The rise of consumer demand for recyclable packaging is forcing more Australian beverage manufacturers to switch from PET to rPET bottles, according to leading data and analytics company GlobalData.
To meet the packaging targets, beverage producers are in a race to adopt rPET bottles and make their packaging portfolio more eco-friendly.
Major soft drinks producers such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi and Asahi have already adopted 100 per cent rPET bottles for their popular brands.
“Australia has set ambitious targets to build a circular economy, with the National Packaging Targets envisioning 100 per cent of packaging produced in the country to be reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025,” said Suneera Joseph, consumer analyst at GlobalData.
“PET bottles are one of the major contributors to single-use plastic waste in Australia, as it accounted for 86.9 per cent of rigid plastics unit volumes in 2021.”
Packaging manufacturers are also developing new bottle designs to support the transition to rPET, with KHS Group being highlighted, which recently launched Loop LITE – its fully recyclable, lightweight, 100 per cent rPET bottle with an inner glass lining and a tethered cap.
“Beverage makers are incentivised by the growing consumer interest in sustainable packaging. Recyclability has become a key factor that Australians are actively looking for when making product purchases,” added Joseph.
In GlobalData’s Q3 2022 survey, 74 per cent of Australian respondents said that recyclable packaging claims were a nice-to-have factor or essential/key driver of their product purchases, compared to 68 per cent in Q2 2022.
“This indicates opportunities for beverage brands to build consumer loyalty through eco-friendly product packaging,” Joseph concluded.
