In a first for Nestlé in Europe, its Belgian mineral water brand Valvert has introduced water bottles made of 100% recycled PET (rPET).
The new bottles are being rolled out for Valvert's 1.5-litre pack in retail outlets in Belgium and Luxembourg.
'A Game Changer'
Emmanuel Gruffat, general manager of Nestlé Waters Benelux, said, "We believe the new Valvert 100% rPET bottle is a game changer in the next generation of sustainable packaging, stimulating a bottle-to-bottle circular economy."
The company also aims to replace the packaging of its 500ml water bottles with 50% rPET by the end of 2019.
The move is in line with Nestlé's commitment to increase rPET content in its water bottles to 35% globally by 2025.
'Plastic Waste Challenge'
Michel Mersch, CEO Nestlé Belgilux, commented, "We are determined to look at every option available to help solve the plastic waste challenge and we are embracing multiple solutions that can have an impact now such as developing new materials, improving collection and recycling schemes and driving new behaviours."
The mineral water company has secured a reliable supply of the high-quality, food-grade rPET suitable for bottled water, Nestlé said in its statement.
In December of last year, Nestlé Waters North America announced plans to incorporate 25% recycled plastic in beverage bottles across its US domestic portfolio by 2021.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
