Resource-conserving, light, stable and visually appealing – ALPLA has realised the first modern returnable PET bottle for the Austrian market together with Vöslauer. Following the 2018 introduction of a climate-friendly bottle made entirely of recycled PET, the two family-owned enterprises are now rolling out their next innovative solution – a one-litre returnable PET bottle. The bottle, which bears the Austrian Ecolabel, is made of fully recyclable PET monomaterial with a recyclate proportion of around 30 per cent. Going through at least twelve usage cycles, the bottles are estimated to remain in use for three to four years.
The bottle was unveiled on 20 April 2022 in the presence of Austria’s Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler and Alexander Egit, Managing Director of Greenpeace in Central and Eastern Europe. ‘The majority of Austrians want to see returnable containers on the supermarket shelves. PET is the environmentally sensible addition to our product range. As the market leader in the deposit segment, we are the first company in Austria to create a light and practical alternative,’ explain the two Vöslauer Managing Directors Birgit Aichinger and Herbert Schlossnikl. The new product replaces the previous one-litre two-way PET bottle with a deposit.