Lucozade producer Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I (SBF GB&I) has invested £6.3m in a major packaging redesign for Lucozade Energy.
Bottles would now feature a half-sleeve that covers just 50% of the bottle height compared to previous full-length sleeves, resulting in an annual saving of 956 tonnes of plastic, said SBF GB&I.
The change also reduced water use equivalent to filling an Olympic-sized swimming pool every 289 days, it added.
The project involved installing new sleevers with cutting-edge technology across three different production lines in SBF GB&I’s factory in Coleford, over a period of six weeks.
“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,” said Karl Ottomar, supply chain director, SBF GB&I. “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 at SBF GB&I added: “This change marks a significant step forward in our journey towards achieving 100% sustainable plastic packaging across our portfolio by 2030.
“At a time when we face increasing cost pressures as a business, we continue to prioritise sustainability, demonstrating our company value of ‘growing for good’. It’s another major investment in our factory, helping to build a sustainable future for our brands and the home where they are made.”
The packaging evolution for Lucozade Energy follows similar changes to the sleeve length made to Ribena bottles in 2020 and Lucozade Sport in 2021.
In total, SBF GB&I has invested a total of £11.3m over five years to support sustainable packaging developments.
The new Lucozade Energy bottles also feature a new embossed design showcasing the brand’s ‘arc’ logo. They are rolling out in store now.
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