KUWAIT – American multinational food and beverage giant, PepsiCo, has become the first beverage brand in Kuwait to introduce locally manufactured, 100% recycled plastic bottles through its beloved low-calorie product, Diet Pepsi.

The bottles are made from plastic that has been recycled, reprocessed, and repurposed, making them more environmentally friendly, the company said.

The new packaging for consumers in Kuwait has over 30% less greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as compared to virgin fossil-fuel-based PET.

The move in the Diet Pepsi packaging is part of and strengthens PepsiCo’s pep+ (PepsiCo Positive) strategy launch in 2021, it has announced a goal to achieve net-zero emissions across its value chain by 2040 and reduce virgin plastic per serving by 50% across its global food and beverage portfolio by 2030.

The sustainability launch also comes at an important time in Kuwait, as the State works towards diverting 80% of waste away from the landfill by 2035.

Efforts are underway with policymakers, local bottlers, and waste management players in Kuwait to advance recycling infrastructure and help build better consumer awareness around recycling to minimize waste from ending up in landfill.

Aamer Sheikh, PepsiCo Middle East CEO, said, “We’re using the power of our brands to inspire people to make more positive choices for themselves and the planet and are proud to launch the 100% recycled bottles in Kuwait with our Diet Pepsi product offering.”

“The Government of Kuwait has ambitious plans to build eco-cities in the coming years, and a greener, cleaner environment is intrinsically linked with the well-being of people. More sustainable packaging, and in parallel – the development of an effective waste management system, will play a significant role in driving this forward.”

The new shift in packaging is on the heels of a report from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the United Nations Environment Programme, which reveals that some companies – including Coca-Cola and Pepsi – are using more virgin plastic despite a pledge to reduce its use.

The study also suggests that some of the world’s biggest consumer goods companies, including PepsiCo, Mars, and Nestle, are almost certain to miss a target to make plastic packaging more sustainable by 2025.

Greenpeace, an independent global campaigning network aiming to “ensure the ability of the Earth to nurture life in all its diversity”, said the report is evidence that voluntary corporate targets have failed and called on the UN to forge a treaty that forces governments and companies to use less single-use plastic packaging.

“This underlines the need for governments to ensure that the global plastic treaty … delivers major reductions in plastic production and use,” said Graham Forbes, Greenpeace’s USA Global Plastics Project Leader. Anything less than this is a disservice to our communities and our climate.”

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