Lucozade Sport bottles to be 100% recycled plastic

It's estimated 9,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide will be saved by making all Lucozade Sport bottles out of entirely recycled plastic

All Lucozade Sports bottles will be made entirely from recycled plastic by the end of 2021 following a £6m investment in its Gloucestershire site.

Suntory Beverage and Food said the policy would save 3,400 tonnes of new plastic from being produced each year.

The company also owns the brand Ribena, which changed to fully recycled bottles in November.

Its plant in Coleford supplies the UK and Republic of Ireland, bottling 55,000 drinks per hour.

One billion bottles are made every year at the factory in Coleford, which employs 300 people

Built in 1946, the manufacturing process was upgraded and made more energy efficient in 2020.

The aim of using recycled plastic is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by almost 80%, which equates to 9,000 tonnes per year.

The company's long term target is to half its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and wipe them out by 2050.

The labels on all Lucozade bottles will be made smaller and have clear instructions for how the packaging can be recycled.

Paul East from RECOUP, a plastic recycling charity said: "The reduction of the label will allow 50% of the bottle to be seen, meaning that they can be more easily identified in sorting centres for recycling.

"It highlights how small changes can make a big difference."

Lucozade Energy bottles are due to made with 30% recycled plastic by early next year.

The Ribena and Lucozade factory in Coleford has expanded since it was built in 1946