Smarter Single-use Options Do Exist

In the latest episode of our NothingWasted! Podcast, we chat with Jane Prior, chief marketing officer of All Market Inc. (AMI), who was recently named to Forbes “CMO Next” list. AMI is one of the largest privately owned beverage companies in the world with brands including Vita Coco and Runa. The company recently launched Ever & Ever, an aluminum-canned water alternative to plastic.

We spoke with her about the plastics challenge, trends in sustainable packaging, a brand’s social impact and more.

Waste360: Could you tell us more about the Ever & Ever launch and what was the catalyst in creating this?

Jane Prior: It’s been a roller coaster, but it actually started about 18 months ago when we went from a one-brand company—originally just Vita Coco—to a multi-brand company. And, as we looked at the evolution of our business, we realized we needed to take a harder look at sustainability. We’ve always had social impact programs, primarily focused on the farmers from which we source our coconuts, but we didn’t have a real environmental plan or focus. So, we teamed up with Lonely Whale, which advocates for ocean health. And, together, we really wanted to neutralize the impact of our packaging by creating an alternative to plastic water bottles for consumers who are on the go. As an entrepreneurial-minded company, we were able to get this on shelves within four months.

Waste360: What kind of feedback are you getting from customers and stakeholders?

Jane Prior: The feedback has been amazing. That said, there’s still quite a lot of education required. What’s really special about aluminum is that it’s infinitely recyclable. So, as long as a consumer uses and disposes of it correctly, it can essentially live forever—75 percent of all the aluminum ever made is still in circulation today, since 1888. That’s a pretty amazing thing. And a new can is able to be back on the shelf in 60 days. This is very much the inspiration for the brand, and this education piece is very important.

Waste360: Could you tell us about the Vita Coco Project?

Jane Prior: We started this 16 years ago. Our coconuts are sourced from all over the world—from Brazil to the Philippines—and we really rely on all of these communities. We’ve always felt a responsibility to invest in these communities and families from whom we get our coconut water. The Vita Coco Project is a combination of programs that includes an array of educational opportunities for both farmers and their families and access to tools such as intercropping. 

Listen to the full interview with Prior below and more episodes here. Read transcript here.