Materials can only be kept in the loop if they are properly collected, sorted and recycled.
Today Danone launched the first yoghurt pot made of 30% r-PET. The pot for Light & Free Fruit yoghurt is produced in Rotselaar. Packaging made of recycled material has a lower CO2 footprint than packaging made of new plastic or glass. With the new Light & Free Fruit pot, Danone is encouraging the reuse of plastic. R-PET offers good packaging quality and contributes towards a circular economy for packaging. PET is an alternative for PS, which yoghurt pots are usually made of. PET is currently the only plastic in the European Union that may be recycled on a large scale to make plastic packaging suitable for food (food grade material). PS is also perfectly recyclable – although not yet in food-safe applications. PS is recycled to form granulate, which is used to make new thermoformed products.
The New Blue Bag as a catalyst for a circular economy
Materials can only be kept in the loop if they are properly collected, sorted and recycled. In Belgium, Fost Plus is responsible for the household packaging waste recycling chain. Today, over six million Belgians use the New Blue Bag, which collects almost all plastic packaging waste. In a few months, the New Blue Bag will be rolled out across Belgium. Just like plastic cups, trays, film or bags, yoghurt pots can be put with the PMD to be sorted and recycled.
Plastic packaging is a valuable raw material. It has to stay in the system and cannot be allowed to become waste. Thanks to specific product information, consumers learn to sort all packaging properly in the New Blue Bag so that it can be recycled. This is an important step in closing the circular chain.
Challenges for 2025
Danone has taken up the challenge of helping to build a circular economy for household packaging by 2025. This is to be done in four ways:
- Eliminating unnecessary packaging.
- Designing packaging that is 100% reusable, compostable or recyclable.
- Using more recycled plastic.
- Cooperating with Fost Plus as an efficient Belgian waste management partner to collect recyclable packaging and actually recycle it.