Jun 27 2008
With consumers increasingly looking to live more active lifestyles, there has been a greater move toward the use of reusable water bottles. These convenient products are an easy way to bring along a beverage, whether bike riding or taking a morning walk. As the popularity of the portable beverage container grows, however, consumer demands are beginning to drive the industry to incorporate certain necessary attributes, including clarity, dishwasher durability and resistance to everyday use.
One of the innovators uniquely positioned to meet these consumer demands is Cool Gear International, Inc. (Plymouth, MA), a leading provider of patented, freezable sport and water bottles and food storage containers. Cool Gear recently partnered with Eastman Chemical Company (Kingsport, Tenn.) to introduce the EZ FREEZE FREE™ premium product line of beverage bottles manufactured using Eastman Tritan™ copolyester. The new-generation material is ideal for food and beverage containers because of its improved dishwasher durability and design flexibility. The new EZ FREEZE FREE products are currently available in retailers throughout the United States.
Keeping it ‘Cool’
Cool Gear has been a leader in the portable, reusable food and beverage container industry for nearly 23 years. Combining unique shapes, colors and designs, Cool Gear products aim to provide freshness and convenience for consumers on the go. Cool Gear has one of the largest sports bottle lines in the marketplace and can be found in most major retailers throughout the world.
Differentiating Cool Gear’s bottles from everyday sports and water bottles is a unique freezable gel stick technology found in many of their products. The gel stick, which is attached to the cap of the bottles, can be frozen prior to use. Once the cap is placed into the bottle, the frozen stick acts as a makeshift ice cube, keeping beverages cooler longer. The proprietary gel products are patented in the USA, as well as foreign countries.
The EZ Freeze® bottles and storage containers are one of the Cool Gear products offering this distinct re-freezable technology. EZ Freeze bottles are ideal for use in outdoor activities as well as everyday indoor use.
Big Move for a Big Market
Having manufactured EZ Freeze products from polycarbonate, growing consumer interest in a clear, durable material that was BPA-free created the opportunity for Cool Gear to search out a material alternative. Cool Gear also required a material that was durable and capable of being molded into various shapes and sizes.
The search led them to Eastman Chemical Company and a new material – Eastman Tritan™ copolyester. The result was a new line of EZ Freeze products suitably named EZ FREEZE FREE™.
In addition to the chemical resistance and low residual stress associated with traditional copolyesters, Tritan™ offers higher heat resistance, in turn providing enhanced dishwasher durability. "Our intent was to utilize a material that would allow us to offer the same attributes of clarity and toughness with added benefits," says Hank Roth, Principal, Cool Gear. "The combination of properties offered by Tritan™ would not only help satisfy customer needs but also allow us to continually provide a quality product."
The unique balance of properties offered by Tritan™ provides for enhanced dishwasher durability. With consumers constantly on the go, the dishwasher is an integral part of the modern home, and dishwasher durability is an important differentiator for plastic products. Products molded with Tritan™ can be consistently washed without the fear of crazing, cracking or hazing from continual exposure to high heat and aggressive cleaning detergents.
As an added advantage, Tritan™ provides the ability to be manufactured in molds designed for polycarbonate. With the EZ FREEZE FREE product line having been produced with polycarbonate in the past, the transition to create the product from Tritan™ with the same molds made the process seamless.
"Cool Gear is committed to innovation," says Roth, "and our partnership with Eastman is a testament to this."
There are current plans to introduce additional products made from Tritan™. "With its optimal combination of durability, clarity and BPA-free construction, Tritan™ will enable us to speed the growth of our EZ FREEZE FREE bottles while meeting the needs of today’s consumer."