VALVERT launches water bottle made of 100% recycled plastic…and still 100% recyclable

2019-07-11 2:11 min Materials, Processing & Handling, PET materials

Nestlé Waters Issy-les-Moulineaux, France

An important milestone that meets Nestlé’s innovative approach to tackling packaging waste and commitment to a circular economy: Valvert launches its new bottle made entirely from recycled PET (rPET), the first natural mineral water brand in Belgium to do so. This innovation highlights Nestlé's commitment to have the rPET content in its bottles to 35% worldwide, and to 50% in Belgium, by 2025. The bottle is another milestone in Valvert's journey towards sustainability. Nestlé is already working in partnership with local farmers and communities to protect the Valvert natural mineral water source around its bottling facility in Etalle. The bottle will be available in retail stores this month in Belgium and Luxembourg.

No new plastic needed for this new bottle

The new bottle, a first for Nestlé in Europe, is made of 100% recycled PET or rPET. This means Valvert only uses old bottles to produce the new bottle, and no new virgin PET needs to be created. Valvert has been able to secure a reliable supply of the high-quality, food grade rPET that is required for bottled water. This will allow not only the launch of the 100% rPET bottle of 150cl, but also a 50% rPET bottle of 50cl at the same time. The goal is to have the 50cl bottle also made entirely of rPET by the end of 2019.(1)

"We believe the new Valvert 100% rPET bottle is a gamechanger in the next generation of sustainable packaging, stimulating a bottle-to-bottle circular economy“, said Emmanuel Gruffat, General Manager of Nestlé Waters Benelux. "At the same time, we also continue to take our responsibility in further improving our collection and recycling rates in Belgium. That is why last year, Nestlé pledged with 8 members of Fevia (the Federation of the Belgian food industry), to collect and recycle 90% of all drink packaging in Belgium by 2022.”

(Photo credit: Valvert)

Tackling packaging waste: a priority for Nestlé

In January 2019 Nestlé laid out its vision that none of its product packaging, including plastics, should end up in landfill or as litter, including in seas, oceans and waterways.

"At Nestlé we want to take up our responsibility towards our consumers and help shape a more sustainable future", said Michel Mersch, CEO Nestlé Belgilux. "We are determined to look at every option available to 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 behaviors. R&D is in our DNA and we intend to leverage this expertise to serve this goal. We are therefore proud to launch the new Valvert 100% rPET bottle as another milestone in achieving a circular economy and in our journey towards sustainability."

A unique partnership with local farmers to protect the water source

For over 25 years, Nestlé Waters has been committed to protecting water resources and the environment by working in partnership with stakeholders.

In 2018, all the local farmers in Etalle (where the Valvert bottling plant and source are located), Nestlé Waters, and the Etalle local administration, signed an agreement to protect the Valvert source and the surrounding environment through sustainable farming: the 10 farmers use zero pesticides, the Etalle administration does not use chemicals for weeding, and Nestlé Waters supports the farmers by providing training and advice from experienced agronomists and bio-engineers. This local and unique partnership ensures the excellent quality of the Valvert natural mineral water, now available for consumers in Belgium and Luxembourg to enjoy in a more sustainable bottle.

www.nestle-waters.com www.valbert.be

(1)The cap is currently made of HDPE and is already fully recyclable and collected in the blue bag.