More good news for the war on plastic! On 20th October 2020, soft drink producer Britvic announced its intention for all of its plastic bottles in the UK to be made from recycled plastic (rPET) by the end of 2022.
It is estimated that 381 million tonnes of waste plastic is produced each year. Much of this plastic ends up in landfills, oceans and natural habitats all over the world. Waste plastic has been responsible for the countless deaths of wild animals and sea creatures. From sea turtles and whales to wild deer in Japan, plastic has been found inside the digestive systems of a huge number of wild animals.
Plastic is still a growing problem. Many companies do recognise that plastic is a big issue and are doing what they can to find a solution; drinks companies are trialling alternatives to plastic straws and bottles; supermarkets are working with suppliers to reduce plastic packaging; and companies, such as the Ocean Clean Up, are developing new technologies in an attempt to clean up some of the plastic that already pollutes the ocean.
However, unless we all make a big change, the problem of plastic pollution is not going to go away. We all need to do what we can to ensure that we, and our businesses, are doing everything we can to reduce, reuse and recycle plastic waste.
Recently, Britvic announced that all its plastic drinks bottles in the UK will be made from recycled plastic by the end of 2022. Furthermore, its new manufacturing plants will be powered solely by renewable energy. The announcement to make all of its plastic bottles from recycled plastic puts Britvic three years ahead of their original target of 2025.
In 2019, Britvic entered into a long-term agreement with the UK’s largest converter of rPET, Esterform Packaging Limited, for the supply of recycled plastic. As part of the agreement, Britvic provided a £5m investment support package to build new state-of-the-art rPET manufacturing plants which will be powered by 100% renewable energy sources.
The move to rPET bottles is set to cover all brands owned by Britvic and its partner PepsiCo following Britvic’s long-term agreement with rPET converter Esterform.
This move shows that Britvic and PepsiCo are committed to protecting the planet for future generations and creating a circular economy for plastic.
We’re glad to see another company recognising their responsibility to reduce and recycle plastic. This takes us another step closer to a plastic-free planet. Despite Britvic’s efforts, plastic pollution will still be an issue and we must all do what we can to resolve it.
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