A change in Finland’s environmental law on plastic packaging, due to come into force in January, is prompting a number of Finnish beverage makers to move from refillable PET bottles to lightweight one way PET.
Carlsberg owned Sinebrychoff, the country’s biggest brewer, has just invested €26 million in two new one way PET bottling lines from Sidel, with capacity of 36,000 bottles per hour.
Sinebrychoff will switch to non-refillable, recyclable PET bottles for some beers and all the non-alcoholic beverages it produces, including Coca-Cola products. “The retail sector wants thin plastic bottles to save space and weight,” said Sinebrychoff CEO Mikael Aro.
At present, Finnish law favours refillable bottles. From next year, however, both refillable and non-refillable plastic bottles (other than dairy products) will have to carry a deposit – but producers will avoid the present €0.51 per litre environmental tax if they achieve an 80% return rate.
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2021
World Beverage Innovation Awards – NOW OPEN FOR ENTRIES!
The awards celebrate excellence and innovation across the global beverage industry. Don’t miss out on having your innovations recognised on a global scale.
Deadline for entries 23 July – enter now!
Don’t get left behind
Start your free Foodbev magazine trial today and join thousands of fellow industry professionals in receiving food and drink trends direct to our business.
Click here to start your free trial
Your privacy We use small files known as ‘cookies’ to enhance your experience of the FoodBev website and analyse site-traffic. Read about how we use cookies or how you may control them in our updated privacy policy and cookie policy. If you continue to use this site, you consent to our use of cookies. Click the ‘OKAY‘ button at the top right of this panel to accept or click here for more information.