plastic bottles

The British spring water brand, which uses 100% recycled aluminium bottles that are also 100% recyclable, is providing a bespoke COP26 custom-label bottle.

COP26 marks the second time Re:Water has been chosen by the government as the eco-friendly brand was appointed as the official water supplier for delegates at the G7 Summit in Cornwall in June.

Re:Water is also announcing today that it has signed up to the United Nations-backed global campaign Race to Zero, which aims to halve global emissions by 2030.

The brand said the pilot reward scheme, part of its longer-term commitment to become a 100% circular brand by 2025, will also explore how a digital Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) can be successful in engaging consumers and encouraging recycling.

Deposit Return Schemes are due to be introduced across the UK, starting with Scotland in 2023.

Soft drink manufacturers will be required to use a clear polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottle for packaging, instead of colored bottles whose recyclability is said to be not critical to improving the environment.

Clear plastics are always preferred in the recycled materials market, and have the highest material value because transparent plastic can typically be dyed with greater flexibility.

The bottles will be the first to use rPET from the Esterform Packaging facility, based in North Yorkshire. According to Britvic, the move will save 1,354 tonnes of virgin plastic per year.

Mark Tyne, Esterform’s managing director, said: “Our £20m project to produce 42,000 tonnes of recycled food grade PET could not have got off the ground without Britvic’s support and we look forward to working together to rollout recycled PET usage across Britvic’s portfolio.”