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TRAVEL RETAIL SUSTAINABILITY FORUM (TRSF) Plastic purge in drinks gathers steam
Governments across the globe are legislating to tackle the scourge of single-use plastics and the alcohol industry is contributing to an effort that continues to resonate with consumers, particularly in travel retail. TRBusiness provides a snapshot on how eco-friendly packaging can help.
T
he politics of sustainability are changing. In the UK for instance, the government
legislated to ban the supply of plastic straws, cotton buds and drinks stirrers in April. In the case of the last, restaurants,
pubs and bars can no longer display plastic drinking straws or hand them out; a direct attempt to stem the tide of single-use plastic pollution. Indeed, many other countries have culled single-use plastics across various sectors. Already, a raft of drinks
companies across the world have rolled out initiatives to tackle growing environmental concerns. Unsurprisingly, this includes the use of recyclable or reusable packaging materials falling under the wider umbrella of eco-friendly packaging. Travel retail player Pernod Ricard,
which boasts recognisable serves including Jameson, Absolut Vodka, Royal Salute, Martell and Chivas Regal, announced in May a reduction in the timeline for banning single-use plastic point-of-sale items, from an initial target of 2025 to 2021. CEO Alexandre Ricard said at the
time that the current coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis must not be a threat; rather an opportunity to drive forward the firm’s ‘Sustainability and Responsibility’ roadmap. “The end of single-use plastic POS
items is one of the many ways we will do our share to bring positive change to the world we live in, and achieving this goal four years ahead of schedule underlines our employees’ commitment to do so,” he stated. According to recent research
JULY 2020
Single-use plastics are a bane for consumers and drinks firms are reacting.
from IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, beverage suppliers are increasingly studying their product lifecycles in consideration of the environment, taking in sustainable sourcing, production, packaging and delivery.
Premium ‘needs work’ In the case of packaging, it remains one of the key areas for consideration when assessing a product’s environmental footprint. Thomas Hartmann, Director at
the IWSR said in an analysis earlier this year: “Eco-packaging is a very broad topic but we are expecting to see ongoing innovation as drinks producers continue to explore ways of reducing packaging and looking at paper formats, recyclable materials or even forgoing packaging altogether. “Premium beverage packaging is
also a key area needing innovation as a lot of this type of packaging contains gold and metals that cannot be recycled.” The IWSR says potential
‘disruptors’ to current product design could cover lightweight glass, bottling locally, shipping
TRBUSINESS 19
liquid in bulk, or shelving plastic multi-pack rings for plant-based biodegradable versions or duplex carton multi-packs. Importantly,
Hartmann
distinguishes between products that are recyclable – and what is actually is recycled. “There needs to be a level of
investment and infrastructure set up to allow for recycling to take place on a large scale, once the product is discarded,” he stressed. «
According to recent research from IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, beverage suppliers are increasingly studying their product lifecycles in consideration of the environment, taking in sustainable sourcing, production, packaging and delivery.
TRBusiness
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