European beverage label introduces a 100% Prevented Ocean Plastic bottle in Tesco
NEO WTR produced by Brookfield Drinks has beaten all multinational soft drinks brands to market by launching a new spring water range using the category’s first fully recycled ocean-bound plastic bottle with recyclable cap and label.
With projections suggesting that by 2050 our oceans could contain more plastic by weight than fish*, NEO WTR has developed a bottle that can help to significantly slow the damage caused to marine life by ocean plastic pollution.
Every 500ml bottle of NEO WTR stops the equivalent of 1.7 plastic bottles (based on an average bottle weight of 20g. Weighing activity conducted in July 2023 within the Prevented Ocean Plastic South East Asia supply chain, inclusive of clear/light and light blue material grades, without caps and labels) entering the ocean and is made using discarded plastic that has been collected along coastlines at-risk of ocean plastic pollution.
With a fully recyclable bottle, label, and cap, NEO WTR is a Somerset-sourced spring water, bottled in the UK. This innovative impulse purchase will be stocked in the soft drinks aisle of Tesco Superstores from June.
NEO WTR managing director Nigel McNally said: “The pressure is mounting on soft drinks manufacturers to provide solutions to prevent a global disaster.
“We’ve worked incredibly hard to bring this extremely worthwhile product to market. NEO WTR is a first for the category and a massive advancement in packaging for soft drinks. Our 100% Prevented Ocean Plastic bottle, with its recyclable cap and label, offers an environmentally positive option that actively tackles the growing problem of ocean plastic.
“I’m proud knowing that we are helping combat ocean-bound waste plastic in regions that do not have the infrastructure to manage it, whilst also supporting the collectors in these areas to earn a fair and reliable wage.
“Consumers deserve a solution which allows them a more sustainable option to purchase bottled water when they are out and about and can’t use a refillable bottle to stay hydrated,” he said.
All NEO WTR bottles are produced in the UK using 100% Prevented Ocean Plastic (excluding the cap and label) – a high quality, certified and award-winning recycled plastic material that has been collected from coastal areas at risk of ocean plastic pollution. NEO WTR uses material sourced from Indonesia, the world’s second largest contributor to ocean plastic pollution.
The plastic meets regulatory health and safety standards, is traceable back to source and can be identified on-pack through its distinctive triangular logo.
Founder of the Prevented Ocean Plastic programme Raffi Schieir said: “No single company can tackle global challenges alone. Only through collective effort and real partnership can we work towards a brighter future. We couldn’t be more proud of the team at NEO WTR for joining the Prevented Ocean Plastic mission to clean, build, and recycle. Their choice to turn ocean-bound plastic bottles into new bottles is a perfect example of circularity in action.”
NEO WTR is bottled at source and has an RRP of £1.25 for 500ml. It will be stocked in 250 Tesco Superstores nationwide from the beginning of June.
