New Nestlé Waters bottle labels aim to encourage more recycling.
STAMFORD — Nestlé Waters North America announced this week it has begun adding new recycling labels to its bottled half-liter products in the U.S., marking the start of one of the company’s most significant environmental initiatives.
“By adopting the How2Recycle label, millions of consumers will now have a clear and consistent recycling guide on the side of the bottle — driving recovery of the bottle and a reduction in environmental impact.” Nestlé Waters began the initiative this month by adding the How2Recycle “Empty and Replace Cap” label to certain Nestlé Pure Life bottles.
The empty-and-replace-cap instructions direct users to empty the bottle’s contents and then screw the cap back on before recycling the bottle.
The new label would then begin to appear on certain Poland Spring, Deer Park, Ozarka, Ice Mountain and Zephyrhills brand half-liter bottles later in August.
Some Arrowhead bottles would add the label next month.
The How2Recycle label was created in 2012 by the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, a collaborative of businesses, educational institutions and government agencies focused on making recycling easier.
The labeling is found on thousands of products across sectors such as beverages, toys, baby care, pet care, baking supplies and condiments.
About 5 percent of plastic beverage bottles turn into litter, according to a 2009 study by Stamford nonprofit Keep America Beautiful.
“It’s one of the reasons we’ve invested $6 million in the Closed Loop Fund.” Among key education initiatives, Nestlé Waters is a founding partner of the “I Want To Be Recycled” PSA campaign that Keep America Beautiful launched with the Ad Council in 2013.