FrieslandCampina is switching to fully recycled PET (rPET) bottles for its Fristi, Chocomel, Yazoo and Pöttyös dairy beverages next month. The Dutch multinational dairy cooperatives previous dairy beverage bottles were made with 20 percent rPET. 

“This step is crucial because in order to achieve our sustainability goals, all packaging must first become recyclable and/or reusable,” says Patrick van Baal, global director of packaging development at FrieslandCampina.

FrieslandCampina’s R&D has additionally developed a “zipper” that makes it easier to separate the label from the bottle to enhance sorting and recycling. 

The company states it is now the first dairy company to make its bottles “virtually circular” for its brands in the Netherlands, Belgium, the UK and Hungary.

Label removal facilitates recycling
FrieslandCampina initially committed to the PET switch for all its drinking bottles in 2016. Not only is its circularity attractive for beverage producers, but unlike glass, PET is lightweight and boasts a low carbon footprint. 

By reusing old PET, FrieslandCampina estimates it will prevent the production of nearly 1.9 million kg of new plastic.

Here, the separation of labels from bottles is crucial. When separated through a sorting machine, the labels can prevent the machines from detecting the bottles.

Also, when the bottle and the label go to the recycling factory together, the inks and the sleeve material can mix with the transparent bottle material, making the recyclate less transparent and lower quality.

The label is not just used for aesthetic and informational purposes, FrieslandCampina adds. It also covers the whole bottle, keeping light out and the product fresh for longer. 

To make separation easy for consumers, the new fully rPET bottles feature a zip-and-tear for undressing the bottle label.

FrieslandCampina’s sustainability strides
The Netherlands-based dairy giant is advancing its efforts in recycling, renewability and reduction in the use of fossil raw materials for packaging. 

By 2030, FrieslandCampina aims to reduce 40 percent CO2 equivalents in (transport to) production facilities and 33 percent at member dairy farms compared to 2015.

By 2025, 100 percent of its packaging will be recyclable/reusable and more than 99 percent waste materials will be reused.

The company has also set objectives through the European and the Dutch Plastic Pact and the New Plastics Global Commitment, led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

Other packaging industry innovations from FrieslandCampina include TrackEasy#, an on-pack tracking device for organic milk formula.

By Anni Schleicher