EU soft drinks manufacturers slash sugar content by 7.6% but call for packaging regulation changes

02 Jun 2023 --- Aiming to create a healthier beverage system in Europe, the Union of European Soft Drinks Associations (UNESDA) is embarking on a sugar-reduction mission. The association remarks that the sector delivered a 7.6% reduction between 2019 and 2022, including a 4% reduction last year.

“As a sector, we remain committed to making significant progress on our many EU Code of Conduct commitments. We have achieved impressive results in our health and nutrition actions and, in particular, in our sugar reduction, marketing and advertising practices and school policies,” says Ian Ellington, president of UNESDA and senior VP and CMO of PepsiCo in Europe.

Ellington says that UNESDA is on track to meet its commitment to reduce the average added sugar in its beverages by another 10% between 2019 and 2025 (in the EU and UK).

He pinpoints the success of the sector’s reformulation efforts “success” by using low and no-calorie sweeteners.

“These ingredients should continue to be supported by public authorities and regulators to enable the sector to make further progress on sugar reduction,” UNESDA underscores.

Upping recycled content
Besides its sugar reduction mission, UNESDA is also focusing on accelerating plastic circularity. 

UNESDA affirms its members are committed to using more recycled plastic in its PET bottles, but it faces challenges in sourcing and affording this material. UNESDA has set a target of reaching 50% recycled PET by 2025. 

UNESDA affirms its members are committed to using more recycled plastic in its PET bottles, but it faces challenges in sourcing and affording this material.They urge the EU and national authorities to grant them priority access to recycled PET from their own bottles to achieve this goal. This way, they can ensure their bottles are recycled into new beverage packaging in a circular system rather than being used for lower-quality products.

“The journey has not been easy. Rising inflation in 2022 significantly impacted our ability to use more recycled content in our packaging due to the challenges we faced in accessing food-grade feedstock for recycling,” Ellington notes. 

“We need policy support to deliver fully circular beverage packaging and to continue advancing on our sugar reduction program,” he highlights. 

UNESDA pleads for governmental support
The European soft drinks sector has pledged to deliver on its commitments to promote healthier lifestyles, reduce environmental impact and support a circular economy. However, it says it needs supportive policies from the EU public authorities and regulators to be successful.

The sector calls for evidence-based dietary recommendations that do not discriminate against any approved ingredient.

UNESDA also asks lawmakers to introduce legislation relating to Deposit Return Systems to lock the priority access right to recycling feedstock and ensure a closed-loop system. It also calls for a realistic regulatory framework on reuse that allows flexibility and considers all available options.

“UNESDAUnesda calls for a realistic regulatory framework on reuse that provides beverage producers flexibility to invest in the packaging mix that makes the most sense from environmental, economic, and consumer perspectives. This also includes considering all available reusable and refill options (at home and on the go) to achieve the reuse,” the organization explains. 

UNESDA says it will continue to engage with EU decision-makers constructively to help ensure policy predictability and coherence.

Edited by Marc Cervera