Nestlé-owned Poland Spring, a 100% natural spring water brand, has announced the shifting of its packaging to recycled plastic (rPET), along with its plans to use 100% recycled plastic across its portfolio by 2022.
Image: Poland Spring is also investing in initiatives that help plastic bottles return to the recycling bin. Photo: Courtesy of Nestlé Waters North America.
Poland Spring has started using one-liter bottles made of 100% rPET, starting from this month, following the launch of Poland Spring ORIGIN in 900mL bottles in April.
Poland Spring said that its brand – ORIGIN is a premium offering, in which the bottles used are completely made out of recycled plastic.
Nestlé Waters North America president and chief executive officer Fernando Mercé said: “As a company, we’ve already put our stake in the ground when it comes to taking the ‘single’ out of ‘single-use’ plastic bottles.
“As we begin to transform Poland Spring, our most iconic brand, to 100% recycled plastic packaging, we will begin to bring this commitment to life for our consumers in a tangible way. Bottles like these, which are made from 100% recycled plastic and are 100% recyclable, are proof that a fully circular economy is within our reach.”
Nestlé Waters North America, the parent company of Poland Spring, has announced its plans to achieve 25% recycled plastic across its US domestic portfolio by 2021. Poland Spring’s initiative follows the Nestlé Waters’ announcement.
In addition, Nestlé Waters plan to expand its use of recycled materials in the coming years, setting a target to reach 50% recycled plastic by 2025.
Poland Spring said that its current packaging is predominantly made using PET plastic which is 100% recyclable, and to make its packaging more sustainable and address the issue of plastic waste, it is shifting towards using more recycled materials.
To use recycled plastic in its packaging, the company is also investing in initiatives that help plastic bottles return to the recycling bin. Along with Nestlé Waters, it is collaborating with organizations like Closed Loop Fund to help increase recycling infrastructure.
Poland Spring is also expanding How2Recycle labels across all of its packaging, informing consumers to empty the bottle, replace the cap and recycle when they are done.
Nestlé Waters North America vice president and chief sustainability officer David Tulauskas said: “To achieve a circular economy, we, as brand owners, need to inspire people to think and act differently when it comes to plastic.
“I cannot think of a more meaningful way to connect with our consumers than to bring to market a more sustainable bottle that they themselves helped to create simply by recycling.”