Britvic and PepsiCo rid 7UP bottles of green color to promote recycling rates

07 Jun 2021 --- Britvic is transitioning its green 7UP bottles to a clear, transparent PET to encourage consumer recycling. Last year, Britvic conducted consumer research confirming a switch in color would improve both sales and recycling practices among its consumer base. 

Its sustainability efforts are also communicated through new labeling design, tapping into Innova Market Insights’ top packaging trend for 2020, “The Language of Environmental Sustainability.” 

Around 40 percent of respondents stated they would be more likely to recycle a 7UP bottle if it came in clear plastic. Moreover, one in four consumers perceive the clear bottle as an improver of taste, and almost a third of consumers state they would be more likely to buy 7UP in a clear bottle. 

The move comes as part of Britvic and PepsiCo’s joint pledge to ensure the 7UP bottle can be repurposed into rPET material post-consumption, thereby phasing out all non-recycled bottles by October this year. 

The clear PET bottles will be available in 7UP’s 375 mL, 500 mL and 600 mL formats and will run across the brand’s 7UP Regular, 7UP Free and 7UP Free Cherry flavors. 

Greener without the green 
Tom Fiennes, commercial sustainability director for Britvic Great Britain, says the move represents another step on the company’s path to achieving a circular economy for its plastic packaging. 

“As the UK’s number one lemon and lime drink, we wanted to take a step toward ensuring further transparency with our consumers – both in our actual bottle designs and by clearly highlighting the recyclability messaging.”Recycled PET remains an expensive material in the UK as industry demand is rising.

“We know consumers want more information on recycling – showing how important it is to offer strong and simple communication on pack,” he states. 

The labeling on the bottles will also feature 50 percent larger lemon and lime imagery, and a “clear sustainability message.” 

This will be presented through a prominent “double arrow” logo announcing the 100 percent recyclable bottle message on the front of the label, and the wording “Clearly 100 percent Recyclable. Clearly 7UP” on the reverse side.

“As our greenest 7UP bottle yet, the move should increase the likelihood that people will recycle the bottle effectively. The updated design also brings the sustainability messaging front and center, so consumers are confident in their recycling decisions,” says Fiennes. 

Britvic’s Esterform partnership
Britvic sources its recycled PET (rPET) from Esterform Packaging, the UK’s largest independent converter of PET. Esterform invested £5 million (US$7 million) in 2019 for the construction of a UK-based facility it says can provide a steady, high-quality rPET supply. 

Speaking to PackagingInsights last year, Jon Harrington, corporate communications manager at Britvic, said the company is expecting a gradual reduction in the price of rPET, which remains high in the UK due to scarcity and rising industry demand. 

Harrington also commented that companies like Britvic cannot stand alone in their efforts at a circular economy and that policymakers should be making every effort to support a not-for-profit, industry-operated Deposit Return Scheme (DRS).

Currently, the UK’s Department of Environment and Rural Affairs is conducting an industry consultation on how to effectively introduce a DRS, alongside an Extended Producer Responsibility scheme. 

Edited

By Louis Gore-Langton