Asahi transitions Australian drinks to 100% recycled PET

AUSTRALIA – Asahi Beverages has transitioned its entire Australian soft drink range to 100% recycled PET, impacting approximately 350 million bottles annually across Schweppes, Solo and Pepsi brands, supported by domestic recycling infrastructure and container deposit schemes.

The change affects “hundreds of millions of bottles” a year that will now be produced from reused plastic rather than virgin resin. 

The shift was supported by investment in container deposit schemes and the development of two PET bottle recycling facilities under the Circular Plastics Australia (PET) joint venture, which includes Cleanaway Waste Management, Pact Group and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners. 

Located at Albury, New South Wales, and Altona, western Melbourne, the two plants have added to domestic recycled plastic supply and allowed the company to obtain more bottle material within Australia. 

Circular Plastics Australia Partnership and Domestic Supply Chain

Asahi said container deposit schemes have also supported recycling volumes by providing used bottles as input for the processing plants. 

Asahi Beverages Group CEO Amanda Sellers stated that the announcement gives Australian consumers and retailers certainty that when they purchase an Asahi-made soft drink such as Schweppes, Solo or Pepsi Max, the plastic bottle has been more sustainably sourced. 

She noted that around 350 million Asahi soft drink bottles each year are now made in Australia with 100% recycled plastic, as are all Cool Ridge and Frantelle water and Cottee’s cordial bottles.

Strategic Commitment to Circular Packaging

Sellers added that redesigning the company’s supply chains this way helps secure the supply of plastic bottles into the future and makes financial sense, with Asahi committed to embedding sustainability into its strategy, systems and processes. 

The transition builds on Asahi’s wider sustainability commitments, including its global target to achieve carbon neutrality across its value chain by 2040. 

The Australian beverage market has seen significant growth in demand for sustainable packaging, with major brands increasingly adopting recycled content to meet consumer expectations and regulatory requirements for packaging circularity. 

The company’s push into recycled PET also positions it to meet future packaging regulations that may mandate recycled content in beverage containers across Australian states and territories.

Subscribe to our email newsletters that provide busy executives like you with the latest news insights and trends from Africa and the World. SUBSCRIBE HERE