Press Releases

UNESDA statement on the publication of the revision of the proposal for the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation

UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe takes note of the European Commission’s publication of the revision of the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which was released today.

Draft reuse requirements for drinks packaging are an existential threat to beverage industries and effective existing recycling systems

Our four leading European beverage associations (AIJN – European Fruit Juice Association, The Brewers of Europe, Natural Mineral Waters Europe, UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe) are united in expressing our profound concern at the mandatory targets the European Commission intends to set for the reuse of our beverage containers.

Target 90%: Unprecedented European coalition calls for EU ambitious proposal for circular beverage packaging

Today, a broad coalition representing European beverage producers, material and technology suppliers, recyclers, NGOs and public entities have called for ambitious action to enable full circularity of beverage packaging in the anticipated draft amendment of the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (PPWD), due at the end of November 2022.

Call for EU Action: SMEs in the beverage industry call for a fairer access to recycled PET

In the EU, recycled PET is becoming almost as rare and expensive as white truffles or gold. The reason is everybody wants qualitative recycled PET from beverage bottles, and the demand significantly exceeds the offer.

The European soft drinks sector has achieved a 17.7% reduction in average added sugars since 2015

Just one year after releasing ambitious new health and nutrition commitments, UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe announces that the European soft drinks sector has delivered a further 3.6% reduction in average added sugars between 2019 and 2021.

Efficient waste collection schemes, closed-loop recycling and access to recycled content are crucial to accelerating the transition to a circular economy in Europe

Europe’s non-alcoholic beverage industry, represented by the European Fruit Juice Association (AIJN), Natural Mineral Waters Europe (NMWE) and UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe, together with leading NGOs, including Changing Markets Foundation and Zero Waste Europe, call on EU decision-makers to create the right enabling policy framework to help accelerate the transition to a circular economy in Europe.

PET packaging moving steadily towards circularity

New data for collection, recycling capacity and production for 2020 show increases in all measured factors, indicating a steady move towards circularity of the PET industry in Europe. Major growth is observed, in particular, within the PET recycling market, with an overall 21% increase in the installed capacity and totalling 2.8mt in EU27+3.

PET Bottles: From recyclability to circularity

Following the numerous commitments of the industry players to increase uptake of recycled plastics, including the new mandatory target of 25% in PET bottles by 2025, the European PET Bottle Platform (EPBP) and RecyClass decided to join efforts to further support the value chain actors in making the right design decisions in PET bottle production so that its recyclability, and therefore, circularity is guaranteed.

UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe partners with the International Yehudi Menuhin Foundation to support aspiring artists

UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe signed a partnership agreement with the International Yehudi Menuhin Foundation to support six musicians with an opportunity to produce original music video and perform concerts in 2022. This will be part of the Foundation’s www.concertwithyou.com initiative, a streaming concert platform that allows artists to share their music and engage with the public.

Capri-Sun joins UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe

Today, UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe announced that Capri-Sun has joined its association, becoming its 10th corporate member. This brings UNESDA’s membership total to 33 members with 10 companies and 23 national associations.