Leading glass container manufacturer and filler, Encirc, part of the Vidrala Group, is working with beverages giant, Britvic, to trial the removal of plastic shroud packaging on its drinks pallets set for the retail sector.
The experiment will see Encirc replace the shrouding on thousands of pallets with straps that can be fully recycled once used. It is estimated that this trial will remove 2,000 tonnes of plastic packaging from Britvic’s retail supply chain every year while proving that 100% recyclable pallets are viable for Encirc and its world-leading beverage customers.
As part of the trial, Encirc is also replacing single-use cardboard which layers the pallets with reusable plastic that can be washed after following the delivery. This could remove a potential 24 kilograms of cardboard per pallet from the supply chain and contribute to Britvic’s circular packaging goals. Since 2021, Britvic has sent zero waste to landfill.
The trial aligns with Britvic’s aim to reduce its direct carbon footprint by 50% by 2025, and supports Encirc in helping reduce its own emissions in line with Vidrala’s Science-Based-Targets. These goals were created as part of Vidrala’s Glass Made Good strategy and will help prevent the planet’s temperature from rising more than 1.5°C compared to pre-industrial levels. The results from the trial will be announced in Autumn 2022.
Sales & Marketing Director, Rob Turvey at Encirc, said: “We’ve been working with Britvic since 2005 and our shared ethos and planet-first thinking is what makes this partnership great and concepts like this a reality. We are always looking to help make our supply chain as efficient and sustainable as possible. Our 360 service where we manufacture, store, fill and distribute products to retail, from a single site is already unique, and this trial will further help us slash wastage and inefficiency. It’s trials like these which pave a sustainable way forward for our industry.
Craig Sayer, Britvic Leeds Site Operations Manager stated: “This trial is the next step in our work to reduce carbon emissions and push for a more sustainable future. It has only been made possible through our close relationship with Encirc. We look forward to seeing the results of the trial.”
“It’s so important to us that we work with companies and suppliers like Encirc who share our sustainability ambitions, helping us progress with the goals in our Healthier People, Healthier Planet strategy.”
The trial marks the latest initiative following the recent partnership extension between Encirc and Britvic – with the new deal seeing Encirc fill Robinsons 500ml glass cordial bottles. In addition, Encirc will continue to make and fill the soft drink giant’s Purdey’s and J2O Spritz bottles – resulting in significant carbon savings of up to 22,000 tonnes.
