Lucozade Ribena Suntory became a member of Ecosurety in July this year, a move that has enabled them to utilise a proportion of their PRN spend towards an online public awareness campaign.
Produced in collaboration with behaviour change charity Hubbub, the informative vlog explores how Ribena have been able to produce plastic bottles made from 100% recycled material since 2007. This was an industry first and a feat that many other global brands aspire to achieve, even today.
Ribena collect used drinks bottles via a deposit return scheme in the Netherlands and recycle them in a specialist recycling facility in the same country. This system ensures that they obtain sufficiently high-quality material in the first instance to turn into new rPET bottles.
Stop utilising a linear economy model
The video contains some truly startling facts about plastic recycling. For example approximately 72 million tonnes of new polyester is created from oil globally each year, yet only about 9% of that will end up being recycled.
The Morssinkhof recycling facility used by Ribena can turn a used plastic bottle back into a new, 100% recycled bottle in about 4 to 5 weeks and this process not only requires no raw materials such as oil, it also has a lower carbon footprint compared to creating a new bottle from virgin materials.
As the video explains, for Ribena it is imperative to stop utilising a linear economy model and embrace a widely abundant alternative material instead – used plastic packaging. To promote this the video also advocates taking used plastic bottles home to recycle if no on-the-go recycling facilities can be found while out and about, and to push plastic drinking straws into used drink cartons to ensure they enter the recycling stream. You can watch the video below:
Helping to educate consumers to do the right thing
Michelle Norman, director of external affairs and sustainability at Lucozade Ribena Suntory commented “We’re committed to reducing the impact we have on the environment and are extremely proud that Ribena was the first, UK soft drink-brand to use 100% recycled plastic, and has been doing so for more than a decade.
“As part of our ambition to become an even more sustainable business, we recently moved to using 100% recycled cardboard in all of our Ribena squash bottle trays, and while we continue to make positive steps in the right direction, we know we can still do more.
“Sustainability remains at the top of our agenda and we want to take consumers with us. This video is just one of the ways we’re helping to educate consumers to do the right thing.”
James Piper, managing director at Ecosurety commented “From the outset of welcoming Lucozade Ribena Suntory as a member of our scheme we have been working to help spread awareness about the great work they are already doing to minimise the impact of their plastic packaging.
"Educating the public is key and we look forward to helping LRS further align their sustainability goals with their compliance spend to boost UK recycling.”
To find out more about how you can align your compliance spend with your sustainability goals too, please contact our team.
About Lucozade Ribena Suntory
Lucozade Ribena Suntory (LRS) is one the leading soft drinks businesses in the UK and Ireland. LRS was formed in 2014, and is part of Suntory Beverage & Food Europe. Our much-loved soft drinks brands include Lucozade Energy, Lucozade Sport, Fitwater, Ribena, Orangina and True Nopal Cactus Water. Our business is driven by our “Yatte Minahare” spirit and our role is to have a positive impact on the lives of our consumers by providing them with a responsible choice of great-tasting drinks, enabling them to lead active lifestyles.
For further information, please visit: www.lrsuntory.com
About Ecosurety
Ecosurety is the market leading compliance scheme investing in quality recycling. With more than 1,000 customers including Danone, The Co-operative Group, Innocent, Lucozade Ribena Suntory and Virgin Media, Ecosurety supports efficient and more transparent investment in UK recycling projects via infrastructure, innovation and consumer awareness campaigns. Committed to reducing the environmental impact of UK businesses, and to a tangible increase in UK recycling, Ecosurety helps producers organise quality evidence to ensure they comply with packaging, WEEE, batteries and international regulations. For more information please visit www.ecosurety.com
Ben Luger
Marketing projects specialist
Ben joined the team at the beginning of 2015 and helps drive marketing communications and projects for Ecosurety, including project managing the launch of the Ecosurety Exploration Fund and website content development.
Useful links
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