Nestlé Waters – Creating Shared Value report

2 Quality is our foundation
24
the bottle
Nestlé Waters – CreatiNg Shared Value report 2005-2010
Delivering superior quality water would be impossible without bottling. The bottle is the last link in
a closed, hermetically sealed chain that preserves water from any external influence from source
to consumption. The bottle acts as a barrier, guaranteeing the water is protected and untouched
until it reaches the consumer’s hands. Once bottled and sealed, the water is perfectly stable
and preserved, provided it is stored in a place protected from too much light and from extreme
temperatures. Our guarantee of consistency generally runs for a two-year period for most of our
bottles of plain still water, as indicated by the shelf-life date on each bottle.
Recyclable plastic is our primary packaging material. Nestlé Waters uses three types of plastic
packaging to bottle its products: PET (polyethylene terephtalate) in our smaller formats; HDPE
(high-density polyethylene) in some of our larger formats; and PC (polycarbonate) for some of
our Home and Office activities. All these materials fully comply with stringent international and
national regulations on safety for food packaging. The share of glass containers now accounts
for 3% of our 2010 production. Our use of other primary packaging such as aluminium cans
is very marginal.
In addition to being a safe container, the bottle carries important information for consumers.
The labels, for example, provide information about the water’s characteristics to the
consumer. Nestlé Waters believes that consumers have a right to know both the source and
composition of purchased water. We believe it is a brand advantage to make such information
easily available to consumers as it helps build confidence in our product. Contact details on
the label also allow consumers to speak to Consumer Care Centre operators and request
further information. Codes located on each bottle allow us to trace products, plant locations,
the bottling line and the time of production for quality control requirements.