Ballygowan: Bottled Wild and 100% sustainable
- Blaithnaid Treacy unveils the rebrand of the Ballygowan range now made from 100% recycled plastic and are 100% recyclable
- Ballygowan is encouraging consumers to ‘close the loop’ in the circular economy by recycling bottles responsibly after use to ensure these bottles are reused sustainably
- The entire range of Ballygowan 100% recycled plastic bottles are now available in stores nationwide
Tuesday, 11th May: Ballygowan, Ireland’s number one water brand, has taken a major step forward in its ambition to be the most sustainable water brand in Ireland, with all bottles now made from 100% recycled plastic, and are 100% recyclable. Unveiled by RTE’s Blaithnaid Treacy, the iconic brand has undergone a complete makeover, but the same refreshing water, bottled wild from source at Newcastle West in Limerick, remains unchanged.
By introducing the new bottles, Ballygowan will be removing 51 million virgin PET bottles (non-recycled), which is 1288 tonnes and replacing it with 100% recycled and 100% recyclable rPET bottles. A further 245 tonnes of plastic will also be removed through light weighing in 2021. When recycled correctly, the new rPET bottles can be reused over and over again, becoming a contributor to the circular economy, and resulting in a positive impact on the planet.
Unlike many water brands, Ballygowan is bottled wild in Ireland, meaning it is a local choice and doesn’t travel over 1,000km to get to consumers. Ballygowan is committed to helping to create a more sustainable future and believes that packaging should never become waste and the recycling process should be as easy as possible for its customers.
Commenting on the launch, Blaithnaid Treacy said :
“Ballygowan is such an iconic Irish brand and is now leading the way to a more sustainable future. We are all looking for ways to lead a more sustainable lifestyle and to be better. A simple change you can make today is by recycling correctly. These bottles are not only 100% recyclable, but made from 100% recycled plastic, so make sure you pop them in the recycling bin when you’ve used them to play you part in the circular economy.”
Sian Young, Head of People & Planet for Britvic Ireland commented;
“We are proud to introduce our new 100% recycled and 100% recyclable Ballygowan range. As a business, we are committed, and laser focused in our vision to become the most sustainable water brand in Ireland. Providing they are properly recycled, PET bottles can be a safe, efficient and environmentally friendly form of packaging – that’s why we are committed to measures creating a ‘circular economy’ for plastic. When rPET bottles are recycled correctly, this allows us to ‘close the circle’, keeping our packaging materials in the supply chain and out of the natural environment thus having a positive impact on the planet.
Some important changes have also been taking place at the factory in Newcastle West, Co Limerick, which is now powered by renewable energy and as a result we have reduced our carbon emissions at the Newcastle West site by over 90%.
We know we have a lot to do in order to protect our planet, and many consumers can feel overwhelmed by the challenges we face together. At Britvic we are on the path to a more Sustainable future and are excited to take this next step on the journey with our consumers by offering 100% Recycled Ballygowan bottles and asking they recycle them after use. A small change that delivers big impact while also enjoying what I believe is one of Irelands best natural assets - locally sourced natural mineral water.”
Orlagh Geraghty, Marketing Manager, Ballygowan, Britvic Ireland, commented:
“We are thrilled to announce that Ballygowan, Ireland’s number 1 water brand is now available produced in 100% recycled and 100% recyclable packaging, in both still and sparkling, across our full PET portfolio. We are incredibly proud of our heritage, and believe that this is an important step forward for our brand on the road to a sustainable future for us, and our customers. We are excited to offer our consumers a more responsible way to enjoy our refreshing Irish natural mineral water and we look forward to bringing them along on our sustainability journey.”
A proud Irish brand, Ballygowan is Irelands No. 1 natural mineral water and is locally sourced, meaning it is the local choice for our consumers. It takes 750 years to filter through calcium rich limestone to join our source underground, creating its uniquely refreshing taste.