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February 5, 2019

Nancy E. Roman
President and CEO
Partnership for a Healthier America
1203 19th Street NW 3rd Floor
Washington, DC 20036

Dear Ms. Roman:

We have prepared the following proposal in response to your request for more “Water: You Are
What You Drink” campaign sponsors. In the following study, we will perform an experiment
designed to determine what type of reusable container keeps water cold for the longest amount of
time. The entire project will take less than a week to complete and will require a budget of at
least $200.

Background

The “Water: You Are What You Drink” campaign is an operation by the Partnership for a
Healthier America (PHA) aimed at encouraging Americans to drink more water. The PHA
requested a proposal to conduct a study on reusable water containers to find more potential
sponsors for their campaign.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has joined with the PHA to promote the
“Water: You Are What You Drink” campaign, and as such its members are able to fill the
proposal request. As members of the Department of Food and Nutrition Services at the USDA,
we are qualified to perform this experiment. Our results will accurately display what brand of
container is the most effective at keeping water cold.

Reusable containers are important in that they allow people to carry water with them at all times.
It is also a healthier option rather than purchasing soft drinks or juice while on the go. These
water containers can also be cleaned and refilled, producing less waste than single-use disposable
cups.
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According to various studies, cold drinks are associated with a “satiation of thirst and a
refreshing effect” as well (Eccles, Du-Plessis, Dommels, & Wilkinson, 2013). If people find
drinking cold water more refreshing than other drinks, providing them with insulated containers
may be a viable way to encourage them to drink more water. Our objective is to determine what
type of reusable container provides the most amount of insulation. The PHA may then contact
the manufacturer of the most ideal brand to propose a sponsorship deal with the “Water: You Are
What You Drink” campaign.

Methodology

The lab will seek data that shows which reusable bottles/containers hold water coldest the
longest. The results of this experiment need to show the drop-in temperature over time. To find
this data a time-based experiment will need to be completed.

This experiment may prove to be difficult over the four-hour window because some of the water
bottles are advertised to hold cold much longer. The data, however, should show the change over
time.

Proposed Procedure:

Water will be measured out and frozen. This will then be added to a premeasured amount of
room temperature water. The control will have an equal total mass of water measured for testing
room temperature fluctuations and other outside effects to the experiment.

Over a period of four hours, the lab will measure the temperature of the water in each bottle.

This will be done every half hour to show the increase in temperature over time.

Materials and Costs:

The following materials will be used for this experiment:

● Bottle containers of different brands and styles.

● Ice cube trays
● Scale that measures in ounces
● Thermometer
● One glass at room temperature (control)

The following are examples of potential containers that the lab has chosen to test:
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Contigo CamelBak Hydroflask Bubba Capri Yeti FINEDINE

AUTOSEAL Brook Wide Mouth Tumbler with Rambler Double Wall
® Chill Silicone Tumbler Water Bottle
Vacuum
Sleeve

$22.97 $11.29 $29.95 $13.99 $34.99 $19.99

The second chart shows a summary of the materials we used for this study and the cost of each
material. The bottles and containers (as shown above) are sorted by brands. The rest of the
materials and the total cost are shown below. The cost of each item used is estimated by the price
listed from Amazon (not including taxes.)

Materials used Cost

Water containers $133.18

Food Scale $19.99

Ice Cube Tray $13.99

Standard Glass Cup $14.99

Thermometer $14.99

Estimated Total Cost = $197.14

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Our Qualifications

The USDA’s Food and Nutrition Services department is the right choice to perform this study for
PHA. We have a strong background in food and nutrition research with a priority of using data to
help promote initiatives. We expect high performance from our workforce and maintain a well-
educated research department.

The team performing this study will include associates in chemistry and thermodynamics. All
research associates at the USDA have obtained a Ph.D. within the past four years at the time of
hire. Education is an integral part of sound research. As such, we promote continued education of
all employees to ensure that we are leaders in educating the general public on nutrition. Because
the USDA is a federal institution, we attract a wide variety of cultured researchers making us one
of the world’s premiere scientific organizations.

In addition to our highly educated staff, we have well-funded facilities that allow us access to
modern and innovative technology tools. This includes labs that allow us controlled
environments to ensure the integrity of the study being performed. Our commitment to premiere
research associates and facilities focused on food and nutrition exploration will provide us with
the best resources to complete this study.

Timeline

This table will cover what we plan to do during the duration of the project, the table will not
cover the steps of the experiment but everything else leading up to and after it. The tables show
we kept track of key moments of our work which includes the date, time, and the description of
what will transpire then.

Description Date

Contact the PHA about the program 01/28/19

Hold a meeting explaining the purpose of the 01/29/19

partnership and the information needed

Discuss the budget and products needed for the 01/29/19

experiment
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Gather required materials for experiment 2/6/2019

Conduct the experiment 2/7/2019

Take results from the experiment and create a 2/8/2019

formal report

Complete the formal report and give results to 2/10/2019

the PHA

Call to Action

Based on our qualifications and methods for completing the research, we request the Partnership
for a Healthier America to consider our method as the best option to conduct the study and to
benefit the campaign. We, as scientists are guaranteed to provide a better methodology in how to
test the container that has the best insulative properties. To conclude, we at the Department of
Food and Nutrition Services can provide the information your after and we look forward to
hearing from you.

Regards,
USDA
Food and Nutrition Services Research Team
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Citations

[Food and Nutrition Service]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://fns-

prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/fnslogo_0.png

[Contigo AUTOSEAL® Chill Water Bottle]. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.gocontigo.com/media/catalog/product/cache/19/image/425x/040ec09b1e35df13
9433887a97daa66f/2/0/2001712_contigo_autosealchill_24oz_ssmonaco_back_copy.jpg

[CamelBak Brook Vacuum Insulated Bottle, Mint, 6 L]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://images-
na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/710kX5tKMPL._SL1500_.jpg

[18 oz Wide Mouth]. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.hydroflask.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb
8d27136e95/h/y/hydro-flask-stainless-steel-vacuum-insulated-water-bottle-18-oz-wide-
mouth-flex-cap-black.jpg

[Bubba Capri Tumbler with Silicone Sleeve]. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.bubbabrands.com/dw/image/v2/AAMB_PRD/on/demandware.static/-/Sites-
master-catalog/default/dw7230d91f/images/highres/1965704-1.jpg?sw=63&sh=63&sm=fit

[Yeti Rambler Tumbler]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.yeti.com/on/demandware.static/-

/Sites-masterCatalog_Yeti/default/dw54e6b86a/images/pdp-
Rambler/RamblerTumbler30oz/Stainless/L_Main_Stainless_Expanded_B_Rambler_30oz.jp
g

[FINEDINE Double Wall Water Bottle]. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://nebula.wsimg.com/45aa4b7f714aa13a9182d951810a1153?AccessKeyId=969CE7418
B9F782A33F3&disposition=0&alloworigin=1

Post, R. (2013, September 12). New campaign - Water: you are what you drink. Retrieved from
https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2013/09/12/new-campaign-water-you-are-what-you-drink

Eccles, R., Du-Plessis, L., Dommels, Y., & Wilkinson, J. E. (2013, September 21). Cold
pleasure. Why we like ice drinks, ice-lollies and ice cream. Appetite, 71, 357-360. Retrieved
from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195666313003930