News

PepsiCo’s Naked smoothies switch to 100% recycled plastic in the UK

In the UK, Naked smoothies, including Naked Machines, Naked Lean and Naked Zing are now rolling out in bottles that are made from 100% recycled plastic. PepsiCo also updated the labels on these bottles to attract consumers attention to the use of the recycled plastic.

PepsiCo claims that its Naked brand is the only brand in grocery retail to offer its beverages in a container made from 100% recycled plastic. “Our new bottles mean that smoothie drinkers can act in a more sustainable manner,” Charlotte Ashburner, senior marketing manager at PepsiCo, said in a statement.

These new bottles are now available in UK retailers that stock Naked, including Tesco, Sainsburys, Asda, Morrisons, Ocado, boots, Booker, Spar and Nisa.

Launching a bottle made from 100% recycled plastic is in line with PepsiCo’s larger sustainability goals. The owner of brands like Gatorade and Tropicana is working to use 25% recycled content in its global plastic packaging by 2025. Even more ambitious is the company’s aim to reduce the use of virgin plastic in its beverage portfolio by 35% in the same year. The company has reportedly reached 90% of its goal to make 100% of its packaging recyclable, compostable or biodegradable by 2025.

Another initiative that PepsiCo is pursuing on its path toward corporate sustainability is paper bottles. In partnership with Unilever, the soda company helped found Pulpex Limited, which is a sustainable packaging company whose first product will be a paper-based sprits bottle for Diageo’s Johnnie Walker whisky in 2021. PepsiCo plans to use the technology for some of its own non-alcoholic beverages, but it has not decided which product to pilot with the bottle, reported Food Dive.

As shoppers increasingly push for sustainable products, companies like PepsiCo are being forced to innovate and deliver their products in a more environmentally-friendly manner. Already, PepsiCo has said it will test an aluminum can packaging alternative for its Aquafina water, it is trying recyclable pulp rinks for its soda cans rather than plastic, and it has invested in the Sodastream system which eliminates the need for packaging entirely.