Compared to other plastics, the quality of PET allows optimisation of packaging weight. The switch from PVC (polyvinyl chloride) to PET, for instance, led to a 33% reduction in material use. Today 90 grams of PET are used to produce three 1.5-litre bottles, whereas only a decade ago, the same amount of PVC produced just two bottles.Reducing packaging weight at the source remains one of Nestlé Waters’ chief concerns and has led to several ambitious research programs, a major part of the group’s policy on sustainable development.

...and less energy consumed

Nestlé Waters also strives to reduce the energy consumed in packaging production and distribution. The group has encouraged its main PET suppliers to manufacture resins with a lower than normal degree of viscosity which has produced significant energy savings of 5%.

Recycling: a priority

Nestlé Waters also sees an active role for itself at the end of the product life cycle, with packaging recycling being a major focus for the company today.

Long concentrated in a few Western European countries, the United States and Japan, recycling of PET bottles now extends progressively around the globe, particularly in Brazil and in Mexico, with a corresponding increase in the search for new outlets for recycled PET. Apart from the textile sector, other new avenues for recycling are emerging: blister packs, strapping and insulating foam, to name a few. In parallel, Nestlé Waters is examining the possibility of using recycled PET in its own manufacturing cycles. Several initiatives are under way to identify processes that could in the future provide the same guarantees offered by the use of virgin PET.

Finally, in addition to reduction at the source and the creation of packaging using recycled materials, Nestlé Waters participates actively in managing several collecting and sorting programs for recycled packaging.