S2C Global Systems, Inc. announced the preparation of two units for immediate installation in Montreal, Quebec. This announcement comes on the heels of the Nov. 23, 2005 Montreal Gazette article "Plastic Water Bottles Clog The Environment" and is consistent with the company's short-term plans. The Gazette article addresses the trend by Quebec and Ontario bottlers of 5-gal/18-liter bottled water of switching to non-reusable, 15-liter bottles. With an estimated 400 million bottles sold in North America last year, a switch to the non-reusable format could overwhelm existing recycling programs and ultimately cost more than the packaged water. This trend comes as a result of increasing distribution costs primarily related to fuel and plastic costs. The Aquaduct system reduces reported distribution costs by as much as 75% and potentially extends the use of the reusable 5-gal bottles as much as 30%.
"The Aquaduct system puts the profit back into the distribution of 5-gal bottled water," said S2C's CEO Rod Bartlett. "It's the ultimate green machine in terms of both money and reducing burdens on the environment. S2C makes it easy for consumers to return their bottles, reduces the distance traveled, trips and idling times of delivery trucks. The Aquaduct can handle a smaller one-way bottle; however the one-ways cost $0.75 per use while the re-usable bottle can be under $0.10."