GSK chooses 100% recycled PET for Ribena bottles

Gordon Carson, packagingnews.co.uk, 21 September 2007

 

Ribena's owner has called for improvements to the UK's packaging recycling infrastructure after announcing that the brand is to use 100% recycled PET for its plastic bottles.

 

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has teamed up with recycling charity Recoup to trial four "reverse vending" machines in high-footfall locations across England, as part of its plans to boost recycled content.

 

However, Ribena marketing director Anne MacCaig said the fact that almost 13 million plastic bottles are sent to landfill every day showed the "mismatch" between the recycling infrastructure and consumers' aspiration to recycle.

 

"It is vital to set in place a more reliable supply of recycled materials so that we can build on our current achievement and other food and drink manufacturers can follow our lead," she said.

 

The majority of Ribena bottles are currently made of PET with 40% recycled content. But from October the brand's ready-to-drink bottles will switch to 100% recycled PET. The bottle cap and sleeve will not be made from recycled materials, but will be compatible with recycling facilities.

 

GSK expects the Ribena squash range to adopt 100% recycled plastic bottles within the next six months.

 

More than 60 million bottles of Ribena are sold each year, accounting for 58% of Ribena's UK sales.

 

Ribena will also phase out PVC packaging in 2008 when it relaunches its two-litre squash bottle in 100% recycled plastic.

 

The bottle currently features a carry handle, which has made it necessary to use PVC in production, but it is being redesigned so this is no longer required.