Recycle: Promote “Bottle to Bottle” Horizontal Recycling

“Bottle to Bottle” Horizontal Recycling

“Bottle to bottle” horizontal recycling refers to recycling used PET bottles into new ones. PET bottles are resources that can be recycled many times, which can help reduce the use of fossil-fuel-derived materials and CO₂ emissions. “Bottle to bottle” horizontal recycling through mechanical recycling^* is the recycling method with the least environmental impact (CO₂ emissions in processes from raw materials procurement to PET preform production). In 2011, Suntory was the first company in the Japanese beverage industry to establish this technology, and has continued promoting “bottle to bottle” horizontal recycling since then.

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  Mechanical recycling: A method in which recycled resin obtained by material recycling (used products are processed by crushing, washing, and made into raw materials for products again) is further processed under high temperature and reduced pressure for a certain period of time to remove impurities in the recycled material and make PET resin of suitable quality for beverage containers.

History of Efforts to Create 100% Sustainable PET Bottles

Toward realization of a sustainable society, we have led the industry in recycling used PET bottles into beverage PET bottles together with cooperating companies for more than 10 years. In cooperation with Kyoei Sangyo Co., Ltd., in 2011 we built the first “bottle to bottle” horizontal recycling system in the Japanese beverage industry. Starting with launching the first PET bottle made of 100% recycled material^*1 in the Japanese soft drink industry in 2012, we have made technological innovations over these many years, including development of the world’s first F-to-P direct recycling technology^*2 to reduce CO₂ emissions more than conventional technology, and have proactively commercialized and promoted “bottle to bottle” horizontal recycling.
In 2019, we established Suntory Group Plastic Policy. In it, we set the 2030 target of using 100% sustainable PET bottles globally by using only recycled or bio-based material with zero use of virgin fossil-fuel-derived materials and are conducting various activities toward this target. In 2023, we expanded use of sustainable PET bottles (using only recycled or bio-based material) in our soft drink business in Japan to 53% of all PET bottles Group-wide by weight.

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  Mechanical recycling
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  Joint development among four companies including Kyoei Sangyo Co., Ltd.

Promoting Horizontal Recycling with Local Governments and Corporations

With the aim of realizing a recycling-oriented society, Suntory Group has been working on “bottle to bottle” horizontal recycling, in which used PET bottles are recycled into new PET bottles, in cooperation with local governments and companies.
We have concluded similar agreements with distribution companies and commercial facilities to recycle used PET bottles collected at stores and other locations into Suntory beverage bottles through “bottle to bottle” horizontal recycling and hold consumer awareness events.
Also, by concluding an agreement on “bottle to bottle” horizontal recycling with local governments, we will recycle PET bottles discharged by residents as resources into new PET bottles for Suntory beverages. In addition, educational classes on PET bottle recycling are held at elementary and junior high schools in municipalities with which we have concluded agreements.

Development of the “Bottle to Bottle” Horizontal Recycling System

In 2011, in collaboration with Suntory Beverage & Food Ltd. and Kyoei Sangyo Co., Ltd., we built the first “bottle to bottle” mechanical recycling system^*1 for PET bottles in the Japanese beverage industry. In addition, we published a joint assessment^*2 on the safety of recycled PET bottles in 2012.
This system received Commendation for Contributors to the Development of a Recycling-oriented Society in 2011 and 2012, and Commendation for Global Warming Prevention (Technological Development and Commercialization Category) in 2011 both from the Minister of the Environment, and Nikkei Global Environmental Technology Excellence Award in 2011 for the first time in the food industry. We also received the 21st Global Environment Award in 2012 and Environmental Excellence Award hosted by the Hitachi Environment Foundation and the Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, Ltd. in 2013.

The recycled PET bottles produced by mechanical recycling take on a color during the process, but they have no quality issues and safety issues. The mechanical recycling system have highest cost efficiency and lowest environmental impact^*3 (CO₂ emissions from raw material procurement to preform manufacturing) among PET bottle recycling systems adopted in Japan.

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  Mechanical recycling system: A method in which recycled resin obtained through material recycling (where used PET bottles are crushed, washed and otherwise processed into materials to make more PET bottles) is further processed under high temperature and reduced pressure for a certain period of time to remove impurities in the recycled material and make PET resin of suitable quality for beverage containers.
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  Japanese Journal of Food Chemistry and Safety, Vol. 19 (1), 2012, pp. 7–13
• *3
  Based on our research

Adoption of F-to-P direct recycling technology

In 2017, as part of our recycling efforts, we collaborated with Kyoei Sangyo Co., Ltd. and overseas machinery manufacturers (EREMA in Austria and SIPA in Italy) to develop F-to-P direct recycling technology which is expected to further reduce environmental impact. We began production in the fall of 2018. F-to-P direct recycling technology is a technology that can directly manufacture preforms after melting and filtering flakes made from collected PET bottles that have been crushed and washed at high temperatures.
The F-to-P direct recycling technology can reduce CO₂ emissions by 70%^* compared with virgin PET bottles made of fossil-fuel-derived material. (Current mechanical recycling can reduce CO₂ emissions by 60%^*.)

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  Processes from used PET bottles to the preform production

Products that use F-to-P direct recycling technology

Active Implementation of Recycled PET Bottles within the Group

To achieve the 2030 fully sustainable PET bottle goal, we are promoting implementation of recycled PET bottles globally.
In Japan, we have introduced PET bottles made of 100% recycled PET bottles for GREEN DA-KA-RA Yasashii Mugicha (680 mL, 600 mL) and Yasashii Rooibos (600ml). In addition, we use 100% recycled PET bottles for many of our products, including Craft Boss and Iyemon.
We have adopted the logo mark “Bottles are resources! Towards a Sustainable Bottle” on all PET bottled products^* to communicate to consumers that PET bottles are a resource that can be recycled many times. Apart from the soft drink business in Japan, we also use 100% recycled PET bottles for 720-mL wine products in Japan. We will continue to accelerate these efforts Group-wide.

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  Excluding label-less products

Yasashii Mugicya 680ml
Yasashii Rooibos 600ml
Delica Maison Red 720ml PET bottle

Logo “Bottles are resources!
Towards a Sustainable Bottle”

“Bottle to Bottle” Horizontal Recycling Progress Through Packaging Improvements

“Label-free” PET bottle products do not have the plastic label wrap found on conventional PET bottle products. This provides greater user convenience from not having to remove the label. We believe that giving customers a more convenient sorting experience for recycling will help encourage “bottle to bottle” horizontal recycling that turns used PET bottles into new ones. We introduced label-free bottles in 2020 and have adopted them in flagship products including for the Suntory Tennensui natural mineral water, CRAFT BOSS and Iyemon brands.

We developed a new 2-L PET bottle for the Suntory Tennensui natural mineral water that is easy to fold into a size about one-sixth its original shape when empty and launched it in April 2023. This new bottle resolves some dissatisfaction in the home with empty PET bottles, namely how the bottles pop back to their original shape after being crushed and how they take up space until collection day. The new bottle is also expected to help create higher-quality recycling for PET bottles by making it easier for consumers to sort PET bottles without having to remove their cap or label.

Awareness-raising Activities for Horizontal Recycling

Suntory Group has been working to promote understanding of horizontal recycling initiatives and sorted collection of PET bottles through seminars outside the company to help realize a sustainable society. In 2021, we signed an agreement with Waseda University on the realization of a resource-recycling society, and we are also making efforts for the next generation.
At elementary and junior high schools in municipalities with which we have concluded “bottle to bottle” agreements, we conduct educational classes on the significance of horizontal “bottle to bottle” recycling and how to correctly sort PET bottles, providing an opportunity for students to think about recycling and resource circularity. At companies with which we have concluded these agreements, we also hold educational seminars for employees and events for their families.

Communication with Consumers

Since 2022, we have released a communication campaign in Japanese using a cat cartoon character to highlight simple, ordinary things that people do without even thinking that are in fact sustainable practices. We are also proactively communicating with consumers and raising awareness for sustainability in other ways, including holding “PET bottle post” events based on the concept of having as many people as possible think of PET bottles not as garbage but as a resource, and of recycling bins not as garbage bins but as something more like postal boxes that “deliver” the resource to the next person.

Promoting Horizontal Recycling Through Industry Cooperation

From the fall of 2022, we will start deploying recycling boxes with industry-standard specifications for outdoor areas where there is a lot of contamination.
New recycling boxes with innovations such as a downward-facing insertion slot have been shown to reduce the amount of foreign matter put into them. This improves the quality of collected PET bottles and contributes to “bottle to bottle” horizontal recycling. Using recycling boxes with industry-standard specifications will improve efficiency for vending machine operators and recycling processes and promote PET bottle resource circularity.

For more information, see Japan Soft Drink Association

Introducing Recycled PET Bottles Overseas

Suntory Beverage & Food Europe brand Ribena was the first soft drinks brand in the UK to use a 100% PET bottle made from recycled plastic in 2007. The company has been increasing its use of recycled plastic—in 2021 this included the introduction of 100% recycled PET in May Tea and Pulco in France. In 2022, Suntory Beverage & Food Europe has started 100% recycled PET bottles in its Lucozade Sport brand in the UK and Ireland.
Suntory Beverage & Food Asia Pacific, with its main operations in Vietnam and Thailand, is also strengthening its efforts to promote recycling. It introduced the company’s first 100% recycled PET bottles in Vietnam in 2022, and in Thailand in 2023.

100% sustainable Ribena bottle

Development of New Technology to Drive Horizontal Recycling

Suntory Beverage & Food Europe (SBFE) is participating in a consortium with green biotech company Carbios. In June 2021, the consortium successfully developed the world’s first PET bottle of food-grade quality made from chemical recycling using enzymatic technology^*. A prototype was made for SBFE’s Orangina brand, and a Japanese technical team helped test aspects of the prototype that Carbios was not able to, including the safety and ease of manufacturing the bottle. In September 2021, Carbios opened its first demonstration plant with the goal of launching commercial plant operations in 2025. This innovative technology breaks down polyethylene terephthalate (PET) into its building blocks using a special enzyme that only breaks down PET plastic to create the raw materials of PET bottles that can then be reused. This technology is anticipated to enable recycling of PET bottles that are not properly sorted and color PET bottles that are commonly used in Europe to the quality level of virgin PET bottles.

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  Based on our research