The Story of Two Honest TEA Bottles · Transportation ¥Trip 1: Chino, CA bottle manufacturer to Watsonville, CA Honest TEA Bottling ¥Trip 2: Watsonville, CA to Stanford University

The Story of Two Honest TEA

Bottles

Glass vs. Plastic

Options Glass and Plastic

Manufacturing: Energy and

Materials

• PLASTIC (per 30 gram bottle data)

– 112grams CO2

– 194grams raw material*

• GLASS (per 280 gram bottle)

– 200grams CO2

– 851grams raw material*

*Abiotic Material (minerals and fossil fuel)

Transportation Assumptions

• Truck Efficiency: 6.1 mpg (2.6 km/L)

• Max Haul Load: 45 klbs (20,400 kg)

• Bottles Originate in Chino, CA (Ball

Botteling factory) - 151 miles (252 km)

• Honest TEA Bottling Plant in Watsonville,

CA – 100 miles (167 km)

Transportation

• Trip 1: Chino, CA bottle manufacturer toWatsonville, CA Honest TEA Bottling

• Trip 2: Watsonville, CA to Stanford University

• PLASTIC– 5g CO2 per bottle

• GLASS– 11g CO2 per bottle

Use

• Plastic bottles were introduced to increasedistribution in specific areas where glassisn’t welcome.

• Otherwise, customer use looks identical.

End of Life and Toxicity

Recycling

• 40 % Recycling rate for PET and Glass bottles in CA.

• Recycling a Glass bottle saves 94g CO2

• 55g CO2 for a PET bottle.

Toxicity

• The PET outgases if thrown away, glass does not.

• But, glass produces more toxic air pollution because itrequires more energy. Difficult to compare.

VERDICT

• Glass uses >4X material vs. PET

• Glass produces 2X net CO2 (173 g

CO2/bottle vs. 95 g CO2/bottle)

• Comparative toxicity is difficult to compare

• Recycling rates are ~same

• PLASTIC Drink Bottle is “Better”

Storyboard: Consumer Options

• Throw away bottle

• Recycle bottle

• Buy Fewer Drinks

• Rethink process altogether?

Reduce• Thinner-Wall bottles - non pressure vessel

(easy to do)

• Larger bottles (ignores single-servingneed)

• Partner with other bottling companies tooptimize distribution

• Site bottling plant closer to bottle supplierand retail centers (for future as companygrows)

Rethink• Water cooler-type tea dispenser to

allow customer to fill own reusablebottle, and…

• Encourage reuse/recycle rate byoffering discounts– Increase brand loyalty among

environmentally conscious (?)

• Milk Bottle Delivery/Reuse model withdistribution truck.

• Create on-site cleaning machine fortypical bottle, for on-site refill.

Links and Resources

• See Word document: “PET Drink Bottle

Manufacturing.doc”