Biffa, the UK’s leading sustainable waste management business, is working in partnership with the consumer goods company, Suntory Beverage and Food GB and Ireland (SBF GB&I), to help increase the recyclability of its Ribena bottles.
Biffa has worked in close partnership to support SBF GB&I to develop a new, more sustainable design of the classic 500ml ready-to-drink Ribena, which will mean it becomes much easier to recycle. This will be achieved by changing the size of the label on the bottle significantly, leaving the 100% recycled PET plastic exposed for sorting devices at recycling plants to be easily able to detect.
As a major UK recycler, Biffa is playing a pioneering role in plastic recycling, investing significantly in UK green recycling infrastructure to ensure that plastic bottles, such as these Ribena rPET bottles, can be successfully recycled into food-grade materials that are sustainable substitutes for virgin plastic.
Chris Hanlon, Commercial Manager Biffa Polymers commented:
“Congratulations to SBF GB&I on making these important changes to its Ribena drinks bottle. By removing the coloured label the bottles are much easier to process and recycle back into plastic bottles which can then be reused.
“Designing packaging to be recyclable from the outset is the best way to ensure a more sustainable approach to plastics and it’s good to see a leading business such as SBF GB&I instilling confidence in consumers in this way. At Biffa, helping our customers to recycle more is a fundamental part of our sustainability strategy and we have committed to unlocking £1.25bn of investment in green economy infrastructure by 2030 to help ensure that more and more waste can be successfully recycled here in the UK.”
Carol Robert, Chief Operating Officer at SBF GB&I, said:
“Making sure that our bottles can be easily recycled and turned back into bottles is an important part of our journey towards full circularity and net zero emissions. Simplifying the packaging of our drinks to help consumers to recycle is just one of our many investments in making our soft drinks more sustainable. From climate-change resilient blackcurrants to promoting biodiversity on our farms, we’re working to make Ribena more sustainable from bush to bottle.”