Nestle Waters North America Continues Plastic Reduction Efforts with New, Lighter Bottle

The introduction helps Nestle Waters exceed its goal for plastic reduction, or lightweighting, in its half-liter, single-serve bottles by an additional 15 percent by 2010, as outlined in the company's 2008 Corporate Citizenship Report.

17 Dec 2009 --- Nestle Waters North America Inc. announced its next-generation Eco-Shape bottle, the company's latest step in an ongoing commitment to reduce plastic consumption across its brand portfolio. The introduction helps Nestle Waters exceed its goal for plastic reduction, or lightweighting, in its half-liter, single-serve bottles by an additional 15 percent by 2010, as outlined in the company's 2008 Corporate Citizenship Report.

An updated version of the 2007 Eco-Shape bottle, among the first branded half-liter bottles in the beverage industry to be lightweighted, this next-generation bottle is Nestle Waters' lightest half-liter bottle yet. Weighing 9.3 grams on average, this bottle contains 60 percent less plastic than the company's original, pre-Eco-Shape half-liter PET bottle, first introduced in the mid-1990s.

Using an average of 25 percent less plastic than its predecessor Eco-Shape bottle, the 9.3 gram half-liter bottle is currently rolling out in Poland Spring Brand Natural Spring Water, Arrowhead Brand Mountain Spring Water and Nestle Pure Life Purified Water. Nestle Waters will extend the lighter Eco-Shape bottle to its remaining half-liter regional spring water brands – Deer Park Brand Natural Spring Water, Ice Mountain Brand Natural Spring Water, Ozarka Brand Natural Spring Water and Zephyrhills Brand Natural Spring Water – beginning in spring 2010. Roll-out of additional product sizes will also begin in 2010.

"Bottled water continues to be one of the fastest growing packaged beverages. With about 70 percent of U.S. households drinking bottled water, reducing the plastic in our bottles is one of the best ways to reduce our carbon footprint," said Andrius Dapkus, director of innovations and renovations at Nestle Waters North America. The company's first-generation Eco-Shape bottle was a significant step and is credited with reducing Nestle Waters' carbon emission equivalents by more than 356,000 tons – that's like removing 78,000 cars from the road since its launch in April 2007.

"The second-generation Eco-Shape bottle is our gold standard for lightweighting, and is among the lightest half-liter plastic bottles available in the marketplace today," Dapkus added. "We've reduced our use of plastic resin by 80 million pounds annually, while also making sure the bottle is durable and appealing for consumers."

In addition to reducing plastic in its bottles, Nestle Waters continually reviews its secondary packaging materials for reduction opportunities; as a result, the new bottles also feature a cap weighing only one gram. The company has also eliminated cardboard side walls from the majority of its 24-packs of bottled water, its number-one seller.

Nestle Waters also continues to make progress toward its goals of reducing its carbon footprint on additional fronts, including:

* Operating seven bottling facilities that meet the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards

* Introducing hydrogen fuel cell forklifts and hybrid trucks

* Reducing carbon intensity by 20 percent across the company's value chain by 2013

* Working with non-profits, legislators and communities aiming to improve plastic bottle recycling rates in America to 60 percent by 2018

* Developing a next-generation bottle made entirely from recycled materials or renewable resources by 2020