The mineral water VILSA extracts from deep underground in Bruchhausen-Vilsen in the German federal state of Lower Saxony is over a thousand years old and naturally pure. Thick layers of clay protect the deep spring water from environmental impact and pollution. Through sustainable water ‘harvesting’ the mineral water bottling plant ensures that this precious resource is used in moderation and with great care. The company owes a lot to its natural surroundings – and wishes to give as much back, it claims. For Henning Rodekohr, CEO of the VILSA Group and a representative of the fourth generation of the family firm, the long-term protection of his spring is a fundamental concern. Besides premium mineral water containing various levels of carbon dioxide, the product portfolio also includes fruit spritzers, soda pop and nearwater beverages.
All varieties of VILSA mineral water have been organically certified since 2021 and are thus subject to the strictest threshold values and highest sustainability standards commonly applied on the German mineral water market. The bottler has also been provably climate-neutral since 2021. By actively promoting various sustainability measures in agriculture, in cooperation with local farmers VILSA helps to maintain a high quality of the soil and groundwater in the vicinity of its spring. This striving to protect the local environment ultimately triggered the bottler’s decision to switch over to KHS Plasmax coating technology for all non-returnable containers used to fill the VILSA brand.
From the spring to natural enjoyment – perfectly conveyed taste The advantages are obvious: FreshSafe PET combines the low weight and robustness of the plastic container with the much better barrier properties of the glass bottle. The tried-and-tested system protects the bottle against oxygen pickup and carbon dioxide loss, which both extends the shelf life and increases flavor stability. Moreover, FreshSafe PET also provides a number of key positives when it comes to establishing closed recycling loops. Unlike PET bottles that contain additives to improve the barrier effect and shelf life, the KHS equipment permits full bottle-tobottle reuse as the interior coating is completely washed off during the recycling process. “Our consumers know that in VILSA they get a naturally pure, premium mineral water. We thus aim to give each product the best possible packaging regarding quality and sustainability,” says Henning Rodekohr. “By only using FreshSafe PET for our non-returnable containers in the future, we’re consciously exploiting the benefits of glass in relation to freshness and shelf life. Our products are therefore more effectively guarded against external influences and their flavor is even better assured.”
Optimum product protection
Characteristic for VILSA mineral water are its pH, natural ingredients and gentle mineral content. This makes it a sensorily demanding product, however, that reacts extremely sensitively to off-flavors or sunlight. Thanks to the wafer-thin barrier of chemically pure glass in the containers, VILSA’s natural taste is now protected against oxygen pickup and loss of flavor and CO2 for a considerably longer period of time. The PET material also loses none of its proven benefits, meaning that consumers profit from top product quality.
Proved sustainable and safe
Back in 2019 the Lower Saxon mineral water bottling plant switched the material of all of its non-returnable bottles over to [r]PET. In adding coating technology to its plant engineering setup, the company is now continuing its drive for sustainability. Both the EPBP (European PET Bottle Platform) and North America’s APR (Association of Plastic Recyclers) have confirmed that FreshSafe PET is fully recyclable. The container’s suitability for use with foods has also been officially established by the US Food and Drug Administration or FDA, among other institutions. As the interior glass coating is less than 0.1 micrometers thick and chemically bonded to the inside wall, it is flexible. It cannot be accidentally removed or flake off when force is applied to the bottle, with the coating only separating off during the recycling process. As the coating is also completely transparent, the PET bottles retain their crystal-clear appearance.
Intensive development process
The first coated bottles are now being distributed to retailers, with more and more consumers able to purchase the new style of packaging and test the noticeably longer fresh taste of VILSA beverages for themselves. The market launch was preceded by an intensive development process. Although a number of well-known bottlers of challenging sensitive products such as juice or carbonated soft drinks have relied on environmentally-friendly Plasmax barrier technology for years, its use for natural organic mineral water was new to the specialists from Dortmund. At a series of workshops on site the experts from KHS steadily worked to meet requirements in the runup to the launch of FreshSafe PET for all container sizes from 0.5 to 1.5 liters.
