EDITOUR PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 No. 07+08/22 www.petpla.net 14 Mineral water bottler Vöslauer expands its product range with a state-of-the-art 1 litre returnable PET bottle Re-introduction of returnable PET bottles in Austria April 2022 We met: CEOs Ms Birgit Aichinger and Mr Herbert Schlossnikl In less than 30 minutes we reached Bad Vöslau, about 35 km from Vienna: our first stop in Austria as part of our European Roadshow 2022. South of Vienna, on the edge of the Vienna Woods, arises the Bad Vöslau healing spring, known throughout Austria. The certified Vöslauer mineral water rises at a depth of 660m and has been used for 100 years not only as drinking water but also as a thermal spring for cures. Tour Sponsors: An idyllic panorama of mountains and vineyards presents itself to us as we arrive at the gates of the plant for the official press conference with politicians, entrepreneurs, and environmental organisations. It is an important day for the PET industry in Austria. After 13 years, the 1 l PET returnable bottle is reintroduced by Vöslauer Mineralwasser GmbH. During the press conference, the Minister for the Environment and Climate Protection, Ms Leonore Gewessler, and Executive Director of Greenpeace in Austria Mr Alexander Egit, paid great respect to this important decision to reintroduce a returnable PET bottle on the market. Vöslauer, which already had a twoway deposit rPET bottle on the market 19 years ago, is pleased that the time is now ripe again for a resource-saving, sustainable PET bottle that is all about progress. “Consumer behaviour has changed. Climate and environmental protection have become an important factor in purchasing decisions. Around 80% of Austrians would like to see more reusable containers on supermarket shelves. Currently, there are reusable glass containers, but not a single reusable PET product on the Austrian market, and we are now changing that,” explains Birgit Aichinger. She continues: “The main advantage of the returnable PET bottle is, firstly, the carbon footprint. The PET returnable bottle saves 30% CO2 compared to the existing deposit containers. Compared to glass, the PET returnable bottle is 90% lighter at 55 g. It is stable and unbreakable, which is a great advantage in handling, logistics and for the end consumers. The new 1 l PET bottle can do up to 12 cycles, saving 80% of material. That’s 400 t of material per year! It is made from PET monomer material and contains 30% rPET at market launch. This share is to increase steadily, the label is made out of 100% recycable material too,” summarises Aichinger. F.l.t.r.: Editor Heike Fischer and CEO Herbert Schlossnikl present Vöslauer’s new 1 l PET returnable bottle. The 1 l returnable PET bottles produced by Alpla are washed in a caustic solution at 58 °C in a Krones washing line. Up to 22,000bph run through the line. by Heike Fischer
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