The return of the reusable PET bottle in Austria
The mineral water supplier Vöslauer from near Vienna established the first returnable bottle plant in Austria on 20 April with support from Climate Protection Minister Gewessler and the environmental organisation Greenpeace. Taken off the shelves 13 years ago, the environmentally-friendly returnable PET bottle is now making a comeback on the Austrian market. As of now, 55g lightweight 1-litre returnable bottles are available in Austrian shops. Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler and Greenpeace Managing Director Alexander Egit see the environmentally-friendly returnable deposit bottle as an important step in the fight against the waste of resources and litter in the environment.
“Reusable bottles are real waste avoiders as they can be refilled many times and conserve valuable resources, thereby reducing waste in the environment. And we all know that Austrians want to protect nature and use returnable bottles. That is why we are putting freedom of choice back into business with a mandatory reusable product from 2024”, said Leonore Gewessler, Federal Minister for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology.
“As a trendsetter and driver of innovation, we are the first Austrian company to bring returnable PET bottles back onto the market, having invested around seven million Euros in new machinery and containers despite current economic difficulties”, said Herbert Schlossnikl, Vöslauer’s Managing Director.
In future, Vöslauer will replace at least 12 disposable bottles with 1-litre reusable ones. This means that the company will save the equivalent of around 80% packaging material per drinks bottle. The previous 1-litre returnable deposit PET container will be completely replaced by the new product range. In addition to its sparkling and still water drinks, flavoured mineral waters, namely two Vöslauer Balance Juicy Plus varieties: Red Fruits + Echinacea and Sun Fruits, will also be available in returnable PET containers for the first time.
Currently, only 20% of beverages come in reusable glass bottles. The Environment Ministry has included mandatory reusable quotas for milk, beer, soft drinks and water bottles in all supermarkets from 2024 under the new Waste Management Act.
