Suntory invests £6m in Lucozade bottle sustainability

The new bottle design is said to be saving 956 tonnes of plastic annually.

Lucozade Energy bottles will now feature a half sleeve that covers just 50% of the bottle height compared to previous full-length sleeves, resulting in a 60% reduction in the total sleeve weight.

The project took a collective 470 working days, delivered in six weeks.

Karl Ottomar, supply chain director, SBF GB&I, said: “As one of the biggest energy brands in the UK, producing over 3,000 bottles of Lucozade Energy per minute, this has been a complex and large-scale change for our factory.

“While reducing a drink’s sleeve size may sound simple, it has required a full redesign of the bottle and complete change in componentry on our production lines. The team have dedicated thousands of hours to plan and then successfully implement the changes on our lines and I’m so proud of their incredible commitment to this project and helping us meet our sustainability goals.”

Fraser McIntosh, head of external affairs and sustainability, SBF GB&I said: “This change marks a significant step forward in our journey towards achieving 100% sustainable plastic packaging across our portfolio by 2030.”

RECOUP

The reduced sleeve is said to support bottle to bottle recycling. It ensures the bottle can be sorted into the clear plastics stream at recycling facilities allowing it to be recovered to create new bottles again.

Paul East, head of packaging recycling and design at RECOUP, said: “RECOUP are proud to have been part of the journey to redesign the Lucozade Energy bottle. This new design meets recyclability guidelines, meaning the bottles can be easily sorted at recycling centres and reduces the amount of overall plastic produced. The next step is to encourage more consumers to dispose of the bottles correctly, in the certainty that the bottle will be detected and recycled.”