Conservation and resource efficiency are the objectives of the Soft Drinks Sustainability Roadmap, which strives to put businesses in the soft drinks supply chain sector on the path to sustainability. The aim of this program is to minimise waste, conserve water and reduce environmental impact, and it’s also designed to ensure the industry continues to thrive and make a profit.

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Working in partnership with WRAP and Defra, the soft drinks industry is breaking new ground in resource efficiency and sharing its ideas and systems using the Roadmap.

Promoting Best Practice

The Roadmap is an important awareness programme for businesses and individuals. With a major focus on the environment and reducing waste, some regions in the UK are even planning to implement fines on those who fail to recycle. The Roadmap helps establish good habits.

Open to any organisation within the soft drinks sector including businesses such as Empire UK, a commercial refrigeration and draught soft drink supplier, the Roadmap program is designed to ensure all production processes are efficient and that energy saving and waste reduction is a priority.

The aim is to include government bodies, trade associations, packaging and soft drinks manufacturers, ingredients suppliers and any other entity involved in the process. This will aid in ensuring best practices are enforced, with sustainability and conservation being the key principles.

Focus on Reducing Waste

Many businesses are now focusing on how to conserve water, and the soft drinks industry uses a huge amount of this resource in the production process and the supply chain. The Roadmap encourages the responsible use of water and suggests ways to reduce wastage of this precious resource.

Similarly, the programme encourages the reduction of the carbon footprint and suggests innovative ways of streamlining processes. Reducing emissions and waste is a major challenge, and sustainability options have been examined from all angles. Packaging, waste and the sourcing of viable, eco-friendly raw materials are all part of the Roadmaps plan, and the soft drinks sector has made several moves towards reducing the waste and resources they utilise.

The soft drink industry employs more than 20,000 people in the UK alone and generates more than £7.7 billion annually, so it is vital that the sector addresses environmental and sustainability concerns. The Roadmap is a step in the right direction.