Companies Search for Better Plastic Bottles

ÉVIAN-LES-BAINS, France — Bottled water, which now enjoys the top spot as America’s favorite beverage, has a new enemy—it’s disposable plastic packaging, the Wall Street Journal reports. From straws to bottles to bags, consumers are increasingly unhappy with disposable plastic, the news source writes. With more places, such as department stores and zoos, banning disposable plastic, companies are working to finding alternatives.

For example, Evian has promised that all its plastic bottles would be made entirely with recycled plastic by 2025, up from 30%. Nestlé has aluminum and glass packaging for some of its brands and has been working to ensure all packaging is reusable or recyclable by 2025.

However, making a “better” plastic bottle has been difficult because current recycling technology must have clean and clear plastic to manufacture new water bottles. But low recycling rates and patchwork infrastructure contribute to low supply.

Danone, parent company of Evian, says new technology can transform old plastic—such as dirty carpets and condiment bottles—into usable plastic for new water bottles. “People are really concerned about what’s happening with the packaging,” said Igor Chauvelot, who studies sustainability issues for Danone. “It’s a concern and an opportunity at the same time.”

Bottled-water sales jumped 284% between 1994 and 2017, according to Beverage Marketing Corp., driven largely by single-serve bottles, which capture 67% of U.S. sales. But with plastic beverage bottles as the third most common type of item found on shorelines, consumers are souring on the containers.

“The importance of this now has sunk in,” said Beverage Marketing Corp.’s Chairman Michael Bellas. “It’s the total broadened awareness of the environment, especially with millennials.”