Asahi Beverages has unveiled a new sustainability agenda, using its significant scale to create a more sustainable future for Australia and New Zealand. The agenda introduces new targets as well as incorporating previously announced ones.
Asahi Beverages says its entire portfolio of brands, from Cool Ridge water and Schweppes soft drinks to Victoria Bitter and Carlton Dry beer, will be even stronger because of its upgraded sustainability commitments.
The agenda covers climate change, sustainable packaging and the circular economy, supporting local farmers and much more. The full list of targets is here and includes:
- Source 100 per cent of purchased electricity from renewable sources by 2025
- Zero waste to landfill at manufacturing sites and warehouses by 2030
- Reduce scope 3 CO2 emissions by 30 per cent by 2030 and to net zero carbon emissions by 2050, engaging with suppliers – from farmers to packaging companies to logistics – to help reduce CO2 emissions.
- All packaging will be 100 per cent recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025
- Transition to 100 per cent eco-friendly (compostable, bio based or 100% recycled content) materials for PET Bottles by 2030.
Asahi Beverages employs more than 3,500 people across 26 manufacturing and corporate sites in Australia and New Zealand, with employees directly engaged in helping guide how the business achieves its targets through internal “think tanks”.
Asahi Beverages Group CEO Robert Iervasi said: “Sustainability is core business for Asahi Beverages. Many of our brands date back to the 19th century. These targets will help us create an entirely sustainable business so we can continue producing some of Australia and New Zealand’s favourite beverages for the next 200 years and beyond.
“We are determined to do much more than make vague and distant promises that gather dust. That’s why we’ve already made some incredibly important transformative and tangible changes to become more sustainable.
“We want our employees, customers and consumers to know that when they make or buy our products, they’re supporting a more sustainable future for Australia and New Zealand.”
Asahi Beverages’ sustainability plan is already well underway with the company:
- Installing the largest solar project at any Australian brewery in Queensland, to support its target to source all electricity from renewable sources by 2025
- Starting beer deliveries via electric truck with Linfox, to support its target of reducing carbon emissions along its supply chain by 30 per cent by 2030
- Forming a joint venture to build a PET recycling plant in Albury that will process the equivalent of around 1 billion plastic bottles and be Australia’s largest when it officially opens in coming months.
- Cool Ridge water is now made with 100 per cent recycled PET
- Purchasing 90 per cent of barley directly from Australian farmers to better support them
financially and encourage sustainable growing practices.
Brooke Donnelly, CEO of the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO), said: “It’s fantastic to see a Member of both APCO and the Australian, New Zealand and Pacific Island (ANZPAC) Plastics Pact showing strong leadership in such a critical area.
“Achieving the 2025 National Packaging Targets is one of the most crucial sustainability goals facing the industry
in Australia and it is vital that our biggest and most influential companies step up and make sustainable packaging a priority.
“As one of the largest beverage companies in the region, it’s so pleasing to see Asahi
Beverages not only making a firm commitment for a sustainable future, but also already
rolling out exactly the kind of packaging initiatives we need to see across the industry moving forward.”
