Ribena announces new sustainability measures
Ribena is announcing a range of new sustainability measures to celebrate over 10 years of using 100 per cent recycled plastic (rPET) to produce its drink bottles.
Ribena was the first UK soft drink brand to pioneer this approach in 2007, preventing 40,000 tonnes of virgin plastic being produced. Following the success of its introduction of rPET, the soft drinks brand has announced several other steps in order to increase its sustainability even further.
Most recently, it completed a successful trial of a new design for lightweight plastic for its 500ml bottle. By reducing its plastic packaging, the brand will save 325 tonnes of plastic every year once it rolls this design out in January.
The brand is also making progress with the trays that the Ribena squash concentrate bottles are delivered on, pushing for the trays to be made from 100 per cent recycled cardboard – a move Ribena has already implemented with the trays used to transport its beverage cartons. These two changes alone could save up to 406 tonnes of new board from being produced every year.
Ribena has also considered a different part of the supply chain in order to increase recycling rates, recently requesting that consumers push their straws back into Ribena cartons so that the straws are easier to collect and subsequently recycle.
Michelle Norman, Director of External Affairs and Sustainability at Lucozade Ribena Suntory (LRS), brand owner of Ribena, said: “We all have a role to play in reducing, reusing and recycling plastic, and Lucozade Ribena Suntory is on a mission to be as sustainable a business as possible. We are extremely proud that we’ve been reusing 100 per cent recycled plastic in our bottles for a decade and we are committed to continued innovation.”
Additionally, LRS is attempting to change its relationship with single-use plastics through company collaborations: it has partnered with anti-litter charity Hubbub to create content for their vlog, producing a video which explores the bottle recycling process at Ribena in greater detail.
Most recently, LRS signed Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP)’s UK Plastic Pact along with over 40 other UK businesses, agreeing to eliminate problematic or unnecessary single-use plastic packaging and ensure all of its plastic packaging is reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.
Peter Maddox, Director at WRAP, said: “As a founding member of The UK Plastics Pact, it is fantastic to see Lucozade Ribena Suntory taking proactive steps to minimise its impact on the environment.”
Read more: Leading bottled drinks manufacturers commit to eliminating plastic packaging by 2030
LRS appears to still be looking for new innovation to reduce its plastic production. It launched its Global Innovation Challenge, which is a call to all innovators and entrepreneurs to find practical solutions to help the company reduce its plastic production.
One idea that originated from the Global Innovation Challenge and which the brand owner recently trialled was Lucozade’s edible packaging, made from seaweed extract. This idea addressed the recycling criticism the brand received regarding the unrecyclable sleeve wrapped around its drink bottles, as well as pioneering a new approach as to how we can responsibly consume drinks.
To find out more about the company’s plans for a more sustainable future, take a look at the LRS website.