In April of this year, Omnibus conducted a survey of 1,000 consumers here in the U.S. The survey was an effort to better understand how we think of glass relating to the safety and quality of our food and beverages. Recently on this blog, we’ve shared a lot about the health and environmental dangers of plastic. So when we ran across this terrific infographic summary of the Omnibus survey, well we just had to share.

Infographic Courtesy of OI

Here in Bluffton, we’re right on the May River and close to our Atlantic ocean shores. Most of us love the ocean and we collect souvenirs like seashells, driftwood, rocks, and other momentos. And still, there are individuals working to clean up the beaches by combing the beaches for trash – the human impact on our shores. On Twitter, we follow @beachcleanup and @floastsamdiaries – interesting people who are showing us in very creative ways what shows up on our shores. And then we found this artist who took a whole year’s worth of trash from the beach and turned it into art.

BottlesUp, Reusable Glass Water Bottles

BottlesUp will showcase its reusable glass water bottle to retailers and attendees of the 2011 Atlanta Gift & Home Furnishings Market Expo, July 15-19. Tapping into the eco-health and environmental concerns among consumers, the company will feature its glass  water bottles that blend the artistic beauty of glass with the environmental responsibility of pure, natural, recycled materials.

“The Atlanta [Gift & Home Furnishings] show allows us to share our story and our products with retailers looking for a product that blends art, function and environmental
responsibility,” said Laurel Herter, founder, BottlesUp.  “As retailers look to the gifting season ahead, our reusable glass water bottles resonate with people for different reasons. Some consumers recognize the purity of glass for their healthy lifestyle, some see the practical functionality of a reusable glass water bottle, and some appreciate a green product that delivers on the promise of environmental responsibility. Most everyone recognizes the art and beauty of glass.”

With nearly half a million attendees, the upcoming Atlanta show is noted as one of the  world’s largest expos for wholesales gift and home furnishing companies. BottlesUp will focus on reaching retailers and attendees seeking innovative new products for now and for the gifting season ahead.  The company’s sturdy 22-ounce glass water bottle is designed by an acclaimed glass artist and is 100% sourced in North America. Each individual bottle is created from a minimum of 75% recycled glass using ancient techniques in a modern glass-making facility in Mexico. The bottles are enhanced by colorful food-grade silicone caps and grippers made in Maine. BottlesUp’s bottles are free of known toxins including Bisphenol-A (BPA), phthalates, Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), and polycarbonates that research has shown can compromise human health. There is zero plastic in the product or
packaging.

In Atlanta, BottlesUp will be located at the show in Building 3, Floor 2, Booth 1800 with their partner Inno-Labs.

Will we see you in Atlanta? Let us know!

Sometimes the only way we get to the truth, the way we get behind the marketing, ad campaigns and propaganda is through truth-tellers. We share with you some of the best reasons to evolve beyond plastic – your health, the environment, cost savings and more. But sometimes the visual story tells us more and moves us to more urgent action. The documentary Trapped is one of those visual stories sharing the truth of your plastic bottled water. Not only are plastic bottles leaching chemicals, clogging our landfills, floating in our oceans, but the about40% of bottled water is nothing more than tap water. That’s right, the same stuff that comes out of your faucet.  So check out the trailer, then check out the film and tell us what you think.

There are so many organizations helping to raise the awareness of the damage done by plastics to our health and our environment. Our friends at the Surfrider Foundation, have a great Rise Against Plastics campaign, asking folks to pledge an effort to end their use of single-use plastics.  What we had to share though, was this creative and compelling video that, in a very simple way, shows the damage to marine life of plastics in our oceans.

What other great projects have you heard about?