A 100 percent recycled and recyclable water bottle has seen Visy and Schweppes be named the Coles Brand Packaging Supplier of the Year.
The Coles Brand water bottle was finalised in February this year, after 18 months of development.
Rather than being produced by new plastic, the lightweight water bottle is made in Australia from old bottles which have been ground down, cleaned and reformed.
All Coles brand 330ml, 600ml and 1.5ml water bottles are now 100 percent recycled PET. The bottles can continue being recycled through normal channels and are still strong and sustainable enough for reuse.
The development could save over 130 million bottles per annum from being produced from new plastic.
Coles managing director, John Durkan, said the partnership between Coles, Visy and Schweppes has been a huge success.
“Coles is proud to be the first Australian supermarket – and in fact one of only a few brands globally – to offer a 100 percent recycled and recyclable bottle,” he said.
“Operational trials were conducted over many months to perfect material specifications and these packed water bottles were then extensively tested to ensure they are safe and there was no compromise to the customer. We believe we have set a new standard in water bottle material for the Australian market.”
Visy assisted Coles and Schweppes in the technical, labelling and manufacturing developments and developed a unique labelling system for the promotion of the recycled content.
“Working closely with Coles and Schweppes to develop a 100 percent recycled PET water bottle was an exciting project that brought genuine innovation to the retail shelf,” Visy general manager insights & innovation, Richard Macchiesi, said.
The awards were presented at the Coles Brand Supplier Conference in Melbourne this month. Other category winners were:
- Devondale Murray Goulburn at Laverton, Victoria and Erskine Park, NSW, who was winner of the dairy category, in recognition of its 10-year partnership with Coles, which has resulted in the $160 million investment in two new factories and improvement in milk quality and shelf life.
- Norco at Lismore, NSW and Labrador, Qld, who was winner of the grocery category, in recognition of its innovation and the popularity of its Coles Brand peanut butter ice cream.
- Tripod at Bacchus Marsh and Bairnsdale, who was winner of the fruit and veg category, in recognition of its investment in washing and drying technology to improve quality, reduce damage and increase shelf life of Coles Brand bagged salads.
- Lifestyle Bakery at Adelaide, who was winner of the bakery category, in recognition of its quality Coles Brand gluten free bread.
- Kailis Brothers and Pacific West, who were winners of responsible sourcing category, in recognition of its success in converting its entire Coles Brand bagged seafood range to certified sustainable sources.
- Ross Cosmetics, who received a special award for best long-serving Coles Brand