Plastics packaging technology specialist Petainer has developed a PET refillable bottle, claiming to “further improve the sustainability of what is already one of the most environmentally friendly forms of beverage packaging.”
The new bottle is manufactured using more than 25% post-consumer “one-way” recycled PET. The company cites the same performance characteristics as for a refillable bottle made entirely from virgin material.
Nigel Pritchard, group chief executive of Petainer, said: “The bottles are ‘eco-friendly' because they use up to 90% less virgin material per filling. Introducing post-consumer recyclate means that the bottles now require less energy and other resources to manufacture.
“They are also economical in the traditional sense because the environmental benefits translate into lower costs. As the cost of PET resins inexorably increases, the economics of refillable bottles using recycled material become even more compelling.”
Petainer is working with bottled water companies, carbonated drinks producers and brewers across Europe to get the refillable bottles adopted. They are returned to the retailer by the consumer once emptied, then sent to the beverage manufacturer for washing and refilling.
According to the company, the “greener” bottle gives the same number of “round trips” as conventional refillable bottles, and provides the same level of gas retention in carbonated soft drinks.