In 1998, Gerolsteiner introduced the first 1-litre reusable PET bottle for mineral water, which was a groundbreaking innovation for the category. More than 25 years later, reusable PET packaging has become firmly established in the mineral water market, with the lightweight bottles accounting for almost a fifth of total sales. The traditional bottle remains one of the company's best-selling containers and continues to grow in popularity. This is reason enough for Gerolsteiner to further develop its classic container, making it higher quality and more modern. From mid-January 2026, the new Gerolsteiner 1-litre reusable PET bottle will be introduced to the market and will gradually replace the previous model.
What's new?
The new 1-litre returnable PET bottle from Gerolsteiner is more stable than its predecessor and can therefore be refilled up to 25 times — significantly more often than the existing container. The new bottle's robustness and stability are due to its base's shape: a champagne base replaces the previous four-foot base. Additionally, the amount of material used has increased slightly. The bottle now weighs 62 g instead of 48 g, making it even more durable. Thanks to the new bottle design, Gerolsteiner can now use recycled PET (rPET) for its returnable bottles — PET recovered from used bottles and recycled. The new 1-litre container has an rPET content of 50 per cent. According to current calculations, Gerolsteiner will save around 1,900 tonnes of CO₂ per year with the new bottle, representing a reduction in emissions of more than a third compared to the previous bottle.
