Britvic R&D Packaging Manager: Carbon measurements essential to achieving true sustainability in packaging

20 Feb 2020 --- Although end of life disposal remains a key issue, companies must consider the net environmental impact and carbon footprint of packaging across the entire lifecycle to achieve meaningful sustainability, Michel Steinecke, R&D Sustainable Packaging Manager for Britvic, tells PackagingInsights. Steinecke’s comments come ahead of Packaging Innovations 2020 in Birmingham, UK, and the show’s decision to transition its ‘Big Plastics Debate’ to the ‘Big Carbon Debate.’ As a leading soft drinks company with a net-zero 2050 emissions target, Steinecke describes the importance of overcoming the challenges of cost and supply in recycled PET (rPET), implementing a comprehensive Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) and offering consumers a range of sustainable packaging formats.

What will be Britvic’s contribution to Packaging Innovations 2020?
Steinecke: The main thing is to illustrate that sustainability in packaging is a complex issue. Brand owners and manufacturers cannot let perceptions drive their decisions or we run the risk of making sustainability decisions that have unintended consequences in the future. With plastics, for example, we see consumer preferences that are not always based on facts. From our brand owner perspective, we need to find solutions that satisfy consumers and have a more positive environmental impact.

What is the significance of the show’s ‘Big Plastics Debate’ transitioning to the ‘Big Carbon Debate?’
Steinecke: Carbon is definitely becoming a relevant topic within packaging, which means not just considering packaging’s end of life. I support Packaging Innovations’ decision to choose this as the main topic – it will be the future focus for brand owners. At Britvic, we still think it's important to tackle the end of life problems but also to have a good view of carbon as the main measure. The lifecycle as a whole is important so we also look at water use and indicators like acidification as these different measures can influence our packaging decisions.

How do plastics compare to alternative materials across the entire lifecycle?
Steinecke: From our previous assessments, we conclude that plastic has quite low carbon emissions and so has a role to play in packaging, contrary to the perception it gets. We continue to actively work with our partners to understand the true environmental impact of the raw materials we use.

Britvic has committed to halving its emissions by 2025 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. What do you see as the biggest challenges to these goals?
Steinecke: We have many different types of initiatives that are lowering our carbon emissions. Our main challenge is to look into our Scope 3 emissions, the upstream and downstream emissions in our supply chain in the second and third tier of suppliers, to see how we can escalate the reduction.

Britvic recently joined a new BP-led consortium for the enhanced recycling of PET (BP Infinia). What benefits can it bring?
Steinecke: Our partnership with BP is part of our long-term mission to keep PET packaging in the circular economy. It allows us to keep harder-to-recycle plastics in the cycle and increase the volume of recycled content in our packaging. Britvic will contribute to the creation of a practical business model to ensure the successful adoption of BP Infinia technology.

As a member of The UK Plastics Pact, Britvic has committed to using an average of 30 percent recyclate across all plastic packaging by 2025. How is this progressing?
Steinecke: We recently announced our investment in a partnership with Esterform Packaging to secure a long-term supply of UK-sourced rPET preforms. This big investment is designed to ensure that we have enough recycled materials supply to produce our bottles. We also publicly committed to reaching 15 percent recycled content in our packaging by the end of 2020 and we are working hard on several trials to make sure that our bottles are compliant with food safety and quality standards. I believe that the main challenge is the supply of recycled material. However, we are also aware of the increased costs of rPET relative to virgin PET and this is quite a challenge for our business. Another challenge is how we communicate this information to consumers – we know that the technicalities can be difficult to communicate to the public. 

Do you find that rPET prices are starting to decrease?
Steinecke: rPET is still at a premium price compared to virgin material. This is because so many companies are trying to find a solution without the proper infrastructure to provide the supply. It is my belief, though, that in the near future we will have the infrastructure to provide enough material and then the price will start to decrease towards the price of virgin material.

Are you concerned that recycled plastics can affect the aesthetic quality of packaging?
Steinecke: My perspective as a consumer is that I cannot see a very visible impact so I would argue that it would not impact too much on product perceptions. From our side, we take all the measures to ensure that the bottle is compliant with all food safety standards, which are high, so we don’t have any concerns when our bottles reach the market.

Do you support a UK DRS and what is your advice to ensure that it is implemented effectively?
Steinecke: Britvic supports an effective and well managed, GB-wide DRS because we believe it could improve the circularity and collection of materials and the quality of the output of recycled materials. There are good examples to follow, like the Nordic implementation of a DRS, which is working well. Like the most successful international examples of an effective DRS, a GB-wide DRS should be industry-run, not for profit - and it’s critical that it works hand-in-hand with future Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policies. DRS is a form of EPR, and so any drinks containers collected by a DRS should not be “double-charged” as both policies are seeking to achieve the same positive outcome.

Coca-Cola Head of Sustainability Bea Perez said during the World Economic Forum 2020 held in Davos that the company will not be moving away from plastic bottles because consumers still prefer them. Is this an observation you agree with?
Steinecke: We acknowledge that there is a strong movement against single-use plastic bottles and other types of packaging like shrink films. Britvic is not focused on one particular pack format and we must provide options to our consumers in a safe, hygienic and sustainable way. We do believe that the relatively low carbon emissions and functionalities of PET bottles stand out. If you compare PET bottles with aluminum cans, PET bottles have the benefit of being reclosable and this is definitely a functionality that consumers like.

By Joshua Poole