Our Approach to Recycling
There are a number of key areas we are focusing specifically on:
- Making our packaging as sustainable as possible
- Using our advertising to encourage more people to recycle
Calling for the reform of the UK recycling system, and supporting any interventions that increase recovery and recycling rates. This includes the establishment of a well-designed, truly interoperable Deposit Return Scheme across England, Wales and Scotland.
More sustainable packaging
We use at least 25% recycled material in all of our plastic bottles, and our large format bottles contain 30-50% rPET; these are figures we're proud of. 100% of all bottles 500ml or less in Great Britain are now made of 100% recycled plastic (excluding cap and label).
Why stop there, you might ask? Well, the reality is that at present there just isn’t enough food-grade quality recycled material available in the UK to go further; we cannot buy any more. For that number to go up, two things need to happen: more plastic needs to be recovered, and more companies need to commit to using recycled plastic so that reprocessors know there is demand for their output.
We are also going to focus on how we can use our brands and our advertising to encourage more people to recycle. We want to make more people aware that, if you recycle your bottle after you’ve enjoyed it, you can help more packaging be recycled than ever before.
A team effort
If we want to reduce litter and get more recycled material into our bottles, then we need to look at the current recycling system in this country and find ways to make it easier for more packaging to be recovered and recycled. There’s not one easy fix to achieve this, so we’re also working with many of our partners, suppliers and NGOs to help make recycling easier for everyone. We continue to play an active role in supporting the introduction of a well-designed Deposit Return Scheme in the UK. We have experience from around the world of participating in such schemes and how to make them efficient and effective. This has included giving our support to properly exploring the merits and impacts of a well-designed and interoperable deposit return scheme.
We have experience from around the world of participating in such schemes and how to make them efficient and effective. We welcome the Government’s recent announcement that a DRS will be implemented in October 2027 across England, Wales, and Scotland, and will continue to work closely with officials, retailers and the industry to ensure that the scheme is easy to use, while delivering the best outcome for the environment.
In the meantime, we’ve been working with others to trial an on-the-go bottle recovery and reward programme to help understand if a small incentive motivates people to take their bottles back to a location to be recycled.
We believe these actions can help to make a real difference now and in the long term. We dislike litter as much as anyone else and don’t want to see it on our streets, on our beaches or in the sea. We're determined we will do what we can to help prevent it.