Ahead of Recycle Week, Britvic is proud to announce that a number of its brands will be moving to 100% recycled plastic, across single-serve 500ml and 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.

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.

Six ways retailers can help tackle climate change

Commercial sustainability director at Britvic, Tom Fiennes, said: “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.”

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.

Top tips

1. Speak with your customers to determine what is important to them. By doing this, you can gain an understanding of the areas they’d like to see improve, or the products they’d like on shelves
   
2. Many people are seeking to make more environmentally conscious purchases. Ensure your shelves and chillers are stocked with products that communicate their credentials on-pack
   
3. Use social media to connect with shoppers during Recycle Week, showing the sustainable products you offer and anything you’re doing in-store to mark the occasion

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