SUNTORY Beverage & Food GB&I (SBF GB&I) has invested £6.3 million in a major packaging redesign for Lucozade Energy bottles
The bottles will now feature a half sleeve that covers just 50% of the bottle height compared to previous full-length sleeves. This is said to result in a 60% reduction in the total sleeve weight, removing 956 tonnes of new plastic per year. The changes also reduce water use during production.
The project involved installing new sleevers with the latest technology across three different production lines in SBF GB&I’s factory in Coleford. The work took a collective 470 working days, delivered in only six weeks.
The changes also boost the recyclability of Lucozade Energy bottles as the reduced sleeve continues to support bottle to bottle recycling. SBF GB&I explained it ensures the bottle can be sorted into the clear plastics stream at recycling facilities, allowing it to be recovered to create new bottles again.
Karl Ottomar, supply chain director at SBF GB&I, commented, “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. 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.”
Paul East, head of packaging recycling and design at RECOUP, added, “RECOUP are proud to have been part of the journey to redesign the Lucozade Energy bottle. This new design meets recyclability guidelines, meaning the bottles can be easily sorted at recycling centres and reduces the amount of overall plastic produced. The next step is to encourage more consumers to dispose of the bottles correctly, in the certainty that the bottle will be detected and recycled.”
The packaging evolution for Lucozade Energy follows similar changes to the sleeve length made to Ribena bottles in 2020 and Lucozade Sport in 2021. SBF GB&I has invested £11.3 million over five years to support the development of its sustainable packaging.
The new Lucozade Energy bottles will also feature an ergonomic embossed design showcasing Lucozade’s iconic ‘Arc’ logo, enhancing both brand recognition and bottle texture.
