Ozarka Brand Natural Spring Water Funds Keep Texas Beautiful Initiative to Help Improve Recycling in Three Coastal Communities in Texas

HOUSTON, Nov. 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Ozarka® Brand 100% Natural Spring Water is collaborating with Keep Texas Beautiful to launch a new recycling initiative in Texas: the Coastal Communities Recycling Project (CCRP).  This project will focus on three cities for its official launch: Bay City, Texas City, and Palacios.  CCRP aims to increase the number of plastic bottles recycled, decrease contamination and inspire communities to recycle more by showing the potential of fully circular bottles—those that are collected, recycled, and turned into new bottles.

"Keep Texas Recycling, a program of Keep Texas Beautiful, will be leading this new initiative," said Suzanne Kho, Executive Director, Keep Texas Beautiful.  "We are so thankful for Ozarka's support as we move forward with these exciting – and hopefully transformative – recycling education and outreach projects on the Texas Gulf Coast."

Ozarka, and parent company Nestlé Waters North America (NWNA), have been at the forefront of recycling and packaging innovation for nearly two decades.  NWNA has recently increased the number of domestic brands in their portfolio using recycled plastic (rPET)  from three to six, including Ozarka.

Ozarka is purchasing recycled plastic from CarbonLITE Recycling, which has a facility located in Dallas, Texas.  Ozarka is now using recycled plastic across its still water portfolio, with 100% recycled bottles available in the 20-ounce, 700-mL, 1-liter, and 1.5 Liter sizes. In addition, Ozarka is including "How2Recycle" logos on bottles, so people know what to do with them when they're empty.

"Our goal is to help get all plastic bottles in Texas back into the recycling stream, and Ozarka is ready to give them a new life— by making them into 100% recycled plastic bottles," said Pia Baker, Group Manager, Sustainability, at Nestlé Waters North America.  "We are thrilled to work with KTB and support rural recycling centers in their efforts to collect more bottles, reduce plastic going to landfill, and inspire their residents with the power of the circular economy."

"We're excited that this project will create awareness around Palacios' recycling program and specifically help us capture more plastic bottles for recycling, instead of them ending up as litter or in the trash," said David Kocurek, City Manager for the City of Palacios.

Through education and awareness campaigns and with the support of various vendors, Keep Texas Recycling will work with the coastal communities to reduce contamination and increase plastic bottle recycling. One of the project's ultimate goals will be to provide a template or case study for other rural communities to follow to increase PET quality and volume into the recycling stream. The CCRP plans to spend the rest of this year working on education and outreach materials, goals, and launch efforts for the beginning of 2021.  

"Keep Texas Beautiful and our three participating communities are passionate about furthering recycling in the state of Texas," said Rachel Hering, Director of Keep Texas Recycling/Keep Texas Beautiful. "Rural and underserved areas are often overlooked as true success stories. Large metropolitan communities have access to enhanced budgets and staff, infrastructure and equipment, and, most importantly, market availability. These factors can often overshadow what is happening in smaller communities. We look forward to learning more from this project and are grateful for Ozarka's support and for the commitment of these communities to ensure a sustainable future."

About Keep Texas Beautiful 
Keep Texas Beautiful (KTB) is a non-profit organization dedicated to making Texas the best place to live, work, and play by deploying resources for community improvement projects, clean-ups, and youth engagement efforts across the state. Through our Keep Texas Recycling program, we provide assistance and education to support recycling in rural and underserved communities.

Everything we do is focused on mobilizing volunteers to take action by providing them with tools, resources, and training. Our fieldwork includes research on best practices for litter reduction along with the development of community programs to prevent the flow of litter to the Gulf.

Founded in 1967, Keep Texas Beautiful's work is driven by its network of nearly 300 affiliate member communities, volunteers, and supporters that reach 17 million Texans annually. For more information and to find your closest affiliate, visit www.ktb.org. Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.

About Ozarka® Brand 100% Natural Texas Spring Water
Established in 1905, Ozarka® Brand 100% Natural Spring Water has been serving the great state of Texas for more than 100 years. The water is sourced carefully from three Texas Springs which is why it gives Texans the refreshing taste that makes them feel right at home! To learn more, visit: https://www.ozarkawater.com/ 

SOURCE Nestlé Waters North America

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