Return of the non-returnable bottle.

Once upon a time, Europeans threw their empty bottles in the trash can, and were happy. Then the Guardians of the Environment told them that was wasteful, so in came the returnable bottle, first a glass one then a nice lightweight PET number. The label business was quick to adapt, with new adhesives that ensured that the label washed off easily in a caustic bath (and not before) leaving the empty bottle clean, shiny and ready for refilling. This system has now become the most widely used in the UK, Germany, Austria and Scandinavia, traditionally the "greenest" parts of Europe.

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Suddenly, new ideas are suffusing the world of beverage packing and labeling. In ecologically correct Sweden, returnable PET bottles for soft drinks and waters are right off the agenda. The main reasons are cost and hygiene. Collecting used bottles and returning them to the bottling plant costs money--and fuel. Washing out the bottles, then checking that they are really clean costs more money and fuel. Now Sweden's last collecting station for returnables has closed and the challenge for label converters is to ensure that when the PET bottles go through the household garbage recycling system, the label and the adhesive are compatible with the PET. Oh, and the Swedish government still levies a charge on all non-returnable containers (i.e., now, on all containers) just to show the taxpayer how green it is.