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U.S. Forest Service Orders Arrowhead Bottled Water to Stop Taking Water From San Bernardino Mountains

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10 Aug, 2024

This post was originally published on Eco Watch

The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) has ordered BlueTriton Brands, the company formerly known as Nestlé that bottles and sells bottled water brand Arrowhead Water, to stop drawing water from the San Bernardino Mountains in California.

The decision by USFS supports a cease and desist made last year by the California Water Resources Control Board that stated the company did not have water rights for diverting and bottling water in the San Bernardino National Forest. According to the decision fact sheet, the company was ordered to stop operations at 10 of its 13 diversion points and was required to submit monthly reports for the remaining water being taken and bottled.

Now, USFS has denied BlueTriton’s application for a new permit and is requiring the company to stop its bottling operations in the San Bernardino Mountains. The company has been ordered to remove its diversion infrastructure, including a pipeline, from the area, the Los Angeles Times reported. BlueTriton Brands has sued to challenge the decision, according to a court document filed on August 6.

The decision comes following years of complaints against the company for diverting water and harming wildlife, KTLA reported. The California Water Resources Control Board noted that it had received many complaints about BlueTrition Brands’ “unreasonable use of water” and the impacts it could have in a drought-stricken state.

“It’s a huge victory after 10 years,” Amanda Frye, an activist from Redlands, California, told the Los Angeles Times. “I’m hoping that we can restore Strawberry Creek, have its springs flowing again, and get the habitat back.”

As District Ranger Michael Nobles explained in a letter to BlueTriton Brands about the permit denial, the company stated its operations were for bottled water, but up to 98% of the diverted water per month was going to the old Arrowhead Springs hotel, which the company sold in 2016 to the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. The amount of water taken in recent months has also increased, Nobles said.

“This increase represents significantly more water than has ever been delivered previously,” Nobles wrote in a letter about the decision. “The hotel and conference facility on the property is not operating, and there is no explanation of where the millions of gallons of water per month are going.”

The area’s Strawberry Creek watershed has been approved for water diversions since 1929, the Los Angeles Times reported. BlueTriton Brands, formerly operating as Nestlé, had long operated in the area under an expired permit that was finally renewed in 2018 with a 5-year timeline.

Despite environmentalists’ complaints against its operations and the reasons outlined for permit rejection in a letter from the U.S. Forest Service, BlueTriton Brands said it “has not negatively affected the Strawberry Canyon environment” and that the permit denial had “no legal merit,” as the Los Angeles Times reported.

Activists are hopeful the decision will help improve the Strawberry Creek watershed and local environment.

“Our goal was to get that water back in the creek and protect the forest,” Frye said. “The proof will be when the pipes and all that infrastructure is taken out and it’s restored. But I think we’re nearing the end.”

Environmental activists Amanda Frye, left, and Bridger Zadina look over a steel pipe from one of the water collection tunnels in the San Bernardino National Forest on Dec. 4, 2021. Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times

The post U.S. Forest Service Orders Arrowhead Bottled Water to Stop Taking Water From San Bernardino Mountains appeared first on EcoWatch.

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Sustainable dye extracted from avocado by-products

Sustainable dye extracted from avocado by-products

Westfalia Fruit has committed to using all parts of the avocado across the supply chain, including the skins and seeds, to make new, sustainable products.

Avocados imported for retail, food service and wholesale customers are carefully inspected and any unsuitable avocados are processed at Westfalia’s facility into products like avocado pulp, smashed avocado and guacamole.

However, the avocado skins and seeds from the process, previously typically used in low-value applications such as anaerobic digesters, are now finding new, higher-value alternative uses.

Having partnered with Efficiency Technologies, the value of the entire by-product channel of avocado skins and stones is assessed to optimise use, with the most recent development being a technology extracting a natural, sustainable dye from avocado stones, with SAGES London.

The process extracts perseorangin (a rare and sought-after natural pigment) from avocado stones collected at Westfalia’s UK facility. The pigment offers eight distinct shades ranging from light yellow to rich reddish-brown, creating new opportunities for sustainable colouring solutions across multiple industries.

Westfalia Fruit’s sustainable dye extraction on display at Fruit Logistica 2025.

The specialised extraction method isolates perseorangin, which constitutes approximately 3% of the avocado stone, and processes it into a dried powder form, providing extended shelf life.

“This breakthrough represents a significant step in our journey toward our total crop use strategy,” said Andrew Mitchell, Head of Group Innovation at Westfalia Fruit.

“By transforming what was once considered by-product into a valuable resource, we’re creating sustainable solutions that benefit multiple industries. The ability to produce eight distinct natural shades while maintaining our commitment to use the entire fruit demonstrates the potential of innovative thinking in sustainable agriculture.”

Besides the dye extraction, remaining materials from the avocado skins and stones are also processed into additional products — for example, starches are directed to paper manufacture as a precursor to packaging production, while ground materials find applications in cosmetics as natural exfoliants, as alternatives to micro-plastics.

The natural dye extraction process represents an advancement in sustainable practices, particularly as industries increasingly seek alternatives to synthetic dyes.

The powder format enables stability and ease of use across various applications, while the range of the eight distinct natural shades provide versatility for different product requirements.

This innovation comes at a time when consumer demand for natural, sustainable products continues to rise across fashion, beauty and packaging sectors. The pigment’s successful showcase at London Fashion Week highlighted its viability in sustainable fashion, while ongoing collaborations with industry leaders in cosmetics and packaging demonstrate its cross-sector appeal.

Plans are underway to understand how the technology could be expanded to additional Westfalia facilities in Europe, where more avocado by-product can be processed using the same techniques.

The company’s integrated operations enable efficient collection and processing of avocado stones and skins from multiple production sites, which will help to maximise the sustainable impact of the initiative and builds upon Westfalia’s commitment to sustainability and circular economy principles.

Top image caption: Westfalia Fruit introduces sustainable dye extraction from avocado by-products.

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