Asahi Beverages has moved its plastic soft drink bottles in Australia to recycled PET, covering brands including Schweppes, Solo and Pepsi.
The change applies across its Australian range and affects “hundreds of millions of bottles” a year that will now be produced from reused plastic rather than virgin resin.
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According to Asahi, the shift was helped by investment in container deposit schemes and by the development of two PET bottle recycling facilities under the Circular Plastics Australia (PET) joint venture, which includes Cleanaway Waste Management, Pact Group and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners.
Located at Albury, New South Wales, and Altona, western Melbourne, the two plants have added to domestic recycled plastic supply and allowed the company to obtain more bottle material within Australia.
Asahi said container deposit schemes have also supported recycling volumes by providing used bottles as input for the processing plants.
Asahi Beverages Group CEO Amanda Sellers said: “This announcement gives Australian consumers and retailers certainty that when they purchase an Asahi-made soft drink such as Schweppes, Solo or Pepsi Max, the plastic bottle has been more sustainably sourced.
“Around 350 million Asahi soft drink bottles each year are now made in Australia with 100% recycled plastic, as are all our Cool Ridge and Frantelle water and Cottee’s cordial bottles.
“Redesigning our supply chains this way helps secure our supply of plastic bottles into the future and makes financial sense. As Australia’s leading beverages company, we are committed to embedding sustainability into our strategy, systems and processes.”
Sellers added: “Circular Plastics Australia (PET) and the establishment of Container Deposit Schemes by governments and the beverage industry in every state and territory are major initiatives that have helped ensure we have the raw material required to produce 100% recycled soft drink bottles.”
