Ribena re-designs packaging for recyclability

Plastic bottles containing one of the UK’s most popular soft drinks are being redesigned to make them easier to recycle.

Full printed sleeves on Ribena will be reduced in size and made more transparent to make it easier for automated near infra-red sorting technologies.

The parent company, Lucozade Ribena Suntory, says this is the latest stage in its plans to ensure all its packaging is fully recyclable within the UK’s current collecting and sorting infrastructure. It has already pledged to ensure 100% of its plastic packaging is reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. The 500ml Ribena bottle will be redesigned first.

A decade ago, Ribena was the first UK soft drink brand to use bottles made from 100% recycled plastic (rPET). One of its newest brands, Ribena Frusion, is also sold in 100% rPET 420ml bottles.

Proactive steps

Michelle Norman, director of external affairs and sustainability at Lucozade Ribena Suntory says the company takes its sustainability commitments ‘very seriously’.

‘We are extremely proud to be announcing this packaging redesign to ensure our brands continue to be as sustainable as possible,’ she adds. ‘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.’

Peter Maddox, director of the WRAP charity which manages the voluntary UK Plastics Pact, of which Lucozade Ribena Suntory is a founder member, is pleased the company ‘is taking further proactive steps to minimise its impact on the environment’.

‘This redesign will help the reprocessing of their drinks bottles and shows the company continues to take sustainability seriously.’