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**Cool Change Natural Spring Water from Australia is a newly launched spring water launched in PLA (polymer of lactic acid).
**The small, family run business based in Victoria’s Yarra Valley producing Cool Change aims to tap into consumers' concern over the level of PET bottles disposed at landfill sites rather than being recycled.
Currently available in 50cl formats, Cool Change is being sold in cafés, eateries, health, organic and independent food stores across Australia. The company has plans to develop 35cl, 60cl and 1.5 litre formats.
The business sources the biodegradable Ingeo PLA bottles from US-based NatureWorks, a company that claims the material requires less energy for production (67% less fossil fuels) and has the flow on effect of producing 90% less carbon emissions in producing the resin required for the bottle.
Cool Change Natural Spring Water MD and Owner Richard Paterson said: "Consumers will not stop buying bottled beverages, so we’ve put our efforts in providing more sustainable packaging choices."
In addition to the packaging, Cool Change has minimised its carbon footprint by reducing energy use, and offsets greenhouse emissions that have been created. The company has a carbon neutral production process certified by the Carbon Reduction Institute.
Cool Change PLA bottles need to be industrially composted to deliver the maximum environmental benefit of the packaging, but Mr Paterson acknowledges that most waste bottles in Australia will currently either be composted or end up in landfill. He is a strong advocate for improved commercial composting infrastructure in the country.