News Release

Suntory Group to Participate in WWF Japan’s “Plastic Circular Challenge 2025”

Tokyo, Japan (February 22, 2022) — Suntory Group today announced that it is participating in WWF Japan’s (World Wide Fund for Nature Japan)^* “Plastic Circular Challenge 2025”. Under this Japanese domestic framework led by WWF Japan, participating companies will aim to solve various issues related to plastics by committing to a milestone set for 2025 regarding containers and packaging/single-use plastic and enhancing their activities under a “sustainable circular economy” approach.

With a corporate mission “to create harmony with people and nature” and “Mizu to Ikiru” (living with water) promise to its stakeholders, Suntory Group is promoting sustainability management globally. In May 2019, the company established the Suntory Group Plastic Policy and has been engaging in various activities towards realizing a circular society. To stop plastic waste from entering the ocean, the company has been promoting and raising awareness on recycling and has also signed a partnership agreement with the Ocean Conservancy in July 2021.

To maintain the useful functions of plastic containers and packaging while preventing them from having a negative impact on the environment, Suntory Group will continue to contribute significantly to realizing a circular society by promoting efforts to solve the plastic issue together with various stakeholders.

●Suntory Group’s initiatives related to WWF Japan’s “Plastic Circular Challenge 2025”
Suntory Group aims to use 100% sustainable PET bottles globally by 2030 by using only recycled or plant-based materials. In Japan, the company’s soft drinks business originally had a mid-term target of using more than 50% recycled materials in its PET bottles by weight, but has accelerated its target by 3 years and now raises an ambitious goal to make one in two PET bottles used in Japan to be made from 100% recycled materials by volume by 2022.
Starting March 2022, the company’s soft drinks business will gradually introduce a new logo “Bottles are resources! Towards a Sustainable Bottle” on all of its PET bottles in Japan to communicate to consumers that PET bottles are resources that can be recycled many times if sorted and collected properly, and strengthen its communication to consumers. By switching its products to 100% sustainable PET bottles, the company will contribute to realizing a circular and sustainable society.

About Suntory Group
As a global leader in the beverage industry, Suntory Group offers a uniquely diverse portfolio of products from premium spirits, beer and wine to brewed teas, bottled water, carbonated soft drinks, ready-to-drink coffee and energy drinks, along with health and wellness products. Suntory is home to award-winning Japanese whiskies Yamazaki, Hibiki and Hakushu as well as iconic American spirits Jim Beam and Maker's Mark. Suntory also fascinates the taste buds in Japan and the Asian market with our Premium Malt's beer and also owns the exceptional Japanese wine Tomi and the world famous Château Lagrange. Its brand collection also includes Sauza Tequila, non-alcoholic favorites Orangina, Lucozade, Ribena, BOSS coffee, Iyemon green tea, Suntory Tennensui water, TEA+ Oolong Tea, V and BRAND’S, as well as popular health and wellness product Sesamin EX.

Founded as a family-owned business in 1899 in Osaka, Japan, Suntory Group has grown into a global company operating throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania with an annual revenue (excluding excise taxes) of $20.4 billion in 2020. Suntory is driven by Yatte Minahare - the spirit of bold ambition - and our 40,044 employees worldwide draw upon our unique blend of Japanese artisanship and global tastes to explore new product categories and markets.

As a company that delivers blessings of water and nature to our customers, Suntory is committed to its mission to create harmony with people and nature. Always aspiring to grow for good, Suntory is devoted to giving back to society through protecting water resources, nurturing its communities and fostering the arts.

Learn more about Suntory Group, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility at www.suntory.com, on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.