Suntory Commits £6 Million to Eco-Friendly Transformation of Lucozade Bottles Packaging

Image Credit: Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I

Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I (SBF GB&I), the maker of Lucozade, has announced a £6.3 million investment in a significant redesign of its Lucozade Energy packaging. As part of this revamp, the bottles will now feature a half-sleeve that covers just 50% of the bottle’s height, a sharp contrast to the previous full-length sleeves. According to SBF GB&I, this adjustment is expected to save an impressive 956 tonnes of plastic annually.

Additionally, the new design will reduce water usage by an amount equal to filling an Olympic-sized swimming pool every 289 days. The packaging transformation involved installing state-of-the-art sleeving technology on three separate production lines at SBF GB&I’s Coleford facility. The entire project was completed within a tight six-week timeframe.

"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 a 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."

This change mirrors similar packaging modifications made for Ribena bottles in 2020 and Lucozade Sport in 2021, continuing the company’s commitment to sustainability.

Over the past five years, SBF GB&I has invested a total of £11.3 million in sustainable packaging initiatives. The newly designed Lucozade Energy bottles, featuring an embossed design with the brand’s signature 'arc' logo, have already appeared in stores.