for consumers to drop single-serve bottled water in place of bobble.

Bobble's stunning shape – executed by Move Collective and designed by legendary industrial designer Karim Rashid – vivid filter color scheme and disruptive packaging have earned numerous industry awards. These include an American Graphic Design Award, a Good Design 2010 Award, a Spark! Award, an IF Packaging Award, an Ambiente 2011 Award and three Pentawards. Bobble is also a finalist at the 2011 Edison Awards. Bobble was presented to all attendees at the 2010 TED Global Conference and Fast Company's Innovation Uncensored Conference.

How Bobble Works

Bobble is made in the USA from recycled plastic and is free of BPA, Phthalates and PVC. Bobble comes in three sizes: the original 18.5oz/0.55 liter size (MSRP $9.95), a smaller 13oz/385ml sizes (MSRP $8.95), a 34oz/1.0 liter size (MSRP $12.95) and a kids' 13 oz. bobble, with multicolored filters and playful decal stickers. Bobble features a carbon filter that is interchangeable and replaceable. Bobble removes chlorine and organic contaminants from everyday tap water, yielding a cleaner, crisper taste that rivals store-bought water. The filters come in six stunning colors: green, red, blue, magenta, black and yellow with new colors coming out in Spring. They fit every size of bobble, allowing users to color-coordinate their bobble to match their style or mood. Bobble filters are recyclable and should be replaced after approximately two months of use, or after filtering approximately 40 gallons, or 150 liters, of water.

Carbon filters are a proven, powerful chemical absorbent. As water passes over them, the negative ions of contaminants are drawn to the carbon granules, where they remain. The filter meets or exceeds NSF International Standard 42, the standard that governs public and private drinking water.

At first use, consumers should fill their bobble with water and squeeze it through one time. This gets rid of any loose carbon. The activated carbon filter requires no maintenance thereafter. Bobble should also be cleaned regularly to limit bacteria buildup.

SOURCE Move Collective, LLC