Italian dairy and food manufacturer Parmalat has introduced new milk bottles made of 50% recycled plastic, enabling the firm to save about 600 tonnes of new plastic per year, reports La Repubblica.
The 'bottle to bottle' process sees used bottles converted into new recycled ones, generating a circular economy system that is potentially repeatable to infinity.
The move is a part of the company's efforts to tackle the issue of plastic waste, and a step towards its goal of halving the quantity of new plastic used for its bottles.
All blue bottles containing the Parmalat Puroblu and Parmalat Zymil brands are included in the initiative.
Life Cycle Assessment Analysis
The University of Parma has proved the eco-friendly features of the new bottles using a Life Cycle Assessment Analysis.
The analysis revealed that the new recycled bottles will enable the company to save about 18,000 cubic meters of water per year, as well as decrease CO2 emissions by almost 1,700 tonnes.
According to Giovanni Pomella, director of Parmalat Italia, the company's commitment to sustainability has resulted in a number of initiatives, including the goal of making packaging more eco-friendly in order to decrease the use of plastic.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Alessandra Arosio. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.