Reimagining the Water Bottle: Jabil Packaging Solutions Launches VITTEL® Hybrid Bottle

Hybrid bottle drastically reduces plastic and combines 100% recyclable components with patent-pending snap-apart design to facilitate recycling sorting

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jabil Packaging Solutions, a division of Jabil Inc. (NYSE: JBL), today launched its latest packaging prototype: the Eco.bottle® product platform for VITTEL®, a leading mineral water brand in Europe from the water division of Nestlé. Designed for scalability by a team including Ecologic Brands, acquired by Jabil earlier this year, the VITTEL® hybrid bottle leverages paper and plastic components, resulting in a plastic reduction of more than 50 percent compared to VITTEL®’s current 1-liter bottle. Moreover, this bottle features a patent-pending, first-of-its-kind tear strip, enabling easy separation of the paper and plastic components for an efficient, consumer-friendly recycling experience. This breakthrough innovation is comprised of 100 percent recycled paper and plastic materials, creating a circular system from readily available, high-volume waste streams. Consumer testing in Europe will begin in June and the bottle will be showcased to the media during the upcoming Tour de France, taking place June 26, 2021 through July 18, 2021.

“True innovation in sustainable packaging requires a holistic view of the product that goes beyond aesthetics, material selection and design features,” said Julie Corbett, senior business unit director of Jabil and founder of Ecologic Brands. “Our goal is to innovate around the entire life cycle of the bottle, not only to decrease the use of plastic. That’s why the Eco.bottle® product platform is engineered to drive plastic reduction, improve carbon footprint and optimize the consumer recycling experience.”

Constructed of 80 percent paper and only 20 percent recycled plastic (cap included), the VITTEL® hybrid bottle’s two-shell system, enabled by interlocking paper tabs, allows for nesting during transit and warehousing. This eliminates extra space in the supply chain and has the potential to lessen the amount of trucks needed for delivery by 50-60 percent.

The VITTEL® hybrid bottle project began in 2020; in less than one year, VITTEL® and Jabil have successfully delivered one of the world’s first hybrid water bottles. VITTEL’s deep knowledge of mineral water bottling helped achieve the thinnest 1-liter plastic liner in the market today, which uses just 9.2g of recycled plastic. Jabil’s conversion technology and expertise enabled the fabrication of an elegant and functional outer shell made of certified Forest Stewardship Council reclaimed and recycled material.

“It’s no longer enough for CPG companies to say they’ve reduced their waste. They now also need compelling solutions for repurposing that waste,” said Jason Paladino, senior vice president of Jabil and CEO of Jabil Packaging Solutions. “Jabil’s Box-to-Bottle® manufacturing platform allows us to take our customers' waste and incorporate it into our manufacturing process within our facilities in Manteca, California and Tortosa, Spain. This fully accountable and traceable manufacturing platform provides forward-thinking brands like VITTEL® with unparalleled visibility into the circularity of their products.”

“Thanks to Jabil’s innovative Eco.bottle® product platform, the VITTEL® hybrid bottle is the result of a journey launched several years ago to explore options for drastically reducing the proportion of plastic in our packaging,” said Laure Goutagneux, VITTEL® marketing director. “We are thrilled with the results of our collaboration, including a plastic reduction of 50 percent when compared to our current lightweight bottles.”

About Jabil:

Jabil (NYSE: JBL) is a manufacturing solutions provider with over 260,000 employees across 100 locations in 30 countries. The world's leading brands rely on Jabil's unmatched breadth and depth of end-market experience, technical and design capabilities, manufacturing know-how, supply chain insights and global product management expertise. Driven by a common purpose, Jabil and its people are committed to making a positive impact on their local community and the environment. Visit www.jabil.com to learn more.