Partnering with Water, Inc., Body Glove Intl./USA (www.bodyglove.waterinc.com) has launched what it describes as the world's first environmentally friendly home water-filtration system. The Body Glove system incorporates a filter design that integrates multi-stage filtration with micro-filter technology. By combining four filtering processes with a patented 0.2-micron pharmaceutical-grade membrane, this unique process dramatically reduces pressure drops and increases flow rates through the unit.

And, the good news is that the Body Glove technology has been built into a recyclable filter housing.

The Body Glove water-filters systems have been developed with the environment in mind. Every Body Glove filter qualifies for the Water, Inc., filter recycling program. This unique program is the first of its kind and ensures that plastic filters are recycled responsibly. The Body Glove water-filtration systems feature innovative, environmental considerations including recyclable filter cartridges, eco-friendly plant-based labeling, and a micro-filter technology that reduces raw materials and resources needed to filter water. All of this translates into a green and responsible alternative to plastic water bottles that continue to overload landfills and oceans.

Plant-based label

To provide the most eye-catching shelf appeal for its filters, Body Glove selected spectacular shrink-sleeve labels from Seal-It, A Div. of Printpack, Inc. (www.printpack.com), and in keeping with Body Glove's “green” image, the labels are made from plant-based Ingeo™ brand EarthFirst® polylactic acid (PLA) resin from Plastic Suppliers, Inc., (www.plasticsuppliers.com.).



“Body Glove wanted a top-of-the line water filter that was environmentally sound and that actively reduced plastic bottles sent to landfills. One of their requirements was that the label be plant based and recyclable,” says Mark Howlett, brand manager, water products, at Water, Inc. (www.waterinc.com), which markets and distributes the filter for Body Glove. “We have 2,500 dealers throughout North America, and we've developed point-of-sale displays for them, so we both wanted the new filters to really stand out on the store shelf,” says Howlett. “The filter housing is tapered and paper or plastic adhesive labels would tend to wrinkle. Also, the filter housing is white and we wanted a label that would change the color of the filter housing. It was important for us to create a stunning and green-label design, so we decided that shrink-sleeve labels were our best choice.”

Four filter sizes

The new water filters are available in four sizes. BG-1000 is an entry-level filtration system with a 0.75 gal/min flow rate and 1,000-gal capacity. It utilizes tri-stage filtration in which water is treated by a copper-and-zinc alloy media for bacteriostatic and scale control in stage one, followed by a micro-filter-wrap that evenly traps sediment particles in stage two and a high-efficiency carbon-block filter in stage three.

BG-3000 is a mid-level filtration system with a 0.75 gal/min flow rate and a 450-gal capacity. This uses a higher level of tri-stage filtration than the BG-1000. BG-3000R is a replacement filter to Water, Inc.'s previous lines with 0.50 gal/min flow rate and a 350-gal capacity. It also uses a higher level of tri-stage filtration than the BG-1000.

BG-12000 is a premium filtration system with a 0.75 gal/min flow rate and a 1,000 gal capacity. It adds a fourth filtration stage consisting of a patented 0.2 micron pharmaceutical-grade membrane and provides the highest level of home-filter protection.

The 50-micron shrink film for the labels is made by Plastic Suppliers, Inc. (www.plasticsuppliers.com) and is shipped to Printpack, which prints and seams the labels. The monofilm labels are rotogravure reverse-printed in nine and 10 colors. Printpack is one of two domestic cobranding partners with Plastic Suppliers for EarthFirst PLA shrink film.

“This was a challenging project because of the amount of information we had to print on the label, the high level of shrink for the label to go over the shoulders of the containers and the short turnaround time,” says Paul Pritchett, sales and marketing manager at Printpack. “Using PLA was an advantage in this application, because it has a higher shrink percentage than most other more traditional shrink films. It conformed very nicely to the shape and size of the container.”

The filters are manufactured by 3M (www.3m.com) and are shipped to Sensible Packaging Solutions (www.sensiblepack.com), who applies the shrink-sleeve labels. The tallest filter cartridge is nearly 15-in.-long, which is too big to run on Sensible Packaging's labeler, so workers apply the labels manually. The cartridge is also too big to pass through the steam shrink tunnel standing up, so Sensible Packaging designed a sled fixture to hold the filters in a horizontal position as they pass through the tunnel. This simplifies handling the cartridge. The sled fixture is designed with quick change parts to accommodate the four different filter sizes.

“This has been a demanding project for everyone involved, but it has turned out extremely well,” says Howlett. “The labels look great, and our dealers and customers are very excited about the redesigned water-filter line.”