“We know drinking water is an important part of maintaining healthy bodies, and constantly buying cases of bottled water can get expensive for families. Plus, our environment certainly doesn’t benefit from having disposable water bottles sitting in landfills,” says Michelle Weir, Brand Manager for Filtrete Products at 3M Canada. “The new Filtrete Water Station is a really great solution for those looking to eliminate bottled water waste and soaring costs, while still maintaining the convenience of bottled water.”

Fill:

• The Water Station helps reduce sediments, chlorine and odor while improving the overall taste and clarity of tap water. 
• The Filtrete fast-flow filtration technology filters water in just seconds, much faster than traditional filtering pitchers.
• Fill one, two, three, or all four bottles at a time. Avoid spills with the Water Station’s valves, which prevent leaks if all four bottles aren’t in place.

Go:

• The Water Station includes four reusable grab-and-go bottles that are BPA-free, dishwasher safe, and feature a leak-proof cap which hold 500 ml of water.
• Additional bottles can be purchased separately.

Reduce and Reuse:

• Choosing a reusable bottle eliminates the cost and waste of disposable water bottles.
• Filters last up to 100 gallons, or for about three months.
• The built-in Filter Change Indicator takes the guesswork out of changing the filter since it lets you know when it’s time for a replacement.
• The filter housing is recyclable #2 plastic, just like a typical milk jug.

In addition to the Water Station, the line of Filtrete Water Filtration Products includes the fast-filtering Water Pitcher for home fridges, as well as filtration systems for under the sink. The Filtrete Water Pitcher also features fast-flow filtration technology that filters water in seconds.

The Filtrete Water Station is now available at Loblaws, RONA, Staples, London Drugs, Staples and Overwaitea for about $49.99. Additional water bottles are available for $19.99 for a two pack. The Filtrete Water Pitcher is also available for $39.99 and replacements filters sell for $14.99. For more information, visit www.Filtrete.ca/Water.

“3M’s graphics will create a dramatic visual impact at the 2010 Winter Games, and our post-Games initiative with Mannington, a leading flooring manufacturer, will help limit our environmental impact after the Games end,” said Richard Chartrand, vice-president, display and graphics business, 3M Canada. “3M considers this recycling program a significant step in the right direction for creating a positive environmental shift in the graphics industry.”

Recycling the colourful, sticky and irregularly shaped graphic material presented challenges.  Through its extensive network of manufacturers and recyclers, the Canadian Plastics Industry Association introduced 3M Canada to Mannington. Leveraging its experience in repurposing various building materials into hard surface flooring, Mannington developed the first known way of recycling post-use adhesive-backed graphic materials.  

“One of the simplest ways to conserve resources is to reuse what you can. Many other materials have found second lives as flooring products through Mannington’s unique process and we’re thrilled they can accommodate the graphics produced by 3M Canada," said Chartrand. “This arrangement was not only a great way to support the environmental efforts of 3M Canada in its role as the Official Supplier of Large Format Graphics to the 2010 Winter Games; it also made very good business sense.”

When the graphics, essentially large stickers, are removed from VANOC vehicles and key Vancouver 2010 venues such as the Richmond Olympic Oval and the Pacific Coliseum, they will be consolidated and then shipped to Mannington’s manufacturing facility. Since the graphic materials share chemistry with raw materials used in the manufacturing process, the materials will become a key ingredient in a mixture used to make high recycled content flooring.