Mountain Falls Natural Mineral Water is aware of its responsibility to the planet and the impact plastic has on the environment. As a result we have chosen to self-regulate. Along with our strategic partners, we are committed to reducing this impact by ensuring that we meet self imposed recycling targets through our ZEROPET project.

ZEROPET is a Mountain Falls recycle initiative that offers a sustainable plan to create a zero-pet footprint. It aims to contribute towards diverting post-consumer recyclable PET bottles from the environment and landfill sites which will be audited by our collectors and recyclers, and directed to an end user PET convertor, Mpact.

We are committed to reducing and eradicating our impact on the environment through our self imposed recycling initiative. Our immediate impact is 2,5 million PET (plastic bottles) per year which equates to 50 tons per annum. Our intention is to recover double this amount of PET by removing 2 PET bottles for every one we sell - this would amount to removing  100 tons of PET per year.

We have committed with our strategic partners, including our direct client base, encouraging them to participate in re-using and recycling PET via our recycle initiative.

In collaboration with Recycle 1^st and gold Youth Development, we have selected various schools & community projects which will benefit directly from the proceeds generated from our recycled PET. This we hope will further promote and encourage consumers to participate in our ZEROPET initiative.

ZEROPET is further emphasised by our new PET range. We have designed and created a unique product, paying special attention to the materials used. The result is a beautiful, reusable bottle that maximises value and eliminates waste. Improved design and business models minimise the use of raw materials and energy through restorative systems.

Mountain Falls is a member of PETCO, South Africa’s national body accountable for managing and growing the collection and recycling of PET bottles after consumer use, on behalf of its members. As such, we pay a fee per tonne on all plastic bottles that we produce. This in addition to our own ZEROPET initiative.

Why we support PET?

PET is recognised globally as a safe packaging material for a wide variety of food products. It is safe, shatterproof, reusable and 100% recyclable back into PET products like bottles and fibre.

Manufacturers opt for PET due to its strength, thermostability & transparency. Its 3.5 times lighter than glass. This equates to reducing costs and decreased carbon emissions relating to transportation as a result of 33% less packaging and fewer trucks.

Retailers prefer PET for product visibility. It is light, which facilitates shelf stacking, while being shatterproof ensures safety, product integrity and less breakage.

Consumers find PET portable, lightweight and resealable for efficient on-the-go-hydration. It is also 100% safe and 100% recyclable. 

Environmentally, PET is the most recycled packaging polymer on the shelves. The weight of PET packaging has reduced by more than 30% over the past 10 years. When asked why we promote plastic packages that are recyclable, the answer is simple: In our view it makes better sense from both an environmental and economic perspective to capture the raw material and energy contained in a plastic bottle and re-use it instead of consigning it to landfill sites. 

PET packaging saves packaging mass, energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Without it, we would use 2 to 3 times more resources. PET packaging production uses about half as much energy as glass & is more energy efficient to recycle than glass.

In terms of Safety, there is still a lot of confusion about PET after concerns were raised about a completely different kind of plastic – BPA - which is not used in the production of PET material. It is also not used as a chemical building block for any of the materials used in the manufacture of PET. Current research shows that PET does not contain or leach oestrogen-like chemicals such as BPA or other endocrine disrupters and is 100% safe.

PET Recycling is 100% sustainable. Recycled PET, called rPET, is used to make a variety products, including the polyester staple fibre/filament used for clothing, home textiles (duvets, pillows, carpeting), automotive parts (carpets, sound insulation, boot linings, seat covers) and industrial end-use items (geotextiles and roof insulation).

rPET is also used to create new PET packaging and bottles for both food and non-food products. It is generally blended in a ratio of virgin to recycled, depending on the application required. PET packaging can be made with up to 100% recycled PET, recapturing both the material and the inherent energy of the original package. It can also be recycled multiple times.

PET is too valuable to be thrown away