Containers from non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks represent a third of all grocery packaging by weight in the UK. Find out what more can be done.
Solutions around drinks waste
The drinks industry in the UK can be divided into alcoholic and non-alcoholic categories. Together they are estimated to contribute around 2.3 million tonnes of packaging into the UK’s waste stream.
About 1.8 million tonnes per year of food and drink (770 million litres of drink) is disposed of by UK householders 'down the drain' (sink). The biggest amount thrown away is drink and dairy - milk being the most, followed by carbonated soft drinks, then fruit juice and smoothies.
Wine
Globally about 17.5 billion bottles are consumed annually, equating to 8.5 billion tonnes of glass.
Beer & cider
The combined waste from beer and cider in the supply chain is far greater than wine or any other food or drink sector.
Spirits
UK consumers purchase around 1,167 hectolitres of whisky, vodka and other white and dark spirits annually (excludes liqueurs and spirit mixers).
Soft Drinks
In 2009, over 14 billion litres of soft drinks were consumed in the UK, contributing around 712,000 tonnes of primary packaging a year.
