So, I have been slightly obsessed with tote bags lately and they seem to be everywhere now that we are finally realizing how horrible plastic bags are to wildlife and the environment but, I will admit that I am a design snob and it is rare when I find one that I actually LOVE.  I stumbled across a really cool site called, Green Eyed Monster, where they hold eco-friendly design competitions for tote bags.  Designers can submit ideas and then if they win, their artwork will be featured on one of their limited edition tote bags.  They don’t have A TON of designs, yet… but their Ponder Monster bag is super cute! All of their bags are only $20 and a portion of sales are donated to different environmental groups.  It got me thinking… how cute would a THE CHANGING BUZZ tote be?  So we created one :) maybe a design for Green Eyed Monster will be next…

I have always had a desire to work for a non-profit in their creative department, and I have found that it is very rare for the majority of non-profits to be as creative, clear and as on point as this bottled water company based in the best city in the US: San Diego.  Okay, so maybe I am a little biased but none the less, Nika Water Company is working overtime in reducing their carbon footprint and making the world a better place, one tasty drop at a time.

Initially, what caught my attention about Nika Water Company is that they donate 100% of their profits to support clean water projects in impoverished countries.  So you mean to tell me that the founders of this company are not raking in the dollars produced by Nika?  NO!  They actually do not receive ANY compensation or economic benefit from Nika at all.  Instead, they share the same beliefs and passion of having created an environmentally responsible business that will be used to help solve global issues. Seriously awesome!

The Nika water bottle definitely stands out from the rest of bla bla competitors.  It has an amazing, colorful picture that looks hand-painted on the front and it sparks your curiosity from the first glance. Not only is the bottle pretty to look at on the outside but it tastes pure and crisp (and I would consider myself a pretty big water snob). It is also the only carbon neutral certified water bottle that exists today.  Think of it this way, imagine how much carbon dioxide is produced by getting that fancy schmancy, untouched by man, filtered through the exotic rainbow on the remote islands of wherever, water bottle to the US so that you can actually purchase and drink it… A TON!  So that “pure” water that you are drinking isn’t so pure after all. Why purchase the trendy bottle of water when you could be actually supporting an environmentally responsible company like Nika?

On top of all of this, Nika has also set up a couple of different programs that make it super easy for all of us to get involved.  Nika has pledged that for every Nika water bottle sold, they will ensure that a corresponding plastic bottle is taken out of the environment and recycled. To do this, NIKA has set up unique recycling programs with different schools and universities to create plastic bottle buy‐back programs.  This is great considering the huge problem the world faces with the growing amount of plastic that is invading our oceans and landfills.  Perhaps you have heard of the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch?  I will admit that I had not known or heard much about this ‘plastic ocean’ until looking into it after reading about it on the Nika site.  This floating continent is twice the size of Texas and in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.  It comes from all over the Pacific Rim and swirls into a vortex that eventually creates huge sand dunes made of plastic.  Pretty gross, but luckily with Nika’s One-for-One Program that they have set into place, they are helping to prevent this plastic land from getting any bigger.

The only actual complaint that I have about Nika water is that I wish this water bottle was easier to find.  Right now it is located at different cafes, bakeries, bars and restaurants only in California. Hopefully, soon it will be at all of the everyday stops too but, until then lets all help support this company in growing one bottle at a time. Check it out for yourself at: https://www.nikawater.org

P.S. Don’t you think this illustration we did would make an awesome Nika t-shirt for their site? We do!!!