By Emma Thackray co-founder of Hip Pop

Back in 2020, The Drinks Industry Sustainability index scored the beverage industry's sustainability strategies and practices a 4.8 out of 10, lagging considerably behind other sectors.

So, why is sustainability important, particularly in the beverage industry, and why should brands, more than ever, make a move to be greener and more environmentally conscious?

The importance of sustainability

There are some companies that take a disgruntled view of sustainability, choosing to view it as an abundance of awkward regulations with very little long-term benefits or ROI. But growing concerns for the environment has caused significant pressures on manufacturers to reassess their supply chain, rectifying patterns potentially causing climate havoc.

For example, a rectified, eco-conscious supply chain should seek to minimise waste, cut carbon emissions, improve employee health and safety, and lower water and energy consumption. Fortunately, the British Soft Drinks Association [BSDA] and British Beer & Pub Association [BBPA] are working closely with producers and suppliers, offering several incentives and programmes that aim to help reduce their carbon footprint.

With this in mind, there are several ways that beverage companies can improve their carbon footprint on their own:  

Packaging

Ditching single-use plastics and utilising recyclable materials such as metals, cardboard and glass is a small part of drink manufacturing which can yield significant, sustainable results. Traditional plastic packaging used to be the cheaper option. However, due to the plastic packaging tax which came into force in April 2022, businesses may find they're paying the same for plastic as they could for a sustainable alternative.

Unfortunately, plastic isn't the only problematic packaging. On the surface, glass bottles may seem to be a good idea, yet they require 33% more cardboard packaging than aluminium cans due to needing more protection. In comparison, cans can increase the shelf-life of a product due to less chance of oxygen penetrating the product, while glass bottles are more susceptible to human error.

Biodegradable spirits bottles are a sustainable advancement within the beverages industry. Made from plant-based materials, the bottle can biodegrade in just 18 months, an incredibly short period of time when compared to the 400 years on average it takes for most plastics. Utilising new technologies such as this can be seen as the ‘silver bullet' in eliminating environmental waste within the sector.

Logistics

Logistical aspects of businesses should also be analysed, for example, how many air miles does it take to produce one batch of a product? Ideally, ingredients should be locally sourced and be sustainably farmed to minimise your carbon footprint.

Transparency is incredibly important when maintaining an ethical, eco-friendly supply chain. It's not only paramount for environmental reasons, but ethically sourced ingredients are essential for ensuring farms maintain good working conditions and a fair living wage for their employees.

Water usage

Water is a vital part of beverage manufacturing. Not only is it the core ingredient, but also essential for the overall production process. Producers have a responsibility to ensure water is properly handled, treated as a finite source, and minimise wastage.

Formed in 2006, the Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable [BIER] was set up to assess how beverage companies manage their water supply. They recently reported that 500ml of soda takes up to 170 litres of water to produce, and most of this water is used in the cleaning process needed for pre-rinsing bottles and washing produce.

However, beverage companies can minimise water usage through alternative cleaning methods. For example, they could opt for pre-rinsing with eco-friendly chemicals, CIP systems, or rainwater preservation. By championing new cleaning technologies, producers can dramatically decrease their carbon footprint.  

Conclusion

The beverage industry has a lot of work to do in terms of sustainability. However, adapting a few elements in a producer's supply chain could positively impact their overall carbon footprint.

Whether it's closely monitoring water consumption, or improving and adapting logistics, there are various ways in which beverage companies can embrace a more sustainable future.