Reducing Smartwater's footprint with PET recycling

Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP) produced more than 50 million bottles of Smartwater in 2015. The PET liners used (carrying the self-adhesive labels before dispensing) generated more than 40 tons of waste in that year, costing around $10,600 in disposal/handling costs.

To further improve Smartwater production in line with its corporate focus on recycling, sustainability and creating a circular economy, CCEP engaged label and packaging producer Avery Dennison, who collaborated with partners Viridor and PET UK to help reduce waste, costs and the carbon footprint of Smartwater production in the United Kingdom.

Under the new recycling scheme, PET UK shreds and extrudes the waste PET liner and then produces a material suitable for making new items such as PET staple fibre, strapping or thermoformable sheets. There will also be significant savings in CO₂ emissions — around 180–200 tons in 2016.

“We have close relationships both with PET UK and with CCEP’s waste management company Viridor, and together we have been able to establish a strategy that saves on waste and emissions while at the same time giving CCEP concrete business benefits and cost reductions,” said Xander van der Vlies, sustainability director for Avery Dennison Materials Group Europe.

Van der Vlies noted that creating awareness on PET recycling will continue, “Since we launched this initiative with PET UK in 2014, we have signed up many wine, spirits, beer and beverage brands. Avery Dennison has set an ambitious sustainability goal for 2025 of eliminating 70% of liner waste from the industry value chain.”

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