Capri Sun Group is advocating for the return of recyclable plastic straws in its juice products by petitioning the European Commission (EC) Directorate-General for Environment. This action has stirred controversy among environmentalists.

Source: PackagingInsights

The beverage company aims to reintroduce plastic straws to enable both the pouch and straw to be recycled together. Previously, Capri Sun's pouch was composed of various materials like aluminum, polyethylene (PE), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), making it non-recyclable.

With this initiative, we want to create a balance between the functionality of the drinking straw that our consumers expect and our sustainability efforts in the packaging sector for optimal recycling of the drinking bag

In response to consumer demand for convenience, the company unveiled a mono-PP drinks pouch in March to decrease CO2 emissions by 25% compared to its earlier model. The spokesperson emphasized that many customers find plastic straws easier to use.

We are not against the EU directive on single-use plastic. We would just like to point out in our individual case that a paper straw is not an optimal solution for the recyclability of our drinking pouch; on the other hand, the recyclable plastic straw could be disposed of together with the pouch in the same recycling (PP stream).

Moreover, the recyclable Capri-Sun drinking pouch with a plastic straw uses significantly less plastic and generates 33% fewer CO2 emissions than an (r)PET bottle. This innovation positions the Capri-Sun drinking pouch as a more sustainable option compared to other packaging choices in the beverage industry.