With increasing awareness among companies to participate in resolving environmental issues, PepsiCo is looking into cutting down its virgin plastic usage. The food and beverage giant is also planning to expand its SodaStream carbonated-water business to more markets in an attempt to combat climate change.
With this new initiative called “pep+”, the company plans to reduce its virgin plastic ‘use per serving’ across all brands by half by 2030 and use 50% recycled content in all its plastic packaging. PepsiCo will also be partnering with Beyond Meat Inc. to introduce healthier snack alternatives like plant-based protein snacks. “PepsiCo is targeting early 2022 for its first Beyond Meat products,” Chief Executive Ramon Laguarta told CNBC in an interview.
Recently PepsiCo and rival Coca-Cola had come under global scrutiny owing to the massive amount of single-use plastic being generated by both companies. According to Greenpeace, PepsiCo uses 2.3 million metric tonnes of plastic every year, while Coca-Cola is responsible for over 100 billion bottles of single-use plastic. NGO Break Free From Plastic has been featuring both companies on their list of “top global polluters” for the last three years.
The company revealed that it targets to convert cent percent of its packaging recyclable, compostable or degradable by the end of 2025.
Graham Forbes, global project leader at Greenpeace USA, said,”(There is) still too much emphasis on recycling for a company that is consistently ranked among one of the world’s worst plastic polluters.” “The company needs to set ambitious reuse/refill targets for all products and brands,” he added.
“PepsiCo’s ambitious plastics plan also includes scaling its SodaStream business globally,” Laguarta told Reuters in an interview. SodaStream, acquired by PepsiCo in 2018, makes machines and refillable cylinders that let users make their own soda or carbonated water drinks at home.
Todd Fayne, associate director, global snacks R&D, PepsiCo, Purchase, NY, detailed the largest snack manufacturer in North America’s strategy to address its role in plastic waste. “PepsiCo envisions a world where plastics never become waste,” he said. “Our philosophy is we want to give plastic an alternative end of life.” Mr. Fayne also explained that “Europe is moving toward chemical recycling: breaking down the packaging to its components to become virgin resin that can be reused.”
The company stated that “pep+” will drive action and progress across three key pillars, bringing together a number of 2030 goals under a comprehensive framework:
Positive Agriculture: PepsiCo is working to spread regenerative practices to restore the Earth across land equal to the company’s entire agricultural footprint (approximately 7 million acres), sustainably source key crops and ingredients, and improve the livelihoods of more than 250,000 people in its agricultural supply chain.
Positive Value Chain: PepsiCo will help build a circular and inclusive value chain through actions to:
- AchieveNet-Zero emissions by 2040
- BecomeNet Water Positive by 2030
- Introduce more sustainable packaging into the value chain
Positive Choices: PepsiCo continues to evolve its portfolio of food & beverage products so that they are better for the planet and people.
PepsiCo’s investment in recycling programs looks to systemic changes that need to be made in order to optimize the impact of recyclability. Much of this work is focused on Europe and includes the newest technologies and strategies to identify and sort plastic waste.
This would require working with local governments, regulatory authorities, food manufacturers and the Association of Plastics Recycling to drive collection and manage the waste.