LOS ANGELES, CA, April 15, 2010 -Echo Beverages announced that Whole Foods Market, the leading natural and organic grocery store chain, will begin carrying Echo Water throughout the Los Angeles area beginning the second half of April.
“Echo Water is a new product and having a partner such as Whole Foods Market, whose values are closely aligned to ours, is very exciting” says Michael Balyasny, co-founder and CEO of Echo Beverages, “Echo is made locally, sold locally and packaged in a responsible way. Our goal is to provide the convenience of bottled water with minimal environmental impact. I think Whole Foods Market’s customers will respond to our message.”
Whole Foods Market will begin carrying Echo’s 1 Liter (33.8oz) 100% post-consumer recycled bottles in all 27 of its Los Angeles area stores, maintaining local distribution so that Echo bottles are never shipped far away. “Local is a key principle for both Echo and Whole Foods Market,” says Balyasny, “We decided very early on that we would keep production and distribution local; shipping water from far away never made sense to us. If we grow beyond Southern California, we’ll do so with local production facilities in other regions.”
Building on its foundation of local focus and 100% post-consumer recycled bottles, Echo has added other features to further minimize environmental impact and encourage people to get involved in the recycling process. One such feature is Echo’s removable label which the company urges its customers to peel off before recycling; doing so separates different types of plastic and helps recycling centers process bottles more efficiently. “We’re always looking for new ways further reduce our impact and get people involved,” says Balyasny, “Improving how we make the product is just one part of the equation, ultimately it’s up to our customers to close the loop and recycle the bottle. We want to make that process more fun and engaging.”
Echo’s demo teams will be in Whole Foods Market’s Los Angeles area stores supporting the product’s introduction with sampling events. Demo dates and locations will be announced on the Echo’s Twitter page: www.twitter.com/joinecho.
About Echo Beverages:
Echo Beverages is a Los Angeles based startup founded by two friends, Michael Balyasny and Isaac Traynis, in 2009. Echo’s mission is to make simple, locally sourced and responsibly packaged beverages. The company’s first product, Echo Water, aims to change the way bottled water is made, sold and used in order to reduce environmental impact. To learn more about Echo visit: http://www.joinecho.com or call 866-848-3246.