PepsiCo launches its entire Pepsi range in Spain in 2021 in 100% recycled plastic bottles.

PepsiCo Spain is accelerating its goal to help build a world where plastic never becomes waste and towards a green recovery, announcing today that it will launch the entire Pepsi range in 100% recycled plastic (rPET) bottles in 2021.

Spain will thus become the company’s first market worldwide to launch the new bottle for the Pepsi range which, being 100% recycled plastic, will reduce its carbon footprint by 40%.

In 2020, the company has already taken a significant step forward with the incorporation of 50% recycled plastic (rPET) in the 2L bottles, its most commercialised format, of the KAS, 7UP and Pepsi brands. Now, with the migration of the Pepsi range of bottles to 100% recycled material, the company will reduce the use of virgin plastic in its total beverage portfolio by 74%.

The company announced in 2018 its goal of incorporating 45% recycled material by 2025 and 50% by 2030 in the European Union, so this target has been significantly exceeded in Spain. This milestone has been made possible thanks to technological innovation that allows 100% recycled plastic to be safely used in carbonated soft drinks and a growing supply of quality recycled plastic in Europe.

Due to the price differential between virgin plastic and quality recycled plastic for use in carbonated soft drinks, the company will invest around 2 million euros in Spain in one year to lead this change in the Spanish market. Thus, Pepsi MAX, Pepsi MAX Lima, Pepsi MAX without caffeine, Pepsi Light, Pepsi Light without caffeine and Pepsi regular in all its formats, will be the first carbonated beverages in this market with a 100% recycled plastic bottle, that is, without virgin plastic.

Narcís Roura, Managing Director of PepsiCo South West Europe says: “We want to lead a green recovery in Spain and one of the steps to achieve this is to accelerate our commitment to packaging circularity to ensure that no plastic becomes waste. We know this is a significant investment but we still believe it is the right thing to do.”

While recycling is an important part of addressing the plastic waste challenge, PepsiCo recognises that it is only part of the solution; its three-pillar approach also includes reducing plastic use and reinventing its packaging and how consumers dispose of its products.

In terms of reduction, by 2021, the plastic rings that bundle cans will be eliminated and replaced with cardboard, following an investment of more than ¤3 million at the beverage plant in Alava. PepsiCo has also started to market its 2L bottle, which is 6% lighter.

The third pillar, reinvent, includes exploring new materials such as a 100% recyclable paper bottle through the Pulpex consortium, or new consumption models such as SodaStream, a domestic soft drink dispenser that eliminates the plastic bottle.

Echávarri-Viña, a pioneering 100%rPET plant and other sustainability initiatives

The Echávarri-Viña plant is the first PepsiCo plant in Europe to test 100% recycled material bottles in carbonated soft drinks and will also be the first in the world to produce the first Pepsi brand bottle with 100% recycled material.

It was also at this plant that the solution was developed that will eliminate the plastic ring binders, replacing them with cardboard, and where the first tests will be carried out in Europe to keep the cap attached to the bottle, as required by European legislation by 2024.

All these advances come on the 45th anniversary of the PepsiCo beverage plant in Echávarri-Viña (Álava), which culminates this year with the largest investment in its history, around 9 million euros, which will be completed in 2021 with an additional 5 million euros. Of these, more than 80% will go to purely sustainability projects or projects with an impact on sustainability, due to the reduction in the use of resources or the carbon footprint they entail.

The Echávarri-Viña plant has positioned itself as a benchmark in sustainability.

Over the past 11 years, the plant’s team has worked hard to reduce its impact on the environment, reducing its water and energy consumption by more than 34% and making it a 100% renewably sourced electricity plant with virtually zero waste.

Victor Perez, PepsiCo Southwest Europe Supply Chain Director, said: “In a year in which our priority has been to ensure the safety of our team and continue to provide the best service to our customers and consumers, we are pleased to celebrate the 45th anniversary of our plant with the largest investment in its history, which will allow us to be more competitive and sustainable to face a 2021 full of challenges.

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