All of Hartwall’s beverage packages are recyclable – refillable glass bottles, recyclable plastic bottles, and cans.
Refillable bottles are used as is – in other words, they are collected, washed and refilled. On average, a glass bottle is refilled 33 times. Hartwall refills the glass bottles with alcoholic beverages.
Recyclable plastic bottles were launched at the beginning of 2008. Recyclable plastic bottles with a deposit are collected in the same way as all other beverage packages. The plastic of refillable plactic bottles is reused to make new pre-forms and other industrial packaging materials. The deposit on 0.5 litre recyclable plastic bottles is 20 cents, and 40 cents for 1.5 litre bottles. The amount of the deposit is indicated on the label. Return station machines identify deposit bottles from the EAN code on the label. The bottle and label should thus be intact when returned.
Returned aluminium cans are melted and the aluminium is used to make new cans. Manufacture of cans from used cans is efficient, as it requires only 5% of the energy used in initial manufacture. Aluminium can always be reused. The deposit on domestic beverage cans is 15 cents. Non-deposit cans imported from abroad should also be returned for recycling.
No deposit is paid on imported beers and ciders in glass bottles and Hartwall’s long neck glass bottles. However, when deposited at an Alko return station, 10 cents is paid per bottle and the glass is recycled.
All beverage packages are environmentally friendly when returned for recycling. Finns are highly conscientious in recycling beverage packages. The return rate of refillable bottles is 98%, high even in international terms. Ninety per cent of deposit beverage cans are returned. The same level has been set as the target for the new recyclable plastic bottles.