After years of product development, Product Architects, the company behind the Polar Bottle insulated water bottles, has expanded into the hydration pack market with the launch of The Cenote Hydration System — featuring a recyclable hydration bladder. The idea for Cenote, named after a natural water system formed by the collapse of limestone bedrock, came after Product Architects recognized a need for a high-quality, low cost alternative to the traditional hydration pack, says Judy Amabile, company president.
“Hydration packs are a great product but are also a big investment,” said Amabile, of traditional hydration systems, which can cost upwards of $50 for the reservoir and hosing alone. “We wanted to introduce something that was durable and well made but was also more accessible to the average consumer.”
Along with developing a more affordable product, Product Architects wanted to introduce a reservoir that could be washed and reused but was also recyclable and easy to replace.
“We kept hearing from customers that they were throwing away their non-recyclable reservoirs after only a few uses because they would get dirty and were hard to clean,” Amabile said. “It made sense that someone should introduce a more eco-friendly alternative that gave consumers the freedom to replace their bladder without feeling guilty about wasting money or hurting the environment.”
The Cenote reservoir, made of recyclable plastic number four and two, is simple to recycle at home. However, for customers who do not have a way to recycle at home or have a hard time finding a local recycling station, Product Architects Inc. has also set up a procedure to guarantee that every system is disposed of properly. The system’s original box, for example, folds into a returnable package that includes free shipping back to the Cenote office, where the company will recycle it.
The Cenote Hydration System is sold as an entire system that includes a two-liter or three-liter reservoir, hosing and a bite valve. Prices range from $13.99 for the two-liter system and $14.99 for a three-liter system. Three-pack systems, as well as replacement components, will be available soon on the Cenote Web site.
