Packaging Gateway

Daily Newsletter

07 August 2023

Daily Newsletter

Oceana urges PepsiCo to accelerate efforts to achieve reuse goals

The nonprofit has encouraged Pepsi to invest in markets where it has already gained traction with reusable bottle schemes.

Non-profit ocean conservation organisation Oceana has urged PepsiCo and its bottling partners to expedite their efforts to meet their sustainability goals to minimise single-use plastic usage.

The latest move by Oceana comes in response to PepsiCo’s recently published annual sustainability report, which highlights that it is still considering and validating certain aspects to report on the progress of its previously announced time-bound reuse goals.

Oceana Strategic Initiatives director Dana Miller added: “The surge in the use of single-use plastic packaging by Pepsi and other companies is overwhelming seas.

“A report by Oceana found that increasing the market share of refillable bottles by 10% in all coastal countries in place of single-use plastic could keep as many as 7.6 billion plastic bottles per year out of the ocean. It is critical for our oceans that PepsiCo and other major beverage companies increase their use of refillable and reusable containers.”

According to Oceana, PepsiCo first needs to accurately report its reuse goals and then establish plans to boost sales of its SodaStream machines, powders, and concentrates, to replace single-use bottles and eventually kerb Pepsi's rapidly increasing plastic footprint.

Additionally, Oceana said that the beverage company needs to boost the existing sales of its reusable bottles in those markets where they are already being successfully sold, for example in Guatemala, Chile, the Philippines, Mexico, Germany, and Colombia.

The nonprofit added that bottlers currently working with PepsiCo, including Varun Beverages, Ambev, and Britvic, are required to 'take leadership' and set certain targets to increase reusable bottles’ market share by a minimum of 10%.

PepsiCo India has announced plans to launch 100% recycled-PET made bottles for its Carbonated Beverage category, together with Varun Beverages and Srichakra Polyplast.

Generative AI remains an untapped potential across the consumer industry

GlobalData estimates the total AI market will be worth $909 billion in 2030, growing at a CAGR of 35.2% between 2022 and 2030. The consumer goods, foodservice, and packaging sectors are undergoing digital transformation, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic and changing consumer preferences. AI can help companies operating in these sectors by significantly reducing costs and production times. In Nestlé's 2022 full-year results, the company announced a renewed focus on digitalization to drive growth. Financial and reputational pressures associated with supply chain disruptions and sustainability concerns are also driving interest in the digitalization of supply chains. Data science and ML are strong investments across all areas. However, the sectors cannot stop at AI-powered data analytics applications. They must also explore computer vision (CV), smart robots, AI sensors that automate manufacturing and distribution logistics, and generative AI tools that increase efficiency across corporate departments and customer service operations and enable innovation in product design. For the most part, the consumer goods, foodservice, and packaging sectors will not play a significant role in creating and developing AI hardware or platforms. Instead, these sectors will help scale up the adoption of AI technologies, such as CV, conversational platforms, and smart robots. This adoption will be driven by the financial benefits and potential cost savings AI automation delivers across global supply chains.