VALSER is Switzerland’s most sustainable mineral water. That’s because of the introduction of 100 percent rPET – but that’s not all. The traditional brand already became a pioneer in terms of sustainability through its targeted work with local partners. The fizz in the water, for example, comes from Climeworks, an ETH spinoff that extracts the CO2 from the air. VALSER also cooperates with well-known institutions like consulting firm Swiss Climate and Swiss development organization Helvetas.
100 percent rPET: a historic step
Now VALSER is going even farther, becoming the first Swiss mineral water to shift to 100 percent recycled PET and thereby closing the bottle cycle. The launch is due to start immediately, with the 0.5-liter bottle of VALSER Sparkling. All PET bottles will consist of 100 percent recycled material by the fall of 2019. This is a historic step, not just in a national context, but also internationally. After all, very few beverage manufacturers have managed to introduce 100 percent rPET to date. In fact, most beverage manufacturers still do not use rPET at all, instead using exclusively new PET for their bottles. One of the factors that have made this change possible is that the Swiss population is highly disciplined about recycling. 83 percent of all PET bottles are already returned today. Rapid technological advances are now helping to make it possible to use rPET to a larger extent.
Patrick Wittweiler, Head of Sustainability and Quality at Coca‑Cola HBC Switzerland says “Sustainability is a highly important aspect, not just to us, but also to our consumers and customers. That’s why we have been working on our sustainability agenda for years now, and why we make every effort to further reduce our environmental impact. The shift to 100 percent rPET is a milestone in that agenda, and one we are very proud of.”
Significant improvement in CO2 levels
rPET is an eco-friendly alternative to conventional plastic packages. Collecting and recycling used PET bottles not only minimizes waste, but also lowers CO2 emissions. In fact, the move to 100 percent rPET will bring a significant reduction in CO2 use. Compared to bottles made of new PET with no recycled material at all, CO2 emissions will be reduced by as much as 75 percent. For VALSER, whose bottles most recently contained 36 percent rPET, the shift means a CO2 reduction of 64 percent. In 2020, VALSER will be able to lower its figures by about 2,000 tons of CO2.
Nadia Damaso and Karen Fleischmann: the new faces of VALSER
VALSER’s multifaceted commitment to sustainability will be represented in the future by Nadia Damaso, a well-known cookbook author from the Swiss canton of Grisons, and Karen Fleischmann, a sustainability activist and model who has enjoyed international success. Both of them live a conscious lifestyle with a connection to nature, and both have promoted sustainable use of natural resources in their fields. As part of a longer-term partnership, Damaso and Fleischmann will team up with VALSER and act as the faces of the brand as its sustainability ambassadors.
