Diageo ups plastics as 2020 targets loom

Johnnie Walker maker Diageo has pledged to increase the use of recyclable plastic packaging in a bid to hit its 2020 sustainability and responsibility targets.

Diageo has pledged to up the use of recyclable plastic packaging in place of glass

Yesterday, World Environment Day, the company renewed its commitment to sustainable packaging with the release of a plastics guideline, designed to supplement its global Diageo Sustainable Packaging Commitments document.

Titled Sustainable Packaging Commitments: Supplementary Guideline on Plastics, the report details the group’s approach to creating a sustainable closed-loop system as it targets 100% recyclable or compostable packaging by 2020.

“Over 90% of our packaging (by weight) is made from glass,” the report reads. “However, we are increasing the use of alternative materials and formats as part of our innovation agenda. PET bottles, plastic closures, Tetra Pak cartons, multilayer pouches, sachets and other small formats all use plastics, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polypropylene (PP).

“Using PET instead of glass can provide sustainability benefits, for example by reducing the weight of packaging and associated carbon emissions from transport.”

Diageo aims to increase the use of post-consumer recycled plastic materials in PET and other plastic formats as part of its plans to up recycled content in all packaging by 45% by 2020.

The company is also seeking “more sustainable alternatives” for its source of PET, including plant-based PET manufactured from bio-based raw materials.

“We are committed to working with waste experts, consumer goods companies, governments and other stakeholders to find transformative recycling solutions,” said David Cutter, Diageo’s president of global supply and procurement.

“We also aim to engage consumers and governments to increase the supply of recycled PET by collaborating and promoting recycling and recycling infrastructure. It is our responsibility to work with others to make it as easy as possible for consumers to recycle packaging once they have purchased and used our products.”

Diageo uses more than one million metric tonnes of packaging every year to “protect, present and deliver” its products to consumers.

Michael Alexander, Diageo global sustainability manager, added: “For over a decade we have been committed to making our packaging more sustainable – principally through increasing recycled content, reducing the weight, [and] increasing recyclability.

“These new guidelines demonstrate our ever-increasing commitment to becoming a more sustainable consumer goods company with a keen awareness of the environmental impact of our business and how to limit that impact.”