Nestlé’s Buxton Natural Mineral Water range will be packed in bottles made from 100% rPET by the end of 2021
Image: Nestlé Waters seeks to reduce its impact on the environment while promoting a circular economy. Photo: courtesy of Nestlé.
Nestlé has announced plans to package its Buxton Natural Mineral Water range in bottles made from 100% recycled plastic (rPET) by 2021 to promote a circular economy.
The firm launched the 75cl and 1-litre recyclable bottles of Buxton water brand in November 2019, made from 100% recycled PET.
By the end of 2021, the firm plans to roll out the rest of the Buxton range, which are currently made with a minimum of 20% recycled plastic, with 100% rPET.
Nestlé Waters UK business executive officer Michel Beneventi said: “The high-quality recycled material retains the same all-important properties as PET, resulting in a product that is lightweight, durable, resilient and still 100% recyclable.
“We would have liked to have made all our Buxton bottles from recycled material much sooner but there are many challenges to achieving this. The material we use needs to be high-quality food grade.
“The availability of a domestic UK supply of this material is still relatively limited. Today, the rPET used for our Buxton bottles has to be sourced outside of the UK, as we don’t currently have the infrastructure available at scale in this country to create volumes needed. We would love to be able to produce the bottles for our British water in the UK.”
Nestlé works with industry partners to improve the national recycling rate
In order to reach its 2021 target, Nestlé is working with industry partners, non-governmental organisations and the government to improve the national recycling rate while supporting the UK-wide Deposit Return Scheme.
Nestlé UK and Ireland sustainability head Anna Turrell said: “It is great that Buxton is taking this vital step.
“As a packaged goods company, we have a hugely important role to play in helping to address the amount of plastic produced in our industry and a collective responsibility to help shape a more sustainable future. We will continue to push the boundaries to address this challenge.”
Earlier this year, Nestlé outlined its vision to achieve a waste-free future and unveiled a series of measures towards meeting its April 2018 commitment to make 100% of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025.
The company intends to address the multifaceted issue of plastic pollution through specific actions such as the development of alternative materials for waste-free future.