Why is the one-way deposit worthwhile for smoothies & juices?
With a material recovery of around 98%, the German deposit system has proven itself. In comparison, only 37% of PET packaging that is recorded via the dual system - i.e. the green dot - is recycled [1]. However, disposable packaging for fruit and vegetable juices as well as various other drinks have so far been excluded from the deposit by law. The problem here is that plastics that are collected via the Green Dot can mostly no longer be used for the production of food packaging [2]. The amendment to the Packaging Act on January 1, 2022 now closes the recycling cycle and makes it possible to make new bottles from 1.5 billion used bottles every year [3].
The early start in the cycle
Even if the new law comes into force on January 1, 2022, innocent will change the EAN numbers as early as October 1 and join the deposit system with its one-way PET bottles. innocent has always advocated making recycling as easy as possible for its drinkers to ensure that the cycle can be closed and the environmental impact is reduced. The entry into the German one-way deposit will help to ensure that almost all innocent bottles can utilize their full recycling potential. By joining more quickly, more than 15 million innocent bottles will be saved this year from ending up in the yellow sack and thus potentially in a downcycling spiral.
"We at innocent want to leave things behind better than we found them" , quoted Christina Müller, Head of Corporate Communication / Sustainability and Nutrition at innocent Germany, the credo of the smoothie and juice producer. And continues: "We are full of anticipation and impatient and are starting the German one-way deposit system before the law officially comes into force, in order to make it easier for consumers to contribute to the recycling of smoothie and juice bottles.
Additionally, the company recognizes that it cannot build a circular economy on its own and is committed to working with government, industry, and non-governmental organizations, as well as drinkers, to drive greater change. In order to contribute to the success of the system itself, innocent will accompany the entry into the deposit system with active communication in order to slowly change the habits of consumers and adapt them to the upcoming legal situation and to further sharpen awareness of the advantages of the deposit system.
Innocent's active role in the PET deposit for smoothies and juices
As a responsible company that is certified as B Corp, innocent has taken the lead and actively campaigned for the expansion of the disposable PET system to include smoothie and juice bottles. The highlight of the campaign was a PETition launched in October 2020 , which found more than 75,000 signatories and drew the spotlight from politicians and consumers to the problem.
Innocent's vision: an even more sustainable & 100% recyclable bottle
The integration into the deposit system is undoubtedly an important step for innocent in the direction of a circular economy and coping with climate change. With technological innovation and advancing science, innocent is constantly looking for ways to improve and promote positive climate action. Improving recycling is an important first step on the way to a circular economy. Some of the things the company is researching are renewable and recyclable material alternatives, lower bottle weight and an absolute reduction in virgin plastic. More on this shortly or in innocent's current sustainability report.
(Source: Presse Portal)
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[2] https://www.nabu.de/umwelt-und-ressourcen/abfall-und-recycling/recycling/21113.html
[3] Impact assessment of an extension of the compulsory deposit for one-way juice packaging to include PET recycling // Author: Agnes Bünemann, Dr. Joachim Christiani, Dr. Martina Kerkhoff, Sabine Koch // September 2016
