Increase of rPET content in Arrowhead bottles
Californian water bottler Arrowhead today announced it will expand its use of recycled content to many of "100% Mountain Spring Water" bottles by the end of 2016. The company claims that this will increase its use of recycled content by 38% and will ensure that most of its bottle sizes contain up to 50% rPET.
"Arrowhead has been part of California history for more than a century. Thanks to the state’s strong commitment to recycling, there is high quality rPET available enabling us to increase our use of recycled material," said Tim Brown, CEO and president of Nestlé Waters North America, which operates the Arrowhead brand.
Today’s announcement is an extension of the brand’s ongoing efforts to support recycling in California. While most plastic bottles are made out of PET Arrowhead has focused on introducing bottles made from rPET and began using it in its 0,5l bottles three years ago.
"Using recycled content, plastic products and other materials are converted back into new bottles," said Dave Thorpe, Supply Chain Director for Arrowhead. "In this ‘closed loop’ model, recycled packaging can be reused indefinitely and can help foster a circular economy that prioritizes sustainability."
Arrowhead is partnering with Los Angeles-based Carbon Lite Industries LLC, a leading producer of post-consumer recycled PET, to provide the rPET material used in its bottles. The recycled materials are primarily collected in California. "California’s recycling program leads the nation, recovering billions of plastic containers each year. By reusing these materials, Arrowhead will save 20,000 tons of carbon dioxide from production annually," says Leon Farahnik, founder and CEO of Carbon Lite. The company has established local partnerships with groups that are encouraging communities to connect with their waterways and create shared value.
