Britvic on course for zero-waste status

Britvic, which owns brands such as Tango, Robinsons and J20, revealed that global factories are now diverting 99% of waste away from landfill. The company has a target to become a zero-waste business by 2020.

Specifically, new UK bottling lines removed 300 tonnes of plastic packaging in 2017, and Britvic is now attempting to produce 15% of its UK-based plastic bottles from recycled PET plastics by 2020. In fact, the company is targeting material reductions across all packaging formats. Already, 100% of Britvic’s plastic bottles are recyclable.

Commenting on the report, RECOUP’s Stuart Foster said: “Consumers now expect leading brands to be taking responsibility for the environment, and this new programme from Britvic is a great example of what is achievable.

“Not only does the Healthier Everyday initiative continue to address the consumer facing activities needed to improve recycling and efficient use of resources, but it also demonstrates the continued commitment of Britvic working behind the scenes to reduce waste, save energy, and ensure they continue to set themselves ambitious environmental targets moving forwards.”

Sustainability strides

The majority of Britvic’s manufacturing sites are based in the UK, Ireland, France and Brazil. The company is looking to cut emissions at facilities by 15% by 2020, against a 2020 baseline, relative to production. Britvic is already a third of the way to this goal, after recording a 5% reduction in 2017.

Despite commissioning new product lines, Britvic’s water ratio of 2.15 in 2016 was maintained. The company is now targeting a reduction in this area, hoping to improve the ratio to 1.4.

Britvic has also made major strides in its bid to develop a viable bottle from sustainable wood fibres. Last year, the company concluded proof-of-concept tests in a three-year collaboration with Innovate UK and British SME Natural Resources to create fully-recyclable packaging from sustainably sourced, renewable wood fibre materials.

The packaging innovation forms part of the FTSE 250 firm’s £240m supply chain investment programme to maximise efficiency across its manufacturing sites, reduce waste and improve its environmental footprint.

Matt Mace