Member of Parliament for the Ribble Valley, Nigel Evans hosted a reception for a number of companies and fellow MPs at the House of Commons last week for a discussion on a circular packaging solution that aims to further reduce carbon emissions and drive sustainable investment in the UK. Representatives from AB InBev (Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I), Britvic, Molson Coors, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners plc, and many other key industry players joined in the event.
Also in attendance was the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Business and Trade), Kevin Hollinrake MP, along with several other Members of Parliament.
The Consider Refillable campaign proposes retail businesses move towards using refillable glass bottles (RGB) i.e., reusing glass bottles instead of one-way bottles. In the UK consumers use approximately 5 billion one-way drinks bottles each year.
A move towards refillable bottles could see 85% less emissions than single use glass, and 57% and 70% less than single use plastic and aluminium respectively (Source: Zero Waste Europe). This could also potentially save consumers as much as 15-20% of their costs.
Refillable glass bottles are a method already used in various countries such as Germany, Netherlands, and Belgium.
Nigel Evans MP said of the event:
“It was a great pleasure to welcome a variety of business leaders and key players from the industry to discuss the importance of circular packaging, in particular refillable glass bottles. It was brilliant to hear of the innovative solution to help towards our effort to achieve a more sustainable society.
“Sustainability and reducing our impact on the planet is an ever pressing concern and it is vital that we adopt effective solutions as a matter of urgency. I was particularly pleased to be able to host this event as a forum for discussion on an industry led solution which is what we need to see more of in order to tackle this crucial issue.”