To build a recycling-oriented society, Suntory Beverage & Food (“the Company”) will promote problem-solving efforts together with various stakeholders. Each employee will work on taking responsible action to solve problems and take the initiative in bringing about a sustainable society.
Containers and packaging protect and preserve the quality of products until they reach customers. However, most end up becoming post-consumer waste. The Suntory Group, which includes Suntory Beverage & Food, recognizes the social and environmental impacts that containers and packaging cause and, in 1997, established Guidelines for the Environmental Design of Containers and Packaging. Designs are done in accordance with the Guidelines, for instance, by selecting material for labels and the color of glass bottles in consideration of recyclability. In addition, the Group engages in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) efforts to reduce the environmental impact of containers and packaging.

3Rs of Containers and Packaging

The Suntory Group works to develop containers and packaging that give consideration to the environment, based on the 3Rs of “Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.” We work on reducing the weight, using materials with less environmental impact, and designing packaging that is easy to recycle, while taking into consideration usability from the time customers drink the product to the time it is recycled. We also work in collaboration with various recycling organizations and local governments to promote recycling.

Suntory Group Plastic Policy

Based on this Plastic Policy, Suntory will aim for fully sustainable plastic bottles in all the PET bottles used globally by 2030.

Plastic products have enriched people’s lives with their usefulness. On the other hand, the environmental impact caused by improper handling of used plastics has become a social problem. In Japan, the Ministry of the Environment has formulated the Plastic Resource Recycling Strategy to comprehensively promote resource recycling while recognizing the convenience of plastic products. The Suntory Group, which includes Suntory Beverage & Food, formulated its own Plastic Policy in 2019 in order to strongly lead the transformation to a recycling-oriented and decarbonized society. Based on this policy, the Group aims to switch all the PET bottles used globally for its products to bottles made of recycled or plant-based material by 2030, achieving zero use of virgin petroleum-based materials.

2R+B Strategy for PET Bottles

In regards to PET bottle containers, we are taking action based on the 2R+B (Reduce/Recycle + Bio) strategy, which is unique to Suntory. The concept is to replace fossil-fuel-derived materials with renewable materials to the extent possible, while reducing the use of resin and using recycled materials in development to achieve thorough and effective use of resources.

Environmental Management Structure

The Sustainability Committee, an advisory body for the Board of Directors, creates sustainability management strategies, drives related initiatives, and confirms progress on seven themes — water, greenhouse gases, containers and packaging, raw ingredients, health, human rights, and enriching life.

For more information on the Sustainability Committee, see Environmental Management

Resource / Raw Material Reduction Targets

Percentage of Sustainable Materials Used in PET Bottles*

• *
  Ratio of the number of 100% sustainable bottle

Change in Weight of 550-mL Suntory Tennensui PET Bottles*¹

• *1
  500-mL capacity through 2009

Change in Weight of 2-L Suntory Tennensui PET Bottles

Introducing Record Breaking Thinnest Roll Label*¹ for Plastic Bottle Beverages in Japan

The Lightest Cap of Any PET Beverage Bottle in Japan

We are also reducing the environmental impact of the bottle caps on plastic bottles. Since September 2016, we have adopted 1.85g bottle caps, which are the lightest in Japan*¹ that use 30% bio-based PET materials for Suntory Minami-Alps Tennensui mineral water. This innovation reduces the use of petroleum-derived raw materials by 35% and decreases CO₂ emissions by 27% compared to conventional PET bottle caps.
In addition, we have further evolved our environmental efforts by using bio-based materials and in March 2019, we introduced polyethylene caps with 100% plant-derived ethylene*² for 550ml Suntory Aso Tennensui mineral water, which is manufactured at our Kyushu Kumamoto Plant (Kamimashiki District, Kumamoto Prefecture). This innovation reduces the use of petroleum-derived raw materials by 90% and decreases CO₂ emissions by 56%*³ compared to current PET bottle caps.

• *1
  As of April 2023
• *2
  Polyethylene caps with 100% plant-derived ethylene as the main raw material. Excluding trace amounts of petroleum-derived components and colorant components at the time of production line changeover.
• *3
  One bottle of Suntory Tennensui Mineral Water (550mL)

Changes in Weight Reduction for Our Major PET Bottled Products in the Japanese Market

Example of CO₂ Emissions Reduction for Signature Product (Suntory Tennensui mineral water 2L PET bottle)

• *1
  As of April 2019
• *2, 3
  Based on our calculations

Development of World’s Lightest* Heat-resistant PET Bottle in Southeast Asia Leveraging Japanese Technological Capabilities

Suntory Beverage & Food engages in “bottle to bottle” horizontal recycling, where used PET bottles are turned into new ones. Starting with introducing the Japanese soft drink industry’s first PET bottles using 100% recycled materials in 2012, we have continued to advance “bottle to bottle” horizontal recycling, including development of the world's first F-to-P direct recycling technology, which has lower CO₂ emissions compared with conventional recycling methods.

Initiatives in Japan

“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.

• *
  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.

Changes in Initiative to Use 100% Sustainable PET Bottles

Suntory Beverage & Food has been working with partner companies for more than ten years to recycle used PET bottles into new beverage PET bottles as it leads the industry towards bringing about a sustainable society. In 2011, together with Kyoei Sangyo Co., Ltd., we built the first bottle-to-bottle mechanical recycling system for PET bottles in Japan. And in 2012, starting with the adoption of the first PET bottle used by the beverage industry in Japan made from 100% recycled materials*¹, we embarked on efforts such as developing the world's first F-to-P direct recycling technology*² to reduce CO₂ emissions even further than existing methods. Though efforts such as these, we have advanced technological innovation and actively commercialized and promoted bottle-to-bottle horizontal recycling for many years.
The Suntory Group Plastic Policy, which was formulated in 2019, sets the goal of making use of 100% sustainable bottles by 2030 by using only recycled or plant-based material for all of its PET bottles globally by that year and eliminating the use of virgin petroleum-based materials. We are engaging in various efforts to achieve this. In 2022, the percentage of our PET bottles made from 100% sustainable materials (100% recycled or plant-based materials) rose to 46% of the total weight of PET bottles used in Japan. In 2023, we aim for 50% or more by actively promoting bottle-to-bottle horizontal recycling, and utilization of plant-derived materials.

• *1
  Through mechanical recycling
• *2
  Abbreviation of “Flake to Preform.” Developed in collaboration with Kyoei Sangyo Co., Ltd. and other three companies

Promote horizontal recycling in collaboration with businesses and local governments

As we strive to bring about a recycling-oriented society, we are working in collaboration with businesses and local governments to recycle used PET bottles into new PET bottles through bottle-to-bottle horizontal recycling. We have made agreements concerning horizontal recycling with retailers, commercial facilities, and the like. We recycle used PET bottles collected in places like store fronts into PET bottles for our company's beverages using bottle-to-bottle horizontal recycling. At the same time, we hold events aimed at educating consumers.
By making similar agreements with local governments, we now are recycling PET bottles, previously being discarded by residents, as resources for PET bottles for Suntory beverages. We also conduct educational classes about PET bottle recycling at elementary and junior high schools in the municipalities with which we have agreements.

Developing Bottle-to-Bottle Horizontal Recycling

In 2011, together with Kyoei Sangyo Co., Ltd., Suntory Beverage & Food built the first bottle-to-bottle mechanical recycling system*¹ for PET bottles in Japan. In 2012, we released a joint research paper*² on evaluating the safety of recycled PET bottles.
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 Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, Ltd. in 2013.

The mechanical recycling system has the 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 as of April, 2023. The recycling process adds color to the bottles, but there is no problem with their quality or safety as containers.　

• *1
  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.
• *2
  Japanese Journal of Food Chemistry and Safety 19 (1), 7-13, 2012
• *3
  Based on our research

Adoption of F-to-P direct recycling technology

• *
  Approx. 70% reduction in CO₂ emissions
• *
  Compared to use of virgin petroleum-based materials

Proactive Introduction of Recycled PET Bottles

The Suntory Group is promoting the adoption of recycled materials as part of its efforts to meet its goal of making its PET bottle use 100% sustainable by 2030. The Group adopted PET bottles made from 100% recycled materials for all bottles of GREEN DAKARA Yasashii Mugicha (680mL, 600mL) sold in Japan, as well as many products, including Craft Boss and Iyemon. It also adopted a new logo mark to convey that PET bottles can be recycled numerous times: "Bottles are Resources! Towards a Sustainable Bottle." The Group has rolled out this mark to all PET bottles to expand communication with consumers. It is also moving to use of PET bottles made from 100% recycled materials for products other than soft drinks sold in Japan, such as 720mL PET bottles used in its domestic wine business. Going forward, we will accelerate these efforts across all of its operations.

• *
  New logo, “Bottles are resources! Towards a Sustainable Bottle”

• 

  Yasashii Mugicha 680mL

• 

  New logo, “Bottles are resources! Towards a Sustainable Bottle”

Promoting Bottle-to-Bottle Horizontal Recycling by Improving Containers and Packaging

Expanding Horizontal Recycling Awareness-raising Activities

Communication with Consumers

Starting in 2022, we have released a series of digital videos entitled "That's actually sustainable," using a cat cartoon character (Sustainya) to highlight simple, ordinary things that people do without even thinking, which 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.

• 
• 

That's actually sustainable.

• 
• 

Plastic bottle post

Promoting Horizontal Recycling Through Industry Cooperation

Initiatives outside Japan

Introduction of Recycled PET Bottles at Overseas Locations

Developing New Technology to Drive Horizontal Recycling

Suntory Beverage & Food Europe is investing in a French green biotech company Carbios' enzymatic PET recycling technology through a consortium with L'Oréal, Nestlé Waters and PepsiCo. Carbios' optimized enzyme breaks down any kind of PET plastic (regardless of color or complexity) into its building blocks, which can then be turned back into like-new, virgin-quality plastic. In June 2021, Carbios produced the world's first food-grade PET plastic bottle prototypes made entirely from enzymatically recycled plastic which was showcased in the company's Orangina brand. In September 2021, Carbios successfully launched a demonstration plant and aims to build an industrial facility by 2025.

* Based on our research

Suntory Holdings and Anellotech, Inc., a green innovation and technology company in the United States, have worked in a collaborative development of a plastic bottle that uses 100% plant-derived raw materials, and construction has begun in 2016 on a development and testing plant to produce plastic bottle materials in the state of Texas. In the future, we are planning to introduce PET bottles made from 100% plant-based materials for Suntory Tennensui mineral water brand of Suntory Beverage & Food Ltd. In the development process, we aim to produce "paraxylene," a precursor of terephthalic acid which constitutes 70% of PET bottle materials, exclusively from inedible plant-based materials (woodchips) so as not to affect the supply chain of materials for food use.

Adoption of bottle cap that uses 100% bio-based PET materials*¹

We are also reducing the environmental impact of the bottle caps on plastic bottles. Since September 2016, we have adopted 1.85g bottle caps, which are the lightest in Japan*² that use 30% bio-based PET materials for Suntory Minami-Alps Tennensui mineral water. This innovation reduces the use of petroleum-derived raw materials by 35%*³ and decreases CO₂ emissions by 27% compared to conventional PET bottle caps.
In addition, we have further evolved our environmental efforts by using bio-based materials and in March 2019, we introduced polyethylene caps with 100% plant-derived ethylene*² for 550ml Suntory Aso Tennensui mineral water, which is manufactured at our Kyushu Kumamoto Plant (Kamimashiki District, Kumamoto Prefecture). This innovation reduces the use of petroleum-derived raw materials by 90% and decreases CO₂ emissions by 56% compared to current PET bottle caps.

• *1
  Polyethylene caps with 100% plant-derived ethylene as the main raw material. Excluding trace amounts of petroleum-derived components and colorant components at the time of production line changeover.
• *2
  As of April 2023
• *3
  One bottle of Suntory Tennensui Mineral Water (550mL)

Cooperation with Stakeholders

Establishment of R Plus Japan to Work on the Recycling of Used Plastics

Suntory Group consists of 12 companies that make up the value chain. To realize a sustainable society and contribute in solving plastic issues, it has jointly established R Plus Japan, a company engaging in resource recycling of used plastics, which started operation from June 2020.April 2023, the number of project collaborators has expanded to 40. Together with Anellotech, R Plus Japan is developing technologies to recycle used plastics.
Many types of plastic apart from PET bottles are reportedly incinerated*¹ in Japan at present. This technology alternatively enables plastics including PET bottles to be chemically recycled by directly turning such plastics into base chemicals (benzene, toluene, xylene, ethylene, propylene and other chemicals). It requires fewer treatment processes compared to other chemical recycling methods that require liquefaction and is anticipated to reduce CO₂ emissions and energy use. Establishing this technology will allow more used plastic to be recycled efficiently.
R Plus Japan aims to contribute to the solution of the plastics problem, which is common worldwide, through collaboration across industries, in addition to technological development and its implementation in society.

• *
  This includes thermal recovery, in which the waste heat generated by incineration is recovered and used to generate electricity and supply heat.

R Plus Japan website

Social Activities

Alliance Membership

Joined the Clean Ocean Materials Alliance (CLOMA)

The Suntory Group, which includes Suntory Beverage & Food, has been a member of CLOMA, a public-private alliance established in January 2019 at the call of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, since its inception. Through this alliance, we will strongly cooperate with government agencies and industries to develop and promote alternative materials for plastics, and aim to build an efficient recycling system that meets the needs of each country through information dissemination and technical consulting services to overseas countries.

Joined the Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP)

In November 2019, the Suntory Group, which includes Suntory Beverage & Food, joined the Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP), a global alliance dedicated to solving environmental challenges caused by plastics. The GPAP is a global alliance for a circular economy of plastics, created by a public-private partnership based on the World Economic Forum with the aim of solving environmental challenges caused by plastics. Its members include the governments of the United Kingdom and Canada, as well as a wide range of businesses, investors, experts, NGOs, and other citizen organizations. In addition to exchanging information and sharing best practices at the global level and is engaged in community-based project activities at the local level.

WWF Japan’s Plastic Circular Challenge 2025

In February 2022, the Suntory Group, which includes Suntory Beverage & Food, joined the Plastic Circular Challenge 2025 organized by WWF Japan (World Wide Fund for Nature Japan) with the aim of realizing a sustainable society. The Plastic Circular Challenge 2025 is a framework for companies to respond to WWF Japan’s call for action to solve the problems of plastics. Participating companies have set a milestone year of 2025 as their commitment to containers and packaging and single-use plastics, and will promote activities based on a “Sustainable Circular Economy” approach.

Other Initiatives

Utilizing LCA to Set Environmental Standards for Containers and Packaging

Containers and packaging protect and preserve the quality of products until they reach customers. However, most become waste after the content is consumed. The Suntory Group, which includes Suntory Beverage & Food, recognizes the social and environmental impacts that containers and packaging cause and, in 1997, established Guidelines for the Environmental Design of Containers and Packaging. Designs are done in accordance with the Guidelines, for instance by selecting material for labels and the color of glass bottles in consideration of recyclability.

Marine Pollution Problem of Plastic Bottles

The problem of marine pollution caused by plastic containers, including plastic bottles, is becoming increasingly serious and is discussed as a global environmental issue. As a beverage company that handles many containers, we are committed to proactively addressing this issue and working with the government, local communities, and industry to resolve it. We have always been promoting 2R+B while expanding activities to raise consumer awareness about recycling.
In the future, we aim to improve the recycling rate even further in each country and region around the world and will encourage activities to promote improvements together with our various stakeholders.
In addition, as part of employee volunteer activities, employees in Japan participate in beach cleanup activity organized by a non-profit organization, while overseas, Suntory Group employees participate in cleanup activities along the Chicago River basin, in an effort to raise awareness so that each and every employee will see this issue as his or her own and take action. The Suntory Group formulated the Plastic Policy in June 2019 and aims for 100% sustainability by using only recycled or plant-derived materials for all PET bottles used globally by 2030 and achieving zero use of virgin petroleum-based materials.

Efforts to Mold Plastic Bottles In-house

The Suntory Group, which includes Suntory Beverage & Food, is advancing efforts to mold PET bottles in-house by producing PET preform from PET resin, then expanding this into PET bottles. This would make possible consistent design and management of everything from bottle molding through filling, making it easier to make bottles lighter and reduce the amount of resin used.
It would also decrease the amount of fuel used during transport, and the volume of CO₂ emissions, compared to procuring completed PET bottles. Moreover, CO₂ emissions can be reduced by efficiently utilizing energy through recovery and reuse of the high-pressure air used in PET bottle molding.

• 

  PET Resin
  Can reduce CO₂ emissions by 50% or more

• 

  Preform molded from resin

• 

  Molded PET bottle

Cans/Bottles/Barrels/Paper Packaging/Cardboard

Reduce: Lightweighting

Lightweighting in Cans

Reducing the Weight of Cardboard

Recycle: Promoting Recycling

Achieved 100% Use of FSC^®-certified Cardboard

• *
  Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is an international organization that certifies timber produced from forests globally as well as the distribution and manufacturing processes of the cut timber. This certification considers the environmental conservation of these forests and recognizes timber produced in an economical and sustainable manner which generates revenue for the local community. This certification considers the environmental conservation of these forests and recognizes timber produced in an economical and sustainable manner which generates revenue for the local community.

Overview of Waste Management

Promoting Waste Reduction and Recycling

As part of Suntory Beverage & Food's efforts to establish a recycling-oriented society, the Company is working to reduce emissions of by-products and waste and to achieve 100% recycling.
Suntory Beverage & Food Europe has set a goal of zero waste from its factories and is engaging in waste-reduction and recycling activities. Moreover, it has set a target of reducing food waste from products by 50%, and is donating surplus products to charitable organizations to support people struggling with poverty as part of its efforts to achieve this target.

By-Products and Waste Generation Performance at Suntory Beverage & Food

Region	Emissions (thousand tons)
	2020	2021	2022
Japan	84	85	88
Americas	2	2	2
Europe	28	24	34
Asia	31	29	53
Oceania	7	7	6
Africa	0	0	0
Total	151	148	184

• *
  2022: Data covers 10 production plants in Japan and 38 production plants overseas.
• *
  Results have received independent assurance from KPMG AZSA Sustainability Co., Ltd. The Independent Assurance Report is published on Suntory Group Home Page.

Initiatives for Collecting Containers and Packaging

Efforts to Prevent Scattering of Empty Containers

To beautify the environment and promote effective use of resources, we are engaged in activities to prevent the scattering of empty containers. We place one empty container collection box at every vending machine. We are also making efforts to raise awareness about recycling by affixing a Beautification Mark on vending machines as a way to prevent littering.

Placing Industry-Standard Recycling Bins with New Functions Next to Vending Machines