Sidel unveils returnable PET still water bottle, 10% lighter with 25 washing cycles

EUROPE – Sidel has introduced Returnable PET — Still Water, a reusable PET bottle for the still water market available in cylindrical and square shapes from 0.5L to 2L capacities, designed to be 10 percent lighter than the lightest returnable carbonated water bottles currently used, withstanding up to 25 washing cycles and compatible with existing PET recycling streams.

The solution is described as an industry-first, helping beverage producers access a returnable PET solution designed specifically for uncarbonated water, removing structural constraints associated with carbonation.

Jerome Neveu, Packaging and Mold product manager at Sidel, explained that driven by increasing consumer expectations around reuse and the evolving regulatory environment, especially within the EU, Sidel has taken an important step in bottle design, offering still water producers unique and optimized reusable solutions.

Why Still Water Needs Its Own Bottle

Returnable bottles designed for carbonated beverages are engineered to withstand internal pressure from dissolved CO₂, requiring thicker walls and heavier weights. Still water, which has no carbonation, does not require the same pressure resistance.

By designing a bottle specifically for still water, Sidel achieved a 10 percent weight reduction compared to the lightest returnable carbonated water bottles currently on the market.

For a returnable bottle that cycles 25 times, that weight saving multiplies across every trip, reducing material use, transport fuel consumption, and carbon emissions.

Customizable Design for Brand Identity

The bottle is available in cylindrical and distinctive square shapes, with textured surfaces to enhance tactile and visual appeal.

Consumer familiarity with packaging elements plays a key role in shaping purchase intent, so Sidel’s new bottles feature customizable designs enabling brands to maintain recognizable single-use bottle shapes while adopting a returnable format.

This allows brand owners to transition to reusable packaging without sacrificing the shelf presence built over years of investment in bottle design.

Circular by Design

The solution is compatible with existing PET recycling streams, allowing bottle-to-bottle circularity at the end of its service life.

After up to 25 washing cycles, the bottle can enter standard PET recycling channels, where it is ground, washed, and processed into new PET preforms.

The new design is also compatible with Sidel’s EvoBLOW blow-molding range, allowing producers to manufacture the bottle on existing equipment.

When Returnable Meets Lightweight

A returnable bottle lighter than a single-use alternative? That is the engineering challenge Sidel has solved.

The Returnable PET — Still Water bottle carries no carbonation pressure, needs no thick walls, and sheds unnecessary weight on every trip.

For still water producers, the math is simple: 10 percent lighter means 10 percent less material, 10 percent less transport fuel, and the same number of trips.

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