A UK-based soft drink manufacturer Lucozade Ribena Suntory announced that it is redesigning its drinks bottles across its portfolio, to improve recyclability and help accelerate its sustainability mission.
Image: Lucozade Ribena Suntory is redesigning its drinks bottles the UK. Photo: Courtesy of Lucozade Ribena Suntory.
The soft drink producer said that the 500ml Ribena bottle is expected to be redesigned first as part of its eco-friendly initiatives, which led Ribena to be the first UK soft drink brand to use bottles made from 100% recycled plastic.
Lucozade Ribena Suntory is reducing the full printed sleeves that cover some of its bottles as an important part of its redesigning to help recycling more effective.
The reduced sleeves and increased transparency of the bottles would make it easier for automated sorting machines to identify the packaging and ensure that each bottle has optimal possibility to be recycled back into plastic products.
Lucozade Ribena Suntory external affairs and sustainability director Michelle Norman said: “Lucozade Ribena Suntory takes its sustainability commitments very seriously and we are extremely proud to be announcing this packaging redesign to ensure our brands continue to be as sustainable as possible.
“While we continue to make positive changes to our brands it is important that wider changes are made by companies like us, government and industry to ensure recycling rates in the UK can continue to increase.”
Lucozade Ribena Suntory said that its latest decision to redesign bottles is aimed to ensure all its packaging is fully recyclable within the UK’s current recycling infrastructure.
The company claims that it has already pledged to make 100% of its plastic packaging is reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025 and is taking positive steps, like Fitwater, to ensure new drink launches are designed with bottle-to-bottle recycling in mind.
In addition, Lucozade Ribena Suntory said that it has trialled Ooho, a plastic free biodegradable packaging, to distribute Lucozade Sport to participants at sporting events. The company has also invested in behavioural change initiatives to help change consumer perceptions of plastic and partnered with Hubbub, an anti-littering charity, to raise awareness and deter littering.