FrieslandCampina aims to make its entire packaging portfolio fully circular and carbon neutral
FrieslandCampina will make its bottles circular for its brands in the Netherlands, Belgium, Hungary and the UK. (Credit: FrieslandCampina)
Dutch dairy products producer FrieslandCampina is set to make its PET bottles from 100% recycled PET (rPET) from February 2021.
The company’s Research & Development department also developed a new “zipper” label designed to make it easier to separate it from the bottle for recycling.
FrieslandCampina said it the first dairy company to make its bottles virtually circular for its brands in the Netherlands, Belgium, Hungary and the UK.
FrieslandCampina packaging development global director Patrick van Baal said: “With the 100% recycled PET bottle, FrieslandCampina is taking a new step in making its packaging circular. Our ambition is to become fully circular.
“That is why we are increasing the recycled content of our PET bottles from 20% to 100%. This step is crucial because in order to achieve our sustainability goals, all packaging must first become recyclable and/or reusable.”
The latest move forms part of FrieslandCampina’s wider plan to make its entire packaging portfolio fully circular and carbon neutral as well as reduce the amount of packaging materials to a minimum.
FrieslandCampina expects the move to make all of its new PET bottles from old PET bottles could prevent the production of about 1.9 million kilos of new plastic.
To support its sustainability efforts, the company has set its objectives through partnerships such as the European and the Dutch Plastic Pact and ‘the new plastics global commitment’ of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
In January last year, FrieslandCampina said it plans to introduce paper straws to replace plastic straws for its European packaging products.
The new straws were planned to be introduced for all FrieslandCampina’s European brands, including Chocomel, Fristi, Campina and Optimel brands in the Netherlands; Cécémel, Joyvalle and Fristi in Belgium; Pöttyös in Hungary and Yazoo in the UK.