Soft drinks company Britvic Plc is strengthening its commitment to health with the launch a new sustainable business program which helps consumers make healthier choices, reduces the company’s environmental impact and supports well-being in communities.

The creation of “A Healthier Everyday” follows a review by the company into how it can ensure that its sustainability program is focused on the issues that matter most to its stakeholders and concentrates on delivering solutions that can make a real difference.

Fully embedded in Britvic’s broader business strategy, and is helping to deliver the company’s overarching purpose to ‘Make Life’s Everyday Moment’s More Enjoyable’, the program focuses on three key areas including:

• Healthier People: helping consumers to make healthier choices and live healthier lives;
• Healthier Communities: helping Britvic employees and communities to thrive;
• Healthier Planet: helping to secure the planet’s future.

The program builds on the work Britvic has undertaken for many years, in particular, the steps the company has taken on public health through its long-term and extensive reformulation program, an innovation pipeline focused on healthier products, and marketing responsibly.

UK sugar levy on soft drinks
As a result, Britvic has removed more than 20 billion calories from its GB portfolio since 2013 on an annualized basis, meaning the company is well placed to respond to the soft drinks industry levy that comes into force in the UK in April.

By the time the UK Government’s sugar levy kicks in, 94 percent of Britvic’s owned brands – which amounts to 72 percent of Britvic’s full GB portfolio – will be below or exempt from the levy.

The levy is set at 18 pence (US$0.25) on drinks containing five grams of sugar or more per 100ml and a higher 24 pence (US$0.33) rate on those with more than eight grams per 100ml.

Matt Barwell, Chief Marketing Officer at Britvic, is accountable for “A Healthier Everyday,” ensuring that it is fully integrated across the business, from the supply chain and R&D to innovation and commercial execution.

“We have been bringing enjoyment to millions of everyday moments for over a century through our much-loved brands and we are committed to continuing to make a positive difference to the world around us – helping to make it healthier, happier, and more sustainable,” he said.

“I am particularly excited about the ‘Healthier People’ pillar of the program. The health of our consumers is vital to us which is why we’ve long been committed to helping them make healthier choices.”

“Back in the 1930s, when we were called the British Vitamin Company, our business was built on bringing an affordable source of vitamins to consumers at a time when diets lacked important nutrients, and to this day we are doing our best to help make sure our products taste great and are better for you.”

The Britvic campaign also has the backing of Shree Datta, Consultant at King's College, London, lecturer and medical author, who welcomes the company’s renewed commitment to health for 2018.

“Their (Britvic’s) sustained reformulation of products shows their drive to reduce the sugar content in the food and drinks we buy and should be applauded. In addition, their advertising ethos shows a responsible approach towards promoting healthy eating and I hope we can build on this,” she said.

Stuart Foster, CEO at RECOUP – which works in collaboration with all stakeholders to promote, develop, stimulate and increase the levels of plastics recycling within the UK – also backs Britvic.

“Consumers now expect leading brands to be taking responsibility for the environment, and this new program from Britvic is a great example of what is achievable,” he said.

“Not only does the Healthier Everyday initiative continue to address the consumer-facing activities needed to improve recycling and efficient use of resources, but it also demonstrates the continued commitment of Britvic working behind the scenes to reduce waste, save energy, and ensure they continue to set themselves ambitious environmental targets moving forward.”

Britvic sustainability milestones
In addition to removing more than 20 billion calories from GB diets on an annualised basis since 2013, and reformulating the majority of its portfolio to be below or out of scope of the UK soft drinks levy, in Britain, 90 percent of all Britvic innovation was under or exempt from the soft drinks industry levy in 2017.

For instance, Robinsons Refresh’d, a still spring water drink made using 100 percent naturally sourced ingredients, no added sugar and only 55 kcal per 500ml serve.

The company also claims to lead Pepsi innovation through sugar-free Pepsi MAX with Pepsi MAX Ginger and focused on innovation in new categories such as evolved energy with the relaunch of Purdey’s – a more natural energy drink containing multivitamins and natural botanicals to give a natural lift with no caffeine and no taurine.

Britvic also continued to help its customers reduce sugar. E.G. Subway stores removed 3.7bn calories from British diets between July 2016 and July 2017 by converting to the Britvic/PepsiCo portfolio.

Meanwhile, 100 percent of Britvic’s plastic bottles are recyclable and there have been recent investments in new bottling lines eliminating more than 300 tons of plastic bottle packaging in the UK.

Ninety-nine percent of global manufacturing waste generated was diverted from landfill and the company achieved a 5 percent reduction in carbon emissions relative to production compared to 2016, while water ratio (water consumption relative to production) from 2016 was maintained despite the commissioning of new lines.

Britvic was shortlisted for the 2017 GreenFleet Awards in the "Private Sector Fleet of the Year" category for its work to promote the use of alternative fuel vehicles across its fleet.

Work included installing charging points across its UK sites and actively engaging with employees to demonstrate the total cost/benefit of hybrid vehicles.

In terms of Britvic’s work in communities, women are represented in 36 percent of leadership roles across Britvic, 31 percent of employees took advantage of community giving programs, supporting good causes.

“A Healthier Everyday” – 2020 goals
Britvic says its initiative aims to help consumers to make healthier choices and live healthier lives by providing them with a portfolio of drinks which taste great and are better for you through reformulation that doesn’t compromise on taste or quality.

Seventy percent of its group innovation pipeline is geared towards no- and low-sugar drinks and by using the power of its brands responsibly to nudge consumers towards healthier choices.

The 2020 goal is to reduce average calories per 250ml serve by 20 percent from 2013 to 28 kcal (down from 35.1kcal in 2017 excluding Brazil).

“Healthier Planet” goals include reducing carbon emissions relative to production across Britvic’s global manufacturing sites by 15 percent vs 2016 baseline (5 percent emissions reduction achieved in 2017) and achieve zero waste to landfill across its global manufacturing sites while also reducing the number of materials used across all packaging formats.