Soft drinks industry calls for energy boost

The soft drinks industry has called on the government to press on with the development of a national energy strategy in order to deliver the power processors need to keep doing their jobs.

Speaking at the British Soft Drinks Association’s (BSDA) annual lunch in London, Paul Moody, chief executive of Britvic and BSDA president, acknowledged that manufacturers could generate some power from renewable energy. He used the example of wind turbines, which some firms are considering installing.

But he said “regulatory and planning challenges” needed to be overcome to roll these out. Meanwhile, he continued: “Much of the energy we need will have to come as a result of a coherent national energy strategy. Whether the future lies in more renewables, or nuclear power, or most likely a combination of the two, there must be a long-term and dedicated willingness to deliver.”

Moody also announced the launch of the BSDA’s sustainability strategy, focusing on achieving targets in four environmental areas. The organisation is encouraging its members to cut carbon emissions from manufacturing by 30% by 2020, compared with 1990 figures.

Zero waste to landfill by 2015 is a further target. In line with this, the BSDA aims to boost the rate of consumer recycling, which currently stands at 25%. “We will do that through a combination of measures: encouraging consumers, addressing weaknesses and gaps in the recycling infrastructure, above all working with partners,” said Moody.

The third of the BSDA’s four aims was to cut water use by 20% by 2020, compared with 2007 levels. The fourth was to reduce the external impacts of transport by 20% by 2012 compared with 2002 data.

The targets dovetail with the Food & Drink Federation’s fivefold sustainability strategy, launched in October 2007.