GABRIELLE UNION

See details below for JUST’s positive approach with water from the mountains; plant-based water packaging and avoiding microplastics.

Two mountain sources. Both sustainable and pristine.

When we set out to make JUST Bubbles, we knew that we were going to find another source of spring water that matched not only the delicious, pure quality of our Adirondack Mountain spring, but its sustainability as well.

As you know, when we founded JUST in Glens Falls, NY, it was because the spring water there is enormously and consistently plentiful. The watershed contains over three billion gallons, and the community only uses about half of that amount. So, we knew we’d only be bottling a portion of the excess, and by doing so supporting the region with a new, local business.

We had to seek out another source for Bubbles because our factory in New York isn’t able to bottle sparkling water. So again, we went looking for the best possible option: mountain-sourced water and a lot of it, so we could be sure we weren’t impacting the surrounding community’s supply.

We found it in Montana.

The water we use for Bubbles comes from a spring deep beneath Montana’s Big Snowy Mountains. The spring is 1200 feet below the surface and produces 90 million gallons of water each day. The natural limestone geography of the mountain range infuses the spring water with its unique mineral content—the source of its crisp, delicious, pristine taste.

Only the best. Only JUST.

Plastic is kind of the reason we created JUST — we were disappointed in a marketplace dominated by unsustainable bottled water in plastic packaging that, more often than not, isn’t recycled properly.  But it turns out that it’s incredibly difficult to get away from plastic altogether at any type of scale. We’re just not willing to accept that plastic can’t be done a different way, so instead of making the small plastic components of our cartons (like the cap) from petroleum-based plastic, we shifted to plastic made from PLANTS.

Wait. Plastic Can Be Plant-Based?

Yes, you read that right. Sugarcane, corn, soy, and switchgrass are all plants that can be converted into plastic with the same functionality, but with a much lower carbon footprint, because the plants can grow back and the plastic can be recyclable. In order to further reduce the level of greenhouse gas emissions throughout our production, we converted the plastic in the JUST water bottle to plastic derived from plants. The JUST water bottle is now made from 88% renewable resources, which means that the sources of the materials can grow back.

How is Plastic Usually Made?

Bad news: plastic is generally made from petroleum (oil). Yes, the same stuff we put in our cars. Petroleum is a fossil fuel that has quite a few drawbacks (you’ve probably heard of global warming). Using fossil fuels for energy or plastic releases carbon dioxide (CO2) into the air. This CO2 contributes to the greenhouse effect, which increases global warming — not to mention the lack of biodegradability in plastic, and the fact that most can’t or don’t recycle it properly.

Finding the Most Responsible Plant

Before we set out to swap out petroleum for plants, we wanted to find the right plant for the job. We looked for the most responsible source: one that wasn’t upsetting food supplies, using chemical fertilizers, or unfair labor practices, and treated the surrounding habitat responsibly. After a long time researching, we landed on a pretty sweet one: sugarcane. We knew we could make our plastic from other plants like corn or soy, but we chose sugarcane because it grows very densely. Its area is small compared to the others, requiring less energy and other resources to farm. Sugarcane is also a very water-efficient plant, receiving practically all the water it needs from natural rainfall. This is great because it isn’t artificially diverting clean water from another use, and it requires less energy! And like all plants, sugarcane absorbs CO2 from the air as it grows — nature’s way to fight against greenhouse effect. It’s harvested and regrows, fully, every year, capturing more CO2 from the atmosphere. P.S.: Because it regenerates, it’s a renewable material that will never run out.

Responsible Land Use in Brazil

We wanted to make sure that our sugarcane production wasn’t doing any harm to important biomes by stripping or replacing native vegetation. Also ensuring that appropriate governing bodies were overseeing the policies that are in place. To that end, Brazil was the clear winner when we looked for the best place to harvest our sugarcane. Brazil’s sugarcane cultivation is concentrated in the center-south region, over 1200km away from the Amazon Rainforest. The expansion of the sugarcane area is regulated by the Sugarcane Agroecological Zoning Policy, which prohibits expansion into high-biodiversity areas, such as the Amazon Rainforest and the Pantanal Wetlands. 

From Field to Mill 

Our sugarcane mills operate with a great degree of intention. The sugar mills are at the same location as the fields, requiring little in the way of a transportation footprint. Special care is taken to leave excess thatch on the harvested crop lands to act as a natural germinator for next year’s harvest, and all our sugarcane is GMO-free. Plus, at the end of the milling process, the mills collect a nutrient-rich liquid and use it as a natural fertilizer for next season’s crops. That means virtually no chemical fertilizer is used on Brazilian sugarcane. 

As the sugarcane is milled, it’s separated into two useful products: edible sugar and a chemical called ethanol, which we make our plastic from. What’s great about this process is we are left with something very cool: a useful pulp, which, in Brazil they call “Bagasse.” Bagasse is so special  is because it’s a biofuel: a clean and renewable energy source used to power the entire sugar production process, reducing the need for fossil fuels. It produces enough energy to actually meet the energy needs of the surrounding cities. Almost 130 energy plants sell surplus electricity. Nationally, it’s the third largest energy source. Think about how big Brazil is. That’s pretty major.

Get That Co2!

When we’re processing our sugarcane, the ethanol we gather and use to make our plastic helps naturally capture and sequester CO2 from the atmosphere. How much carbon are we talking about? We’ll break it down for you: 

The production of 200,000 tons of sugar for plastic represents an annual reduction of 800,000 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere.

That’s the equivalent of the annual CO2 emissions of 800,000 cars or 200,000 average families.

This information is based on the CO2 emissions of a car powered by a 1.0 liter gasoline engine driven 15km per day per year. Source: 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Emissions. Source: Brazilian Governmental Ministry of Science and Technology – Nations Climate Change ProjectDescription text goes here

By now, we've all heard the mumblings about microplastics in bottled water, but a new study just released has turned those mumblings into a message far more glaring. If avoiding plastic packaged water was once somewhat of an afterthought, it now will likely have a significant influence on what we choose to purchase and consume. Researchers have discovered that bottled water harbors hundreds of thousands more tiny plastic bits than previously estimated – some so small they can invade your body's cells.

That's right, the very water you’ve probably guzzled for years, perhaps with health and hydration in mind, could be brimming with nanoplastics, which could pose a significant danger to our physical well-being. These invisible threats are no more than a thousandth the width of a human hair, allowing them to permeate  tissue, including our digestive organs, lungs, heart, and even our brain. As these micro assailants saturate our most crucial physiological structures, including the placenta and the cells of unborn babies, they transport harmful chemicals that can ultimately disrupt vital cellular processes.

The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, paints a sobering picture. Researchers found an average of 240,000 plastic particles per liter of bottled water, with a shocking 90% stemming from these nanoplastics. This is 10 to 100 times higher than previous estimates, raising serious concerns about the potential health risks.

So, what can you do? Ditch the plastic bottle habit in favor of safer (and more sustainable) options. 

Prior to these findings, JUST championed the mission to reduce the use and consumption of single use plastic, offering plant-based cartons and infinitely recyclable aluminum bottled water as a better alternative to plastic packaged water, which have previously dominated the market.  Beyond our packaging, our goal has always been to be more than just a water company, but also an impetus for change. Offering pure, consciously sourced spring water in environmentally friendly packaging is the route we’ve chosen to do better, with the hopes to inspire others to do the same. Here's some additional info for you to chew (or in our case, sip) on regarding our products:

• Plastic-free packaging: Our water comes in innovative paper boxes made from 100% recycled materials or infinitely recyclable aluminum bottles.This means no more plastic leaching into your water or polluting our planet.

• Sustainable sourcing: We source our spring water from protected watersheds, ensuring the highest quality and environmental responsibility.

• Carbon neutral: We offset our carbon footprint through renewable energy and reforestation projects, minimizing its impact on the planet.

Here's the bottom line:

Bottled water's nanoplastic problem is real and potentially dangerous. It’s time to shift the paradigm around the accessibility of plastic bottled water and champion for safer, nontoxic options, for the sake of our health and planet.

Ready to ditch plastic and drink smarter? Check out these additional resources to learn more & hydrate better.

Additional Resources:

• France 24 article: https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20240108-bottled-water-contains-hundreds-of-thousands-of-plastic-bits-study

• CNN article: https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/08/health/bottled-water-nanoplastics-study-wellness/index.html

• JUST Water website: https://justwater.com/pages/impact

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