Recycling & the environment

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Are the Buxton® plastic bottles recyclable?

Buxton water bottles are 100% recyclable. We apply recyclable-by-design principles when developing new packaging, which includes avoiding the use of materials and/or compounds that could reduce the quality of recycled PET.

How do I recycle Buxton® plastic bottles?

Remove the bottle’s cap, crush it flat and throw both the bottle and the cap in the recycling bin.

Why should Natural Source Water (Bottled Water) exist when we have safe tap water?

We believe water is the healthiest way to hydrate and should be encouraged in any format. There are a number of different reasons people then choose the waters they do. Buxton Mineral Water differs to tap water, as it is a protected underground source and is not chemically treated. Our consumers also enjoy its pleasant and unique taste. Whilst other consumers choose Buxton for its quality guarantee, or as a convenient and portable way to hydrate.

Have you reduced the amount of plastic used in your bottles?

Since 2013, Buxton has removed 11960tons of PET plastic from its bottles, now producing its lightest ever bottles containing as little plastic as possible, whilst maintaining the durability and safety consumers expect from Buxton.

Do you support Deposit Schemes (DRS)?

Yes, we continue to support the introduction of a UK wide Deposit Return Scheme.

We recognise that a well-designed, UK harmonised DRS can be effective in collecting more plastic beverage bottles and, by collecting separately, can increase the availability of local high quality, food-grade recycled PET (rPET) to aid a bottle to bottle closed loop.

What about bio-based PET or Bio-degradable materials?

We are determined to look at every option to solve this complex challenge and embrace multiple solutions that can have an impact now. We believe in the value of recyclable and compostable paper-based materials and biodegradable polymers, in particular where recycling infrastructure does not exist.

We need to push the boundaries and do more.

In December 2018, Nestlé announced the opening of the Institute of Packaging Sciences. This Institute will allow us to develop and test different sustainable packaging material, and work together with industrial partners to develop new packaging material

Nestlé is intensifying research into every aspect of packaging science to deliver the packaging of tomorrow. This includes notably research on biodegradability. Biodegradable plastic is a material that can decompose with the help of microorganisms.

In January 2019, Nestlé formed a global partnership with Danimer Scientific to develop a marine biodegradable and recyclable bottle for its water business. Danimer Scientific is a pioneer in creating more sustainable and more natural ways to make plastic products.

Nestlé Waters is also a co-founder of the NaturAll Bottle Alliance (with Danone, Origin Material, and more recently, PepsiCo) which aims to develop 100% virgin bio-based PET bottles by 2025 using only raw material that does not diminish food and feed resources.

The Alliance uses biomass feedstocks, such as previously used cardboard and wood’s sawdust, so it does not divert resources or land from food production for human or animal consumption. The technology being explored by the Alliance represents a scientific breakthrough for the sector, and the Alliance aims to make it available to the entire food and beverage industry.

Bottles made from bio-based PET will be as recyclable as conventional oil-based PET bottles

Are the Buxton® plastic bottles BPA free?

Buxton® plastic bottles are made of PET, the only plastic used in the UK for bottled water and it does not contain BPA.

Is rPET recyclable?

Yes rPET is 100% recyclable. Our bottles were already 100% recyclable and remain so.

How many of your bottles are recycled/reused?

On average 58% of all plastic bottles are collected for recycling in the UK. Learn more: http://www.recoup.org/p/173/download-centre

Is Buxton® committed to reducing and ultimately phasing out the use of throw away plastics?

With the right systems and approaches in place, plastic bottles do not need to be single-use, throw away objects, but can be a new resource with multiple potential uses through recycling and recovery. Our priority is therefore to support improvements to how bottles are collected and used. We have also partnered with Danimer and PepsiCo to develop a marine biodegradable bottle system: bit.ly/danimerBIO

What is R Generation?

R-Generation is a schools primary and secondary recycling programme created collaboratively with RECOUP and Wastebuster. The main objective of the R-Generation programme is to teach children the benefits and possibilities of recycling through interactive games and a varied education materials.

What does full circularity for your bottles mean? 

We are helping to close the recycling loop on plastic, reducing the need for new plastic by making all BUXTON bottles entirely from recycled PET plastic (excluding caps and labels).

What about the caps and labels? 

The cap and label are made from different types of virgin plastic. The caps are made from high density polyethylene (HDPE) and the labels are made from oriented Polyethylene (OPP).  

Are caps and labels recyclable? 

When attached to the bottles, caps and labels are recyclable. 

Why aren’t these made from recycled plastic? 

We are continually looking for ways to reduce our environmental impact. We are working with suppliers to find solutions that will further reduce the amount of virgin plastic we use and our carbon footprint. For example, the packaging used to make our multipack wrap is made using 50% recycled Polyethylene (rPE). 

Now you have achieved this goal, what’s next for BUXTON®? 

When it comes to packaging, our goal is to help make the circular economy for plastics a reality; increasing bottle collection and recycling rates, in turn reducing the need for new plastic. We are continually looking for ways to reduce our environmental impact. We are working with suppliers to find solutions that will further reduce the amount of virgin plastic we use and our carbon footprint. For example, the packaging used to make our multipack wrap is made using 50% recycled Polyethylene (rPE).   

These are important parts of Nestlé’s journey to reduce the use of virgin plastics by one third by 2025 and an important milestone, supporting the Nestlé Group in its ambition to achieve net zero by 2050. 

What is Buxton doing to prevent bottles – recycled plastic or otherwise – from ending up in landfill or the oceans?

BUXTON is working with partners such as Biffa, to help increase the national recycling rate and significantly reduce the amount of virgin plastic in circulation. We continue to support proposals for UK-wide Deposit Return Schemes, which we believe are the most suitable approach to achieve collection rates of close to 100%, to prevent littering, and provide high quality food-grade rPET for new bottles. Increasing collection rates at scale will also help to address the current price increases for recycled PET. 

Can bottled water ever be truly sustainable?

We believe so yes. BUXTON, and Nestlé more widely, has ambitious goals when it comes to sustainability. This announcement is an important part of Nestlé’s journey to reduce the use of virgin plastics by one third by 2025 and marks an important milestone in supporting the Nestlé Group in its ambition to achieve net zero by 2050. 

How many times can PET be recycled?

PET from beverage bottles can be recycled into food grade recyclate and used for the same purpose several times. If collected separately, mechanical recycling of the collected bottles usually can allow for four or five loops without major quality degradation. The number of possible loops differs related to the quality of collection and the recycling processes employed. Technological advances are constantly evolving in this area and recent research indicates that more loops are feasible, with separate collection being one of the key enablers to this success. This is one of the reasons why we support DRS which help to collect higher quantities and higher quality of PET bottles.    

After several loops, rPET with lower quality can still be used for other applications. 

How can I tell if it is PET plastic in my bottle?

Plastic beverage bottles are usually made from PET. PET bottles have a recycling symbol including the number 1 embossed on the wall of the plastic which indicates it is PET. 

Why are the recycled PET bottles slightly different in colour?

Recycled PET has to undergo thorough sorting, grinding and cleaning processes in order to meet high quality, food-grade standards. The recycling process can cause minor discolouration in the reprocessing of the recycled PET. We continue to work hard with our suppliers to use recycled PET that has minimal effect on the colour of our bottles, but we expect to find small differences due to the nature of the process.