PepsiCo to replace plastic rings on beverage multipacks with recyclable paper-based designs

As part of PepsiCo’s pep+ (PepsiCo Positive) sustainable packaging journey to ensure packaging never becomes waste, PepsiCo is the first beverage company to commit to a North American roll out of paper-based solutions to replace plastic rings across multipacks that have traditionally used plastic rings. PepsiCo Beverages North America (PBNA) today announced the new paperboard designs that will begin to roll out in a phased, regional approach in the US later this year. This builds upon PepsiCo’s progress in Canada where the transition to paperboard is beginning to roll out.

PepsiCo will use paperboard wraps and paperboard clips for its multipacks in place of traditional plastic rings. This conversion to more sustainable packaging will include brands like Pepsi, Pepsi Zero, MTN DEW, Starry, Gatorade, amongst others. It will also include 7Up in Canada. The new packaging is easy to implement on shelf for customers, has a consumer-friendly branded design, is made from recycled materials and is recyclable.

This innovation will drive progress toward PepsiCo’s ambitious pep+ goals to reduce virgin plastic from nonrenewable sources per serving across our global beverage and convenient foods portfolio by 50% by 2030.¹ As a result of this transition, PepsiCo will eliminate millions of pounds of plastics from its packaging in North America over the coming years while continuing to enable packaging circularity.

¹ vs. 2020 baseline