Nestle(R) Pure Life(R) Bottled Water Partners With Keep America Beautiful(R)

GREENWICH, Conn., March 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Nestle® Pure Life®, the nation's leading bottled water brand, today announced its new four-year partnership with Keep America Beautiful® (KAB) and national sponsorship of the 2010 Great American Cleanup^™. The Great American Cleanup, Keep America Beautiful's signature cause marketing event, is the nation's largest community improvement and beautification program.  The Nestle Pure Life partnership with KAB will run through 2013.

"Nestle Pure Life bottled water has a long tradition of striving to keep families and their communities healthy," said Rick Tanner, vice president, marketing, Nestle Waters North America.  "Not only is water one of the healthiest beverage choices, but every Nestle Pure Life bottle is recyclable, and we continue to innovate and reduce the amount of plastic in our bottles," he added.  "We are proud to support Keep America Beautiful as part of our shared mission in creating healthier communities."

The Nestle Pure Life partnership with the Great American Cleanup will focus on increasing recycling rates nationwide through a new recycling awards program.  Nestle Pure Life will award a total of $25,000 to KAB for distribution to the top 25 KAB affiliates collecting the most PET bottles per capita during the 2010 cleanup events.  

From March through May, roughly 1,200 KAB affiliates and Great American Cleanup participating organizations nationwide will rally an estimated 3 million volunteers to hold community improvement events -- ranging from hosting recycling drives and removing graffiti to planting trees and community gardens to cleanups on public lands and waterways -- designed to create cleaner, healthier communities.  Nestle Pure Life will also be providing bottled water to volunteers.

"Keep America Beautiful is thrilled to partner with Nestle Pure Life bottled water," said Matthew McKenna, president and CEO of Keep America Beautiful.  "Together, we can engage individuals nationwide to take greater responsibility for improving their community's environment."

In 2009, volunteers in 32,000 communities took part in Great American Cleanup events, collecting the following:

• 64 million pounds of litter and debris, much of which was recycled;
• More than 243 million plastic (PET) bottles and 6.9 million pounds of electronics;
• 14.5 million pounds of aluminum and steel; and
• 36 million pounds of newspaper .

A full list of results can be found online at kab.org/GAC_2009Results.

The two upcoming national kickoff events slated for 2010 include:

• Pass Christian, Miss.: Saturday, March 27, 2010
• New York, N.Y.: Thursday, April 22, 2010

Nestle Waters North America is committed to increasing recycling rates throughout the United States.  In fact, the company's Next-Generation Eco-Shape® bottle is among the lightest half-liter bottles available across the entire packaged beverage industry.  In addition to reducing packaging materials, Nestle Waters is also committed to helping increase the U.S. recycling rate of plastic beverage bottles from 25 percent to 60 percent by 2018.  

For more information on upcoming Great American Cleanup events, visit kab.org.  For more information on Nestle® Pure Life® bottled water, please visit www.nestle-purelife.us.

About Nestle® Pure Life®:

Nestle® Pure Life® Purified Water is a brand of the leading bottled water manufacturer, Nestle Waters North America, based in Greenwich, Connecticut.  Nestle® Pure Life® goes through a multi-step filtration process and is enhanced with a unique blend of minerals, offering a pleasant, refreshing taste suitable for the whole family.  Nestle® Pure Life® bottled water offers a number of healthy hydration options and is committed to helping families live healthy, active lifestyles.

About Nestle Waters North America:

Central to the leadership of Nestle Waters North America Inc. is its 34-year history and single-focus on producing bottled water products. The company's dedication to product quality, manufacturing expertise, efficient production, employee development and environmental stewardship, especially in the areas of water use, energy and packaging, has helped Nestle Waters become the number one bottled water company in the U.S. To reach success, the company follows its credo: Respect for each other, respect for the environment, and respect for the community. To learn more, visit www.nestlewatersnorthamerica.com.

About Keep America Beautiful, Inc.

Keep America Beautiful, Inc., established in 1953, is the nation's largest volunteer-based community action and education organization. This national nonprofit forms public-private partnerships and programs that engage individuals to take greater responsibility for improving their community environments. Its signature program, the Great American Cleanup is one of many initiatives that encourage people to care for communities through volunteer participation.  To join the Great American Cleanup and let green start with you, visit www.kab.org

SOURCE Nestle Waters North America