Global drinks brand PepsiCo has said it will increase the use of recycled material as part of a new target to reduce its use of virgin plastic content by 35% by 2025.
As well as using more recycled plastic, it will also look at using alternative materials where possible.
This builds on the company’s existing target by 2025 to make 100% of its packaging recyclable, compostable or biodegradable, and increase its use of recycled content to 25%.
In Europe, Tropicana drinks will be relaunched using 50% rPET recycled content, with the aim of 100% by 2025.
While in US, LIFEWTR will be packaged in 100% rPET and Aquafina will be offered in aluminium cans in food service outlets from 2020, with the aim of trying it in retail after that.
Brands including Pepsi, 7UP and Mirinda will be offered in refillable plastic and glass bottles across Latin America and Asia in select locations.
PepsiCo chairman and chief executive Ramon Laguarta said: “While our efforts are far from done, this is one more step in PepsiCo’s journey towards helping to build a world where plastics never need become waste.
“Even as we work to accelerate business growth, we continue to make important progress towards a circular economy for packaging, a responsibility we take very seriously.”
PepsiCo Global Foods president Simon Lowden added: “We’re intentionally setting ambitious goals to drive meaningful progress. PepsiCo is already one of the world’s largest buyers of recycled plastic, and if there was more available, we’d buy it – and if there were more markets where we could use it, we would. We are committed, and partnership is key.”
