PepsiCo makes strides towards sustainability targets

PepsiCo has recently shared its progress in a new sustainability report. In this document it outlines the priority areas it believes can have “the most meaningful impact” and the work accomplished thus far. These areas include:

• Agriculture
• Water
• Climate
• Packaging
• Products
• People.

“Today’s global environmental and societal pressures are bringing into sharp focus the need for systemic change,” said Ramon Laguarta, PepsiCo’s CEO and Chairman. “These challenges not only require deeper commitment from the private sector, they also require demonstrated and sustained action.”

Among the achievements stipulated in the report, is the company’s emission reductions across its value chain. In 2019, PepsiCo managed to lower its absolute greenhouse gas emissions by six percent across its global value chain. The ultimate goal is to achieve a 20 percent reduction by 2030.

PepsiCo is also working to create a circular economy, ie, less of its packaging becomes waste. This will also reduce the carbon intensity of its packaging.

The company’s sustainable plastics vision is based on three interconnected strategies: reducing the amount of plastic it uses, recycling more plastic, and reinventing the plastic packaging it uses.

Last year, PepsiCo made its plastic bottles lighter, and trialled a process called ‘charge compaction’ which causes snacks to settle to the bottom of the bag during packaging. Through this, PepsiCo said it has been able to reduce the amount of packaging used.

It is also working to increase the amount of recycled PET it uses in plastics bottles, with a goal of 50 percent recycled PET inclusion in bottles across the EU by 2030. In 2019, the company made progress toward reinventing how its products are delivered to consumers through the expansion of its SodaStream business. Its new Pepsi by SodaStream flavours will launch in select European markets through 2020.

PepsiCo has a responsibility to use its scale and influence to help tackle long-term challenges, Laguarta added. This, he said, includes addressing threats to the food system which have been under further strain due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“We’re determined to embrace an important lesson of COVID-19,” noted PepsiCo’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Simon Lowden, who highlighted collective action as key in the journey towards a more sustainable future.

“The world can mobilise quickly when working together toward a shared goal,” he commented. “We know building a more resilient food system is possible, and we’ll continue working with partners around the world to catalyse change for a better tomorrow.”

The company has made “significant progress”, according to Laguarta, but acknowledges that there is more work to be done.

The report and downloadable assets are available here. It is accompanied by a summary, highlighting progress against goals.