Eco Friendly Hydration Solutions: A Canyonlands Case Study
The Client
Canyonlands Natural History Association
Canyonlands Natural History Association (CNHA) is a Utah-based 501(c)(3) non-profit focused on supporting the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management in southeastern Utah. Since 1967, the organization has used funds raised via memberships, private donations, and retail sales to help facilitate educational, interpretive, and scientific programs in the region.
CNHA operates retail stores at many of the state’s most popular tourist locations, including Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, and the Bears Ears National Monument. CNHA also staffs multiple visitor information centers. To date, CNHA has raised over $20 million for its public land partners via the sale of area books, guides, maps, and gift items. In addition, CNHA promotes sustainable hydration by encouraging the use of reusable water bottles and providing access to clean drinking water at their facilities.
The impact of single-use plastics on human health is significant, as microplastics can transfer through seafood consumption or leach into groundwater, emphasizing the importance of choosing environmentally friendly water sources like tap water.
The Challenge of Plastic Pollution
Encouraging Adequate Hydration; Discouraging Plastic Waste
Most people recognize the importance of staying hydrated when exploring outside, particularly in the dry summer heat. Unfortunately, the first option for many is the quick and convenient purchase of a single-use plastic water bottle. Putting aside the environmental concerns, plastic water bottles often fall short when it comes to the park service’s “stay hydrated” message—they just don’t hold enough water for long hikes. Tap water, on the other hand, is a more sustainable and affordable option that can be easily accessed and filtered for better taste.
Reducing energy consumption is also crucial, as it contributes to environmental efficiency and sustainability.
“CNHA operations are centered in the dry climate of Southeastern Utah, making proper hydration very important to the health and enjoyment of all park guests. Unfortunately, people often bring 16 oz. plastic water bottles on their hike when they needed at least 32 oz. of water and most times much more to stay properly hydrated.”
Sam Wainer -CNHA Operations Manager
CNHA needed a solution that encouraged visitors to skip the small single-use bottles and bring larger, reusable bottles to carry enough water for their hikes. Visitors needed a way to carry enough water for their hikes but stay hands-free while hiking through the beautiful parks.
Another major challenge? Much of Canyonlands Natural History Association’s business is conducted within National Park visitor centers. This means that every product sold must be approved by the National Park Service. As such, they prefer partnerships with vendors who are resourceful, responsive, flexible, and able to quickly understand the needs of the organization, the National Park Service, and all park guests.
Results
Increasing Hydration with Eye-Catching Art and Design Ingenuity
11,000 bottle slings sold (and counting)
Throughout this 10+ year collaboration, ChicoBag’s products have helped visitors switch from disposable plastics to reusable water containers within southeastern Utah’s national parks. CNHA has been able to bring its unique design vision to life and generate considerable attention for the parks they serve. “Each ChicoBag product is unique—there’s nothing in our stores like it. ChicoBag was able to do sub-dye on their bottle slings, and that was a game-changer for us. We took this amazing artwork and they were able to put it on their bottle slings for us. Things just exploded. Our sales went through the roof!”
8,718,225 single-use items kept out of the world’s landfills & oceans
These bottle slings, travel bags, and utensils have done more than just help Canyonlands visitors get outside and stay healthy on their hikes; they’ve also supported CHNA’s sustainability goals. To date, this amazing collaboration has kept approximately 8,718,225 single-use items, including single-use plastics like plastic bottles and disposable cups, out of the world’s landfills & oceans.
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