Italian supermarket chain Esselunga has launched water bottles of its Dolomiti private-label brand with 50% recycled PET to promote the recycling of plastic.
The retailer has replaced the classic green and blue bottles with transparent bottles as part of the initiative.
Every year Esselunga sells 80 million water bottles and the switch to 50% rPET packaging, the maximum limit allowed by Italian law, will result in reducing the use of virgin PET by 1,000 tonnes per year.
Sustainable Alternatives
Esselunga is also planning to replace the packaging of other private-label brands with sustainable alternatives as a part of a broader packaging conversion project.
It will include replacing milk packs with 50% rPET material or with Tetra Rex® Bio-Based packaging.
The retailer will also consider alternatives for the packaging of its ready-to-eat products, which account for the use of 130 tonnes of virgin PET.
As part of the 'FeVBio: obiettivo ZeroPlastica' project the retailer plans to introduce compostable and/or recyclable packaging for approximately 150 private-label organic fresh fruit and vegetables SKUs.
Focus On Sustainability
Esselunga has always been attentive to sustainability and environmental issues.
Last year, it replaced all disposable plastic products with recyclable or compostable materials.
Esselunga also installed the first eco-compactors for PET plastic bottles in its point of sale of Brescia Triumplina, Parma Emilia Ovest, Parma Traversetolo and Lido di Camaiore.
© 2020 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
