GENEVA – Pepisco Europe aspires to stop using new plastic in foil bags by 2030. By then, all packaging must be made of 100% recycled or renewable plastic. With this step, greenhouse gases from metal cans will be reduced by 40 percent.
Last year, PepsiCo Positive was introduced, a sweeping transformation of the company with a focus on sustainability. For example, work is underway on the circular economy of flexible packaging in Belgium and the Netherlands through design, infrastructure and reuse of packaging materials.
Tests
The first tests will be rolled out in several European markets this year. Testing will begin in France using Lay’s renewable plastic packaging. The Walkers brand will be tested in the UK later in the year. The recycled materials in the packaging will come from pre-used plastic and the renewable materials will come from plant by-products, such as used cooking oil or waste paper pulp. Silvio Popovici, CEO, PepsiCo Europe: “Flexible packaging recycling should be the norm across Europe. We envision a future where our packaging will be free from virgin fossil-based plastic. Together with our partners, we are investing in the technological capacity to do so. A proper regulatory landscape must now be created so that packaging never becomes waste again.”
scale down
Pepisco Europe is currently replacing the materials of all foil bags with materials that are easy to recycle. The new design contains more recyclable plastic, such as polypropylene, which is also known as a “monoplastic”. In addition to substituting materials, efforts are also made to use less materials. In the markets of PepsiCo in Northwest Europe, the size and thickness of most packages are reduced. In order to achieve a circular economy, the importance of the collection, advanced sorting and recycling of flexible films to produce valuable and sustainable products is an important first step. In Belgium and the Netherlands, empty foil packaging is already being turned into plastic pellets and turned into things like playground equipment and roadside barriers. PepsiCo is also studying this process for other European markets.
The company also announced that it plans to convert its beverage packaging. In eleven European markets, PepsiCo will switch to bottles made from 100% recycled plastic (100% rPET).
Source: Food Newspaper / Outside Shops
