SWITZERLAND – Valser has launched labelfree bottle of mineral water as the first in Switzerland. In this way, the Coca-cola subsidiary aims to reduce packaging meaning less waste and less CO2 emissions.
The brand and product information is imprinted on the bottle instead of being printed on a label. The barcode needed for the sale is on the lid, explains the firm.
Packaging innovation is not only part of a comprehensive commitment to sustainability. With it, Valser is also taking a further step towards a complete circular economy.
The firm already showed pioneering spirit in terms of the circular economy with the introduction of 100 percent rPET in 2019.
Now the brand is going one step further in a pilot project: With the new packaging size of 750ml, it is also launching a bottle that does not require a label or sticker at all.
The label-free bottle is not only a special feature in the Swiss beverage market but also sets new standards in terms of sustainability.
The new bottle comes in a simple but extremely fresh design and, like the entire Valser range, is made of 100 % PET recycled in Switzerland.
“The new bottle has a particularly purist appearance,” says Vincent Rameau, General Manager Switzerland. “Yet it is unmistakably Valser. The bottle fits wonderfully into the overall range.”
Although the label does not need to be produced at all, the energy consumption for embossing the bottle is about the same as for conventional lettering.
Recycling labelfree bottle is relatively cheaper and fast compared to plastics with labels as they require an additional sorting step to separate labels from plastics.
In addition, labels made from paper or a different plastic as the bottle, become a contaminant in the recycling process of the package.
“Bottles without a label are a good thing for recycling,” explained a spokeswoman for the association PET-Recycling Schweiz when asked by the AWP news agency.
“Until now, the labels have been eliminated in the recycling process and most of them incinerated afterward.”
By doing without the label, valuable resources could be saved. It is simply important that no colors are used in the direct printing that would discolor the PET. According to Valser, they do not use any colors when embossing.
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