Editor Rebekah Jordan spoke to André Lang-Herfurth, SEA ME (zerooo), to explore the environmental benefits of reusable PET bottles compared to single-use plastic bottles, highlighting the potential for reductions in CO2 emissions, water use, and fossil fuel equivalents.
zerooo
Q. How does the reusable PET bottle compare to single-use plastic bottles in terms of carbon footprint? What factors were considered in the assessment?
We have co-authored an LCA by the Technical University Hamburg according to DIN DIN EN ISO 14040 und 14044, which is still under critical review. The scope of the study entails a representative single-use lid and labels plus 300 ml containers in direct comparison for sale in Germany and Austria at leading retailers for brands manufacturing formulas in Germany. The scope of the study further compares single use PET and HDPE containers with PCR-compositions of 0%, 30%, 65% and 100% to address the upcoming PPWR legislation, brands will have to meet in this space by 2030 (30%) and 2040 (65%) for PET.
We modelled return rate increases from 80% towards 95% up to 98%, which is the current rate for mineral water bottles in Germany, a strong indicator because unlike soft drinks and beer in returnable containers (50% market share in Germany), water bottles also stay mostly at home or in restaurants – like zerooo cosmetic bottles. To analyse the impact of transportation distances, the study models a single cleaning facility, which is how zeroo operates now and five cleaning facilities across Germany, which is the objective Indicatively, we can share that the zerooo returnable bottle is outperforming all types of single-use containers with any % of PCR, once the return rate reaches approx 90%.
The impact drivers the study focuses upon are CO2e emissions (in kg), Water use (in l) and fossil fuel equivalents (in kg). With all of this as a background, the way the zerooo system is designed, it has the potential to reduce environmental impact vs a single-use PET bottle with 30% PCR (PPWR by 2030) up to – 55% CO2e, -54% fossil fuel equivalents and – 67% in water use. All of which will happen, while reducing the material loss rate in single-use for cosmetics from at best 70% (= 30% of material can be reused as recyclate at least once) down to 4%, meaning that 96% of used material stays in the closed loop.
All lids in the system are PP-monomaterial, ensuring 100% high-quality recycling after single use and collection at the cleaning facility."
Q. What are the biggest opportunities for this cosmetic PET packaging?
A closed loop system for cosmetics packaging mean using less material, less virgin plastic, fewer resources and less CO2 (see LCA indication above).
For brands: Address PPWR, CSRD, Green Claim Directive and EU Plastics Tax - zero waste will go mainstream, while users continue to enjoy their favourite formulas.
For retailers: Reverse Logistics increase effort, but retailers also address Scope 3 emissions and resource use, while displaying responsibility on how we engage with resources. Returning empties becomes a traffic generator.
For users, it means they can purchasing their favourite brands and formulas while minimising waste and impact.
Q. Are there any sustainability certifications or initiatives in place to ensure responsible sourcing for the packaging?
zerooo is the first non-food brand carrying the German “Mehrweg für die Umwelt” logo, which in Germany is given to participating brands in the beverage and food sectors for returnable packaging. Aside this, zerooo is only working with best-in-class suppliers and partners like Alpla – for bottle sourcing, cleaning, and logistics. Participating brands and retailers are renowned partners with serious sustainability agendas.
Q. What happens to the bottles after they reach the end of their reusable life? How are they sorted, processed, and recycled?
The bottles are recycled at the end-of-reuse-life and become new zerooo bottles again. In addition, all lids in the system are PP-monomaterial as well, ensuring 100% high-quality recycling after single use and collection at the cleaning facility.
By scanning both the ID and the GTIN on the bottle prior to cleaning, zerooo is building up “container passes” displaying what type of formulas from which brands was inside the container over its lifetime."
Q. Could you tell us more about the laser-engraved 2D data matrix code and how it ensures quality?
The zerooo ID, a 2D data matrix code enables zerooo, the system provider, to track various new data sets relevant to managing the system. Here are some examples:
- To which brand partner was the container shipped? From which retail partner was it collected? How long was the travelling time?
- How many times has the container been to a zerooo cleaning facility?
By scanning both the ID and the GTIN on the bottle prior to cleaning, zerooo is building up “container passes” displaying what type of formulas from which brands was inside the container over its lifetime. This is relevant for measuring container performance bottle quality performance over time.
Q. Are there any potential challenges or limitations associated with recycling bottles with this type of marking?
No, there are no restrictions since the zerooo-ID is lasered into the bottle, so no material is added to dilute the monomaterial.