The Thirst Mate drink float helps customers have more fun on the water while reducing the environmental impact of empty plastic bottles.
Atlanta, GA November 6, 2014 – Drinker Toys is launching the Thirst MateTM, an eco-responsible drink holder made from recycled material that upcycles used plastic bottles to float drinks in recreational settings including pools, lakes, rivers, and oceans. The patent pending design allows users to screw in 3 standard plastic bottles from 12 ounce to 2 liter sizes, and the bottles provide the buoyancy and stability in calm and turbulent water. The Thirst Mate holds most cans and bottles of soft drinks and beer – with or without koozies. It also will hold most popular sizes of party cups, tumblers, and even wine bottles.
“This is something I’ve wanted for a long time, but all I could find were novelties and gag gifts,” said Pete Ballard, partner and inventor. “The Thirst Mate floats great, holds a bunch of different drink sizes, and it is cannonball proof.”
By reusing empty plastic bottles, the Thirst Mate keeps them from going to local landfills or littering the environment. In 2012, approximately 3.87 billion pounds of plastic bottles were not recycled in the United States. “By giving what was once a single use plastic bottle a second life, you’re making it valuable before having to spend resources to collect, sort, transport and process it for recycling,” said Ballard. “So people can have fun floating their drink while they’re doing something good for the environment,” he added.
The company is utilizing the emerging technology of desktop 3D printing to go from concept to Kickstarter in less than 3 months. Using the Makerbot Replicator 5th Generation printer and Tinkercad, an easy-to-use tool for creating digital designs that are ready to be 3D printed into physical objects, they began designing using simple components and shapes. Partner and inventor Dave Ballard notes, “After 15 minutes of design brainstorming, an hour of modeling, and an overnight print job, we had our first prototype. We ran outside and tested it in a large mud puddle behind the office.” The company has used this rapid prototyping process to create several iterations of the design to test and refine the product in preparation for the consumer release.
The company is planning a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter later in November to raise the funds necessary to start mass production. To stay up to date on Thirst Mate news follow the company on Facebook and Twitter, and to preview the upcoming Kickstarter campaign, go to the company website drinkertoys.com.
About Drinker Toys
Drinker Toys was founded by brothers Dave and Pete Ballard in 2014. The Thirst Mate is the first product in the Drinker Toys family. Our vision is to develop a series of inter-connectable and infinitely configurable pieces that allow people to create more fun while on the water with the added benefit of giving empty plastic bottles a second life outside of landfills and waterways. There’s no reason you can’t have fun and do good!
Contact: Pete Ballard, Partner
Phone: 404-855-3759
Email: pete@drinkertoys.com
