Ahead of Recycle Week, Britvic is proud to announce that a number of its brands will be moving to 100% rPET (recycled plastic), across single serve 500ml and/ or 600ml bottles, by the end of September1. This includes Pepsi MAX, 7UP Free, Tango, Lipton, Robinsons Ready to Drink and Drench, with Mountain Dew also following suit in December 2022. The change will be supported with clear on-pack messaging across selected brands, in-store and outlet activation via POS materials and a new TV advert from Pepsi MAX.
Tom Fiennes, Commercial Sustainability Director at Britvic, comments: “At Britvic, we’ve announced our intention that all bottles produced and sold by us in GB will be made from 100% rPET by the end of 2022. We have already made huge progress towards this goal, but are pleased to confirm the next step in achieving our target, making the change across leading brands and in time for Recycle Week.”
Additionally, to gather insight around consumers changing habits and brand preferences based on sustainability credentials, Britvic has also commissioned independent research. It reveals that the majority of Brits (80%) think it is important that manufacturers and brands use recycled plastic2, with over half (58%) stating they are more likely to choose a soft drink brand that communicates its use of 100% rPET on-pack, than those that don’t2.
Fiennes continues: “The research we’ve commissioned gives us further insight into consumer habits and how these are impacted by sustainable efforts on behalf of manufacturers, retailers and foodservice outlets. It also reveals that 60% of Brits will return to a specific store if they stock products that use recycled plastic2. This goes to show how important it is for retailers, and operators, to offer a range of sustainable products and that this can affect shopper loyalty.
“To further support our trade customers, we’re not only proud to be delivering action, but also helping them to generate sales at point of purchase through the on-pack communications on our move to 100% rPET, and POS materials. We have also invested in a fully integrated single serve campaign, which will lead with Pepsi MAX - appearing on social, TV and OOH.”
Lipton Ice Tea was the first to make the change, with 100% rPET 500ml bottles on shelves this summer. They are the first bottles to use Esterpet packaging following Britvic’s £5m investment support in Esterform’s rPET manufacturing facility in 2019. Each bottle will state its 100% recycled plastic credential clearly on pack, helping consumers make informed decisions on their purchases.
You can find out more about Recycle Week, and how to recycle, at https://www.recyclenow.com/.
Notes to Editor
Additional research results:
- 58% of Brits state they are more likely to choose a soft drink brand that communicates it is using 100% recycled plastic in its bottles, over a brand that doesn’t say this on-pack
- Majority of Brits (80%) think it is important that manufactures and brands use recycled plastic (42% say it is extremely important)
- Over half of Brits (60%) will return to a specific store if they have more availability of sustainable products that use recycled plastic
- 94% of Brits recycle one or more plastic bottles each week
- Despite 93% of Brits recycling as much waste as possible, 58% still say they could do more to be eco-conscious in their daily life
- 31% worry a great deal about the state of the world they’ll leave behind for the next generation
- A third of Brits perceive a lack of understanding about what needs to go in what bin as the greatest barrier to recycling
Additional brand details:
7UP
Bottle size: 500ml/ 600ml
Messaging: The 100% rPET takeover labels will appear for a short period of ~3months until reverting back to standard labels. The new standard labels will include the 100% recycled PET message on pack.
Label & lid: Both recyclable, but not made from 100% rPET
Pepsi (including Pepsi MAX, Diet Pepsi and Pepsi flavours)
Bottle size: 500ml/ 600ml
Messaging: The 100% rPET takeover labels will a appear for a short period of ~6 months until reverting back to standard labels. The new standard labels will include the 100% recycled PET message on pack.
Label & lid: Both recyclable, but not made from 100% rPET
Additional: 375ml bottle will also move to 100% rPET in October. There will be no pack takeover.
Tango
Bottle size: 500ml/ 600ml
Messaging: New standard label will include an integrated logo on the bottle calling out the 100% recycled PET from the end of Sept’ 21
Label & lid: Both recyclable, but not made from 100% rPET
Lipton
Bottle size: 500ml
Messaging: New standard label will include an integrated logo on the bottle calling out the 100% recycled PET
Sleeve & lid: Lid recyclable, sleeve not yet recyclable. Reviewing more sustainable sleeve options
Other: First to use Esterpet packaging following Britvic’s £5m investment support in Esterform’s rPET manufacturing facility in 2019
Robs RTD
Bottle size: 500ml
Messaging: Takeover labels will appear in market from Nov’ 21 and will run until the end of Feb’ 22
Sleeve & lid: Lid recyclable, sleeve not yet recyclable. As part of re-launch earlier in the year, the sleeve was reduced in size by 40% to reduce plastic packaging
drench
Bottle size: 500ml
Messaging: New messaging from Feb ’22
Sleeve & lid: Lid recyclable, sleeve not yet recyclable. Sleeve will see reduction in size of 40% next year
Contact:
For further press information, please contact the Britvic team at Cirkle.
Email: britvic@cirkle.com
Tel: 01494 731 750
All reader enquiries should be directed to: Customer Services, Britvic Soft Drinks on 0345 7581781
All featured GB Pepsi and Britvic single serve plastic bottles (500ml and 600ml), excluding caps/labels, are made from 100% recycled plastic. Larger bottles (over 1L) planned to change to 100% recycled plastic by the end of 2022
OnePoll research, 2,000 UK adults, Recycling Lifetime Survey, commissioned by Britvic, August 2021
1 All featured GB Pepsi and Britvic single serve plastic bottles (500ml and 600ml), excluding caps/labels, are made from 100% recycled plastic. Larger bottles (over 1L) planned to change to 100% recycled plastic by the end of 2022
2 OnePoll research, 2,000 UK adults, Recycling Lifetime Survey, commissioned by Britvic, August 2021