imprint EDITORIAL PUBLISHER Alexander Büchler, Managing Director HEAD OFFICE heidelberg business media GmbH Hubweg 15 74939 Zuzenhausen, Germany phone: +49 6221-65108-0 [email protected] EDITORIAL Kay Barton Heike Fischer Gabriele Kosmehl Michael Maruschke Ruari McCallion Miriam Trotter Anthony Withers Editorial & WikiPETia. info [email protected] MEDIA CONSULTANTS Martina Hirschmann [email protected] Johann Lange-Brock [email protected] phone: +49 6221-65108-0 LAYOUT AND PREPRESS EXPRIM Werbeagentur Matthias Gaumann www.exprim.de READER SERVICES [email protected] PRINT Chroma Druck Eine Unternehmung der Limberg-Druck GmbH Danziger Platz 6 67059 Ludwigshafen, Germany WWW www.hbmedia.net | www.petpla.net PETplanet Insider ISSN 1438-9459 is published 10 times a year. This publication is sent to qualified subscribers (1-year subscription 149 EUR, 2-year subscription 289 EUR, Young professionals’ subscription 99 EUR. Magazines will be dispatched to you by airmail). Not to be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher. Note: The fact that product names may not be identified as trademarks is not an indication that such names are not registered trademarks. 3 PETplanet In sider Vol. 26 No. 11/25 www.petpla.net When they move to a new country, many people explore the best sights, landmarks, or restaurants. Thanks to my family and professional background, I tend to notice something else first: the beverage packaging. So, when I recently moved from Germany to Austria, I didn’t just discover new mountains and dialects. I discovered something far stranger: suddenly, there were more on-the-go drinks in carton packs than in PET bottles. For someone passionate about circular packaging and recycling, that was a surprising and slightly painful realisation. After a little research, the picture became clear. More and more brands are introducing carton packs alongside their bottles. Even RAUCH, the wellknown juice and iced tea producer from Vorarlberg, now sells its iced tea in 0.5-litre Tetra Paks proudly labelled “Ohne Pfand” - “No deposit.” And why? Because since January 2025, Austria has had a deposit return scheme (DRS) for single-use PET bottles and cans. The idea is solid: reduce waste, raise collection rates, boost recycling. But instead of celebrating a big step toward circularity, some consumers (and therefore companies) seem to be taking a step back: choosing carton to avoid the DRS. Let’s be honest: switching from a 100% recyclable PET bottle to a multilayer composite carton is not exactly an environmental upgrade. PET bottles can be collected, washed, shredded, and turned into new bottles - over and over again. Carton packs? They’re a complicated mix of paper, plastic, and aluminium that can be recycled, but only through specialised processes with limited yields. So yes, avoiding a 25-cent deposit might feel convenient, but it’s hardly sustainable. If the goal was to cut waste and reduce CO2 emissions, replacing fully recyclable PET with something harder to recycle misses the point entirely. As a German, I can only say to my Austrian friends: don’t fear the Pfand! It’s not a punishment; it’s progress. You’re not saving money or the planet by avoiding PET: you’re skipping the most circular packaging we’ve got. So next time you’re standing at the shelf, make the smarter choice: go for the Pfand, take the loop, take the PET. Because sustainability isn’t about avoiding deposits - it’s about closing the circle. Yours, Emma Trotter Project Manager & Shareholder Dear readers,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTY0MjI=