Replenish Bottling and Nypro Packaging Announces Joint Venture to Produce a "Reusable Dispensing System" for Liquid Concentrates

HANOVER PARK, Ill., April 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Four companies with vast experience in sustainable consumer products are enabling a manufacturing capability for a new "Reusable Dispensing System" designed to power new concentrated product formulas and revolutionize the way consumers products are produced, distributed and consumed. Applications include multi-surface cleaners, window cleaners, carpet and furniture cleaners, air deodorizers, consumer beverages, personal care products, nutritional supplements, lawn and garden care, and virtually any other consumer product that consists largely of water.

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Replenish Bottling LLC and Nypro Inc. have announced a joint venture to provide global manufacturing solutions for the Reusable Dispensing System to companies who are looking for a more integrated, reusable platform designed specifically for liquid concentrates that reduces costs, lowers the environmental footprint and creates new product possibilities. Virtually all major-consumer companies today are seeking solutions that reduce their impact on the environment without compromising quality or the user experience, or adversely impacting prices, the joint venture said.  Eastman Chemical Company also plays a key role by supplying specialty materials to the joint venture as well as Radius Product Development who will facilitate the manufacturability of the program.

The solutions will be based on the Replenish Reusable Bottle System, winner of the Bronze Medal for Best New Product in the Energy and Sustainability, Packaging Category at the 2011 Edison Awards.

The "secret" to the patented, all-in-one bottle system is the use of a replaceable concentrate pod attached to the bottom of a reusable bottle that houses an internal measuring cup.  Consumers mix the product at home, with their own water, instead of pre-mixing at a factory, giving the user multiple bottles of the product. Eliminating the bulk and weight of water not only reduces freight and distribution cost by 16- to 20-times over the standard disposable bottle, but it also reduces the amount of plastic, energy and CO2 by 90%. Completing the ecological benefit, the pods and bottles are fully recyclable and made with specialty PET resins developed and distributed by Eastman Chemical.

Paul Kayser, Group President of Nypro Packaging and a member of the manufacturing group, said, "Nypro Packaging is firmly committed to continue to bring no-compromise sustainable packaging solutions to our brand customers.  Game changing solutions like Replenish Bottling Systems show how to leverage our integrated service offering, which includes Radius Product Development and Nypro's global manufacturing capabilities, to make significant shifts in how consumer products are brought to market, consumed, recycled and/or reused with great partners like Replenish and Eastman."

According to Jason Foster, Founder of Replenish Bottling and also a member of the manufacturing group, "We expect many of the biggest consumer brands in the world will want to be part of this new sustainable packaging paradigm. We all know the majority of the liquid products we buy are mostly water so shipping all that water around the country and lugging it home in disposable bottles isn't environmentally friendly.  This new approach is not only better for the environment, but it also saves money for everyone involved. Innovative thinking combined with great design really does make a difference to the consumer. By designing greater functionality into the bottle, it shifts it from a dumb disposable to something intelligent with more utility and durability.  It speaks to the way we used to build products with craftsmanship and quality. We are confident this alliance will change the packaged goods category by creating a new option with a smart reusable bottle and distribution system that's good for consumers' wallets, good for companies' bottom lines and good for the environment..  Together with Nypro Packaging, Radius Product Development and Eastman Chemical we're talking to big companies, big brands. Collectively we can make difference – we can take a billion bottles out of the landfill and a billion miles out of the supply chain.  Replenish takes us to the next level," Foster predicted.  "We hope it will start a reuse revolution."

Nypro Inc. is a major global plastics contract manufacturer with $1.3 billion sales, 45 locations in 16 countries and 17,000 employees. It is one of the largest employee-owned companies.  Nypro expects to manufacture most of the Replenish Reusable Bottling Systems in its Hanover Park, Illinois packaging facility.  

Radius Product Development, a global product innovation and development firm that serves the consumer, packaging and healthcare market segments, is a strategic company of Nypro Inc.  It employs about 200 product designers, developers and engineers in Massachusetts, Illinois, Hong Kong and Beijing, China. Integral to honing the design for manufacturability of the Replenish® bottle, Radius brings valuable experience in designing Replenish Reusable containers for the joint venture's customers.

Replenish Bottling is the creator of the patented Reusable Dispensing System designed to transform the way household products are packaged, transported and consumed.  The company's flagship product is a multi-surface, ultra-concentrated household cleaner in a new Reusable Bottle System that makes cleaning easier, is better for the environment and saves money for consumers and retailers.  By encouraging Reuse and Mixing Local, Replenish has a goal of eliminating 1 billion bottles from landfills, 1 billion miles off our roads and 1 billion pounds of chemicals out of the environment.  Replenish's products are developed and manufactured in the United States.  For information on Replenish and to find where products are sold, visit www.myreplenish.com.

Eastman Chemical Company's chemicals, fibers and plastics are used as key ingredients in products that people use every day. Approximately 10,000 Eastman employees around the world blend technical expertise and innovation to deliver practical solutions.   The company is committee to finding sustainable business opportunities with the diverse markets and geographies it serves.  A global company headquartered in Kingsport, Tennessee, USA, Eastman had 2010 sales of $5.8 billion.  For more information, visit www.eastman.com.  Eastman will supply resin to make the specialty plastics for the Replenish Reusable containers.   The Replenish Reusable containers are all plastic and use no metal, even in the spray nozzles.

SOURCE Replenish