Recycling Videos to Encourage Drinks Can Recycling

Every Can Counts has been busy posting some great videos to help encourage drinks can recycling. From organisations already participating in the scheme, such as Jaguar Land Rover, to videos aimed at youth audiences, there’s lots of material available to help organisations show how easy recycling in the workplace and on the go can be. The latest video is a fresh take on promoting recycling to today’s youth.

For more material and videos visit www.everycancounts.co.uk or the Every Can Counts YouTube channel. You can also follow them on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news and updates.

Guest Q&A with Janelle Orozco, Diageo – Ready to Drink beverages in cans

Ready to Drink beverages in cans (RTDs) are now a familiar and popular offering on supermarket shelves. We spoke to Janelle Orozco, Vice President of Procurement at Diageo to find out more about the growing popularity of RTDs in cans and how they are engaging with consumers.

We first noticed RTDs in cans a little while ago, but the range is expanding. Can you tell us when Diageo started putting RTDs in cans and what the first one was? 

We began putting RTDs in cans in 1993 with the first variants being Gordon’s & Tonic and Pimm’s for the GB market.  Starting in 2008 we began expanding the range to include new brands, new mixes and new markets.  Various parts of the range are now available in 13 countries in Europe.

Why is Diageo using cans for its RTD range?

Cans are a great format from many perspectives:

• They  provide a format consumers are very used to.  Cans are also highly convenient for a multitude of occasions, whether consumers want to relax and unwind at home, or when requiring outdoor consumption in BBQ´s, parties, etc
• They are easy to store in a fridge
• They get very cold and preserve that temperature very well
• They offer a big surface on which we can deploy branding and consumer messagesThe improvements in printing quality that have been made over the years help to convey premiumness

Why do consumers like them?

We believe the main reason that consumers like pre-mixed drinks in cans is quality, convenience and choice.  Through pre-mix, we offer consumers the possibility to consume their favourite drinks perfectly mixed.  Cans are a highly convenient format since they are easy to carry, easy to store and cool quickly.  Additionally, in the case of informal get-togethers and parties, pre-mix cans offer the possibility to treat every person with their own choice of drinks without having to buy a multitude of spirits and mixers.

The RTD offering has expanded. Could you tell us how many RTDs you offer in cans and which ones are proving the most popular? Is there a particular reason for this?
Our current range has 16 variants spanning great brands like Gordon’s Gin, Smirnoff, Captain Morgan and Pimm’s.  The most popular variants are Gordon´s & Tonic and Capt Morgan and Cola. These are two very popular drink combinations, and that is reflected in the success of the pre-mixed variant.

We’ve seen lots of advertising recently on TV for YesYouCan and the Facebook campaign has had more than 25,000 likes, which is impressive.

Can you tell us a little bit about the campaign and what its aims are?
We wanted to show consumers the effortless style associated with pre-mix cans. We wanted to inspire consumers and show them they could enjoy their favourite spirit and mixer any time anywhere.

Are there any times of year when you see sales of RTDs in cans higher than others? Do you know why this is?

There is normally a peak around Christmas and then in late Spring/early Summer. This is consistent with peaks in spirits consumption and with times of the year when informal get togethers happen more frequently.

To find out more about Diageo visit www.diageo.com/ or join their YesYouCan Facebook page

The Sustainable History of the Can

Recycling has been around for centuries, with modern metal recycling facilities developed in the 1970s on a larger scale. Since then millions of tonnes of cans have been recycled and used, not only for the production of new cans, but other products such as kettles or even busses. Many of us know that the beverage can is the most recyclable drinks pack in the world. Every part of a drinks can can be recycled infinitely with no loss of quality and can be back on shelf as a brand new can in as little as six weeks.

Lightweighting has been a big focus in recent years for the packaging industry. This reduces the amount of materials used in products, and has cost reduction implications when it comes to transporting. For the beverage can industry, lightweighting is not a new phenomenon and, in fact, has been continually deployed for over 30 years. This means it is now possible to produce three times as many cans from the same amount of material as it was 30 years ago. Today, the 330ml tinplate can weighs just 21g; the aluminium can just 10g, with a midwall thickness thinner than a human hair.

Every Can Counts launches in Barnstaple town centre

Drinks can recycling programme Every Can Counts has been launched to shoppers and retailers across Barnstaple town centre.  Working with BID Barnstaple in partnership with Barnstaple Town Council, Every Can Counts is working to improve drinks can recycling in the centre’s 400 retail units.  Barnstaple is the first retail centre in the South West to launch the programme.

Every Can Counts has been introduced as part of a focused green strategy, to demonstrate an environmental commitment, which includes diverting as much waste from landfill as possible.  The programme also fits with the BID civic pride initiative, which aims to encourage both traders and shoppers alike to take pride in their town centre.

Every Can Counts has previously partnered with North Devon Council, Ilfracombe Town Council and Woolacombe Parish council to encourage residents to recycle their drinks cans at Ilfracombe and Woolacombe beaches. Cans are being collected and processed by local community recycling enterprise, Community Resources,  a not-for-profit organisation based in Ilfracombe with a satellite unit in Barnstaple, which  provide meaningful, practical and worthwhile activities for adults with learning disabilities.

Expanding on this partnership, each of the 400 stores and restaurants within Barnstaple town centre have been provided with Every Can Counts recycling boxes and promotional materials to encourage both staff and shoppers to recycle their empty drink cans.

For more information or to start recycling with Every Can Counts visit www.everycancounts.co.uk or read more about it here 

Every Can Counts launches new website to help businesses implement recycling

With many organisations working towards sustainability objectives, including zero waste to landfill targets, research demonstrates that businesses would benefit from greater support to help achieve their environmental goals. In response, drinks can recycling programme Every Can Counts has launched a new online information hub designed to help organisations and individuals increase recycling in their workplace. Recognising that an effective recycling programme combines service with promotion, the new online hub, www.everycancounts.co.uk, provides information and advice on setting up or reinvigorating a recycling scheme, along with communications resources to help with promotion to staff and customers.

 For more information visit www.everycancounts.co.uk/getinvolved/business

 

 

 

 

Q & A: Kate Spencer from Nielsen talks about the beverage market

The Nielsen Company watches the consumer retail market very closely.  We sat down with Kate Spencer , Client Team Leader, The Nielsen Company to find out her latest insights on the beverage market. 

Why are cans continuing to experience a growth in the soft drinks market? 

Total Soft Drinks tend to see growth during recessions as it’s a category that people increase their spend on for home parties and stay home occasions.

Is there a particular soft drinks sector which is showing strong signs of growth and why? 

Glucose and stimulant (energy) as this is a relatively new sector that big players are investing in, lots of NPDs and there is a high consumer demand due to health/sports trends.

Have you noticed any particular pack formats or sizes performing particularly well? Why do you think this is? 

Single followed by multiserve. Singles are driven by the convenience format (both impulse and grocery), which has been and continues to be a high performing channel within Total Soft Drinks. Multiserve has been driven by Squash and Carbonated Drinks. Squash has seen lots of changes over 2011; from the launch of Robinsons double Concentrate to Private Label rebranding their ranges.  Carbonated soft drinks have been heavily pushing the 2L bottle with heavy promotions.

Did sporting events and the summer weather affect soft drink and canned drinks consumption?

This summer we experienced decline in June for the first time following three years of growth, due to worse weather compared to last June (2010).  However we also saw “two summers season” with a peak in May, then down in June & up again in July/August. This has been driven by the strong seasonality of the category.

Overall, how did cans perform up to the end of Q3 2011? 

Strong growth of 10% vs. YA with peaks up to +16% in summer.

How have consumer trends changed in 2011 when compared with 2010? 

As a response to inflationary pressures, shoppers are cutting out small baskets to minimise spend on non essential items and reducing Out of Town to keep petrol consumption down: small and larger baskets are being squeezed. Within this scenario, seen at Total Grocery and reflected in Total Soft Drinks, big trolleys remain the more valuable to Total Soft Drinks, driven by stock up to take advantage of promotions.

Looking ahead, what do you think the trends for cans in 2012, in terms of design, size, etc? 

Multipacks will continue to evolve: if we think 5 years ago it was all about 6 pack and singles, now we have 8,10,12,24,30. Pepsi just launched a 12 mini cans pack. They will dominate on shelf space even more, although we are starting to see promotions shifting from multipack to big bottles (2L). It might be that cross brands strategy will start to be implemented more often vs. new pack formats strategy.

CIWM recognises two BCME funded recycling programmes

November was a busy month for sustainability programme activity. We are absolutely delighted to announce that two programmes supported by BCME: MetalMatters, the programme aimed at improving metal recycling rates from the home, and Every Can Counts, aimed at increasing recycling rates out of the home, were named as finalists in the CIWM Awards for Environmental Excellence.  At the awards ceremony itself MetalMatters was named the winner of the Communications Campaign category and Every Can Counts was a runner up in the Innovative Practice in Resource Recovery and Waste Management category. Recognition from such a prestigious organisation is a fantastic achievement for both programmes and will help push the programmes even further in 2012.

MetalMatters, the kerbside recycling improvement programme, readies for expansion

Alupro has announced that it is to lead MetalMatters, the metal packaging industry’s kerbside recycling stimulation programme, on behalf of its funding partners.

Originally developed by Beverage Can Makers Europe (BCME) in partnership with Novelis and Tata Steel, and supported by WRAP, the MetalMatters programme achieved impressive results in pilot programmes in two local authorities, improving kerbside capture rates for metal packaging.  The programme was named Communications Campaign of the Year at the recent CIWM Awards for Environmental Excellence.

Alupro will draw on its experience of managing the Aerofoil programme, which helped local authorities expand kerbside services to include aerosols and foil containers.  The focus initially will be on developing campaigns in strategic partnerships with local authorities and/or waste partnerships, and developing the funding base to ensure the programme becomes a showcase for extended Producer Responsibility for partners across the metal packaging industry.

As part of this process Coca Cola Enterprises Ltd (‘CCE’) has become the first packer/filler to partner with the programme, along with the UK’s leading foil container manufacturers i2r Packaging Solutions, Nicholl Food Packaging and Coppice Alupack.

What stops us from recycling and how can we make it better?

 The industry knows that recycling is important and, with facilities available to recover and process all the beverage cans used in the UK, what’s stopping everyone from actually doing it?

There has been plenty of research on the subject, not just commissioned by the industry. Whilst some may think the reason why people don’t recycle enough is because they don’t feel it’s important, in fact the opposite is true. People do feel that recycling is important but there are a plethora of reasons why they don’t do it.

From the home, the majority of councils collect recycling which is in designated boxes or bags. One of the major barriers to recycling from the home is that people aren’t convinced that what they put out for recycling is actually recycled. Another is that people don’t really understand what can be recycled and some don’t feel that they make a difference.

Outside of the home there are, again, many reasons why people don’t recycle. On the go recycling facilities can be difficult to come across and symbols are often complicated and difficult to understand. This is improving as more organisations, from shopping centres to high streets, become aware of the importance of accessible recycling facilities. Within the workplace, recycling facilities are often lacking and messaging is not always clear.

There are various initiatives around for businesses to achieve recycling targets. Organisations are sometimes unsure of where to start, where to go for advice, how easy it can be to implement. If they already have some form of recycling, may not realise that it’s incredibly easy to build upon. There is also an abundance of free material available online, and programmes that are free to join which will offer advice. It is vital that businesses have a good recycling programme in place, not just to achieve their recycling goals but also as a way to spread the recycling message to a wider audience. After all, if recycling messages in the workplace are simple and effective, these will the recycling habit will spread into the home and have an even wider impact.

To start beverage can recycling in the workplace click here  

 

A Time and Place for Business and Pleasure

Soft Drinks International is one of the oldest soft drinks publications in the UK and May 2012 will see the very first Soft Drinks International Conference take place in London. Our guest blogger is Phillip Tappenden, Editor, Soft Drinks International

The non-alcoholic beverage industry is such an exciting and dynamic beast, with constant innovation and continual technological advances. Add
into the mix, trends towards all-natural ingredients, along with desires for functionality, concerns for health and wellness, and considerations such as sustainability and the environment, and you begin to understand the complex range of challenges facing those with the ‘simple’ task of putting a desirable and safe beverage on the retailers’ shelves.

But it is the very nature of this fast-moving and highly innovative industry that makes it so interesting, and such a pleasure to be a part of. Whether learning of novel ingredients, understanding the complexities of product formulation, sensory profiling, process hygiene, or package light-weighting and recyclability – the science and technology employed is truly fascinating. And, it’s only when you have an overview of what goes into bringing a beverage to market, that you begin to understand how the individual elements and disciplines work together, and thus where additional opportunities may exist.

I’ve only been involved with Soft Drinks International for the past 15 years or so, but since first being published as The British & Colonial Water Trade Journal, way back in 1888, the publication has witnessed much change. Throughout the 1,500 monthly issues – not even interrupted by either of the world wars – SDI has faithfully reported to the international non-alcoholic beverage industry for more than a century.

It’s partly in celebration of this 125 year publishing milestone, that SDI will hold its inaugural conference in May 2012. Supported by many trade organisations, including the British Soft Drinks Association and the International Society of Beverage Technologists, this, the first SDI – International Soft Drinks Conference, will be held in London, two months ahead of the Olympics.

Aimed at middle and senior management, the event will have a truly international and multi-disciplinary perspective, and will provide an ideal opportunity for all those involved, directly or indirectly, in the non-alcoholic beverage arena, to meet together under one roof and to debate the issues affecting the future of our industry.

Held over two days, with speakers delivering stimulating and topical content, combined with ample networking opportunities, the conference will include an evening cruise on the river Thames, followed by a gala dinner.

A time and a place for the industry to come together – for business and for pleasure.

For further information email conference@softdrinksinternational.com or call +44 (0)1202 842222.