Fwd: Water bottle initiative w/Cornell Dining

[Kathleen Alvey]

Hey guys!

Looks like the idea for reusable bottles with TBTT and Cornell Dining is moving along!  I'll respond to Colin ASAP, but if you guys could send me some feedback about some of his questions (including our logo, etc.), I'd really appreciate it.  Maybe all of us could meet with Colin and/or Therese next week?

Hope you are all having a great summer soon and hope to hear from you! =)
~K.C.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: C Colin Hollister <cchol...@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Jun 10, 2010 at 2:45 PM
Subject: Water bottle initiative w/Cornell Dining
To: kc...@cornell.edu, Therese A O'Connor <ta...@cornell.edu>


KC,
My name is Colin Hollister, I'm working with Cornell Dining this summer as the administrative assistant.  Therese told me about the water bottle initiative between Take Back The Tap and Cornell Dining.  I've looked into customizable stainless steel water bottles and found some good prices.  Ironically, I thought the 16oz bottle would be a good bet before I found out that you guys had already decided upon this.  My search across multiple websites yielded this:
http://www.promomanagers.com/The-Venture-Sports-Bottle.aspx
Its stainless steel, wide-mouth, short thread and I believe this is 16oz even though it doesn't list the volume.  These go for $3.15/bottle if we get 1500; $2.98/bottle if we get 3000.  There is no fee for putting on our logo and its free shipping.

Therese was talking about having water bottles ready for distribution when freshman arrive.  This means that we need to get moving on it now.  You mentioned a Take Back The Tap logo you guys were designing.  Is that logo ready?  Or should we come up with a special logo for incoming freshmen?  Are there any trademark issues with TBTT logos?

Also, if this is going to be effective, I think it is necessary to have an educational piece that goes along with the bottle giveaway--touting the water quality at Cornell; touching on sustainability; and info on how to keep the bottle clean (I read that a touch of baking soda can help remove spots on the inside).  This would be a great opportunity for Take Back The Tap to reach a large portion of the student body.  The simplest option might be to hand out a small piece of paper (4"x7") along with the bottle, that covers the main points of the water bottle initiative.

I think there is a lot of potential to raise awareness on campus about this issue.  I would like to hear some of your thoughts on this and I look forward to working with you in the future.

thanks

colin

[Kathleen Alvey]

Hey again guys!

Here's some follow-up with about the reusable bottles with Cornell Dining.  I'll double check with Colin, but it looks like they were planning to distribute the bottles for free to incoming freshmen.  Sweet! 

Let me know what you guys think about all of these ideas and if you'd be free to meet some time next week or the week after.  I heard back from Renee and she doesn't think that using our own logo with the name "Take Back the Tap" would be a problem, but she's double-checking with her supervisor. 

Any updates on our custom logo? 

I'd definitely like to help write and design the fact sheet with you guys, as well as update the web site ASAP. 
Please let me know what works for you guys!
Thanks!
K.C.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: C Colin Hollister <cchol...@gmail.com>

Date: Tue, Jun 15, 2010 at 10:39 AM
Subject: Re: Water bottle initiative w/Cornell Dining
To: Kathleen Alvey <kc...@cornell.edu>, Therese A O'Connor <ta...@cornell.edu>


K.C.,
I am also very excited about this initiative.  Therese O'Connor and Gail Finan here in Campus Life/Cornell Dining will be meeting this week to talk about the project.  I think the budget will be an important factor that will determine how this project develops.  I'm sure they would like to meet with you in the coming weeks, so when would be a good time for you to meet with all of us?

As for the fact sheet, I think Take Back the Tap members should make this.  This should make a good first impression on freshman--showing them Cornell's commitment to sustainability.  I've also been thinking about the issue of getting students to keep their water bottles--seeing as a free item might easily be forgotten and left somewhere.  This last point might take some more coordination but I think it will help keep these bottles in circulation. 

Keeping the bottles in circulation, a few ideas:

1. When we print a logo, include a white space where they can write their netID with permanent marker.
2. Encourage them to personalize their water bottle.
3. Affix a permanent tag on the recessed bottom of the bottle as they them pick up during registration.  This tag would have either their netID or a serial number on it.
• This would require a protocol in case someone finds a lost bottle.  If the person's netID was printed on this label, people could easily contact the owner of the bottle.  If a serial number is attached, it would require a centralized information system such as a website where they type in the number and it automatically notifies the owner of the lost bottle (as well as where to pick it up).
• Should there be a water bottle lost and found in each dining hall?
  
4. Should there be a system where students can get their bottles washed at the dining hall.
• Only at participating dining halls? (suggestion: those dining halls that compost)
5. Unclaimed water bottles are washed and set out in a dining facility for other people to take if they want.
• Water bottles become a common good after they leave the owner's hands only if the owner fails to claim their bottle within a week or so.

If we can decide on a protocol, it would be good to print this information on the backside of the flier that goes out with the water bottle.  I don't think the fliers need to be ready until august, but coordinating this with all parties here on campus should begin shortly.

Please let me know what you think and to what end Take Back the Tap might be willing to assist with this effort after the bottles are distributed.

thanks

colin

On Mon, Jun 14, 2010 at 2:06 PM, Kathleen Alvey <kc...@cornell.edu> wrote:

Hi Colin,

Thank you so much for following up with me on this initiative.  I am very excited about the idea of ensuring that reusable bottles are available for sale in Cornell Dining locations for this coming semester. 

The stainless steel bottle you proposed looks like a great option, especially with no additional fees for custom logos or shipping.  I agree that we will have to make some decisions rather quickly in order to ensure that the bottles are ready for the fall. 

The Take Back the Tap logo is not quite ready, as we are waiting to hear back from the national organization (which is a part of the non-profit called Food & Water Watch) to make sure that we are not infringing upon any trademark issues by using the same name.  We have been in touch with a representative from the Food & Water Watch who is primarily a campus organizer for New York State, so I imagine that it would not be a problem to have our own logo on the bottles, but I will let you know as soon as I hear back from her. 

I definitely agree with you about the idea of a small fact sheet with the reusable bottles.  If you like, my fellow members of Take Back the Tap and I could design and write the fact sheet, and then send it to you for any additional suggestions.  When would you like to have a draft fact sheet ready by? 

Please let me know if you would like to meet at some point soon to go over any of these ideas.  I will also be in touch with you soon about the Take Back the Tap logo at Cornell in regard to any potential trademark issues. 
Thanks again for your help on this!
Sincerely,
K.C. Alvey
Student Intern, Cornell's Office of Energy and Sustainability
President, Sustainability Hub

[Sherry Martin]

Hey guys,
Finally back from Australia and NZ. I've read the last few e-mails,
great that we're finally giving freshman free reusable water bottles.
As far as the logo, are we just using the name or adding a picture?
Also, did you guys plan on making TBTT an official club this year?
: ) Sherry

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Natural Resources, Biology and Society '11
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[Kristen Loria]

Hi KC/everyone,

Somehow i just saw this email thread today...sorry about that.  Thats so exciting that theyre giving bottles to all the freshman!   I'm really glad they are going with the stainless steel, and this will be a great opportunity for us to get serious exposure on campus.  I definitely agree that something will need to be done to make sure everyone doesnt just immediately lose their water bottle or just throw it in a corner and forget about it.  Colin's ideas sound pretty good.  I also think we should offer it to them as an option, not just shove one into every freshman's hands.  Its probable that many people will already have a bottle and not feel they need another.  I also think it will be good to give them out at a time when they aren't being given a ton of other papers/free stuff, also to help ensure they wont waste it.

for our logo, maybe we can try sketching something out at the potluck today?  Ill bring some paper.  We definitely should do that asap so that they can use it on the bottles.  Also, for the potluck are we doing it at your place?  its a little chilly and gray out :(  we could also do it at 660 if we wanted.  we have a nice porch and many living rooms.

kristen

On Fri, Jun 11, 2010 at 9:16 AM, Kathleen Alvey <alv...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Erin Johnson]

Hey guys,

I'm going to try to work on a logo this afternoon and hopefully have something done next week.  Please shoot any ideas my way.  I'm also free to meet whenever- I usually work till 5ish, but I can take a break during the day or whatever.

Erin Leigh Johnson
Cornell University 2010
College of Human Ecology
Design & Environmental Analysis
el...@cornell.edu

[Kathleen Alvey]

Hey again guys!

I just sent off the info to Colin and Therese, so hopefully we'll be hearing back soon about their availabilities for meeting times.  I'll let you know when they respond.  Also, I forgot to include following up on the posters for the dining locations and contract updates for topics to cover in the meeting with Cornell Dining, but we can bring it up when we meet.

Talk to you soon! =)
~K.C.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Kathleen Alvey <kc...@cornell.edu>
Date: Wed, Jun 23, 2010 at 2:16 PM
Subject: Re: Water bottle initiative w/Cornell Dining
To: C Colin Hollister <cchol...@gmail.com>
Cc: Therese A O'Connor <ta...@cornell.edu>


Dear Colin:

I checked in with some of the other members of Take Back the Tap who are working in Ithaca this summer (including Kristen Loria- kal52 and Erin Johnson- elj9) and we'd be available to meet:

• Thurs. 7/1 any time after 3PM
  
• Fri. 7/2 any time from 9-5
• Tues. 7/6 11-1:30 or after 3PM
• Thurs. 7/8 any time before 11AM

Please let me know if any of those times work well for you, Ms. O'Connor, and Ms. Finan.  If those times do not work for you, please indicate your other availabilities and we can find a common time. 

You had some great thoughts about how to distribute the bottles and potentially reclaim them if necessary.  In particular, we thought that including a white space where students can write their netIDs with permanent market was a great idea.  Once we decide upon the strategy for handing out the bottles, it might be worthwhile to encourage students to write their netIDs or have a permanent marker handy.  We thought that a serial number system would not be necessary if students write their netIDs instead, which would be simpler. 

We had some other questions to cover in our meeting with you, including:

• How the fact sheet will be attached to the bottles (inside the bottles, or tied with a string to the cap)
• If you would like to include the Cornell Dining logo to the bottles
• Strategy for bottle distribution including time/place?  During freshmen Orientation Move-In Day or have RA's hand them? 
  
• If Cornell Dining would be interested in selling additional bottles in the future in dining locations, which could be specifically advertised to sophomores, juniors, and seniors

Our Take Back the Tap at Cornell logo is just about finalized and I have attached a copy of it to this e-mail.  Please let me know if you have any suggestions.  We are also currently working on our fact sheet, but we have a sustainability pledge (which I have also attached), which we could easily edit and include the following information for the fact sheet:

• Personal environmental/economic impact; water quality at Cornell; sustainability at Cornell; and info on how to keep the bottle clean
• Link to Take Back the Tap website and online sustainability pledge (https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dGhTZlVZMkRNcjZ5WWdHSE0waUkwX3c6MQ).  We could also edit the pledge, as we have not yet distributed it. 
  

Please let me know when you would be available to meet and we can go over some of these ideas together.  Kristen, Erin, and I are all here for the summer (though Erin has just graduated), so we will be able to focus on this project. 
Thanks again for your help and I'm looking forward to working on this with you!
Sincerely,
K.C. Alvey

[Kathleen Alvey]

Hi Colin:

I just wanted to follow up with you about setting up a meeting in the next week or two about the Take Back the Tap project.  As the dates listed below have passed, would you like to send me some of your availabilities, and then I can see what works with Kristen and Erin? 

Please let me know what works best for you.
Thank you so much.
Sincerely,
K.C. Alvey
516-592-7752

[Kathleen Alvey]

Hey again guys-

Here's some follow-up from Colin. Therese and Gail are away right now, but should be replying to us shortly.  Looks like they're having a harder time than they expected with the project....
~K.C.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: C Colin Hollister <cchol...@gmail.com>

Date: Fri, Jul 9, 2010 at 11:37 AM
Subject: Re: Water bottle initiative w/Cornell Dining

To: Kathleen Alvey <kc...@cornell.edu>


K.C.
Therese and Gail are at a conference this week in San Jose.  I'll remind them next week to set up a meeting with you guys.  To give you an update, Therese brought this project in a purchasing meeting and received some opposition to the reusable water bottle initiative.  I think that Therese and Gail are interested in moving ahead with the initiative, albeit conservatively.  I'll contact you next week after everyone gets back from the conference.

colin

[Kathleen Alvey]

Therese responded and said that she's waiting on Marketing/Purchasing to respond by the end of this week.  In the meantime, could you send me your availabilities for next week so I can get back to her ASAP?

Thanks!
~K.C.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Therese A O'Connor <ta...@cornell.edu>
Date: Wed, Jul 14, 2010 at 4:50 PM
Subject: RE: Water bottle initiative w/Cornell Dining
To: Kathleen Carolyn Alvey <kc...@cornell.edu>, C Colin Hollister <cchol...@gmail.com>

Hello all:

   We had a meeting a few weeks ago re: the water bottle issues. I’m waiting for marketing/purchasing to get us some clear info—they said they’d have something by the end of this week. After I get something we should meet.

Thanks.

 

Therese

 

From: Kathleen Alvey [mailto:kc...@cornell.edu]

Sent: Friday, July 09, 2010 10:18 AM
To: C Colin Hollister

Cc: Therese A O'Connor

Subject: Re: Water bottle initiative w/Cornell Dining

 

Hi Colin: