EmilyHolbrook
(Credit: Pixabay)
PepsiCo has introduced pep+ (pep Positive), a strategic end-to-end transformation with sustainability at the center of how the company will create growth and value by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for the planet and people. pep+ will guide how PepsiCo will transform its business operations: from sourcing ingredients and making and selling its products in a more sustainable way, to leveraging its more than one billion connections with consumers each day to take sustainability mainstream and engage people to make choices that are better for themselves and the planet.
Pepsi says pep+ drives action and progress across three key pillars, bringing together a number of 2030 goals under a comprehensive framework:
- Positive Agriculture: PepsiCo is working to spread regenerative practices to restore the Earth across land equal to the company’s entire agricultural footprint (approximately 7 million acres), sustainably source key crops and ingredients, and improve the livelihoods of more than 250,000 people in its agricultural supply chain.
- Positive Value Chain: PepsiCo will help build a circular and inclusive value chain through actions to:
- AchieveNet-Zero emissions by 2040;
- BecomeNet Water Positive by 2030; and
- Introduce more sustainable packaging into the value chain.
- PepsiCo announced today new goals to cut virgin plastic per serving by 50% across its global food & beverage portfolio by using 50% recycled content in its plastic packaging and scaling the SodaStream business globally, an innovative platform that almost entirely eliminates the need for beverage packaging, among other levers.
- Positive Choices: PepsiCo continues to evolve its portfolio of food & beverage products so that they are better for the planet and people, including by:
- Incorporating more diverse ingredients in both new and existing food products that are better for the planet and/or deliver nutritional benefits, prioritizing chickpeas, plant-based proteins and whole grains;
- Expanding its position in the nuts & seeds category, including leadership positions in Mexico, China, and several Western European markets;
- Accelerating its reduction of added sugars and sodium through the use of science-based targets across its portfolio and cooking its food offerings with healthier oils; and
- Continuing to scale new business models that require little or no single-use packaging, including its global SodaStream business.
The company’s brands across its food & beverage portfolio are accelerating their efforts to realize PepsiCo’s sustainable packaging vision and leveraging their influence to educate consumers on recycling and the planetary impacts of their choices.
- 11 European markets are moving key Pepsi-branded products to 100% rPET bottles by 2022. PepsiCo estimates that shifting to a 100% rPET bottle will lower GHG emissions by approximately 30% per bottle.
- In the US, all Pepsi-branded products will be converted to 100% rPET bottles by 2030, with Pepsi Zero Sugar beginning to be sold in 100% rPET bottles by 2022. The brand is celebrating this important move to sustainable packaging with a new consumer-centric platform leveraging fall football and driving recycling awareness, education and advocacy, which are critical because rPET availability depends on consumers’ commitment to recycling.
- PepsiCo has been investing in breakthrough food packaging technology and is now introducing a fully compostable bag made with plant-based materials. Starting with Off The Eaten Path, one of Frito-Lay’s plant-based brands, this industrially compostable packaging will be available to consumers in the US at Whole Foods stores beginning this month. Notably, the company also announced today that it is willing to work with other companies to license the same technology at no cost given the importance of creating a circular food packaging system.
