UK soft drinks producer Britvic has signed a long-term agreement with independent PET converter Esterform Packaging.

Esterform will now become Britvic’s preferred supplier of rPET in Great Britain and Ireland. Meanwhile, Britvic will invest £5 million ($6.5m) into the construction of new rPET manufacturing facilities at Esterform’s site in Sherburn in Elmet, UK.

The deal will provide Britvic with secure access to UK-sourced rPET in a market where the supply of quality food grade rPET is struggling to meet demand.

“We are committed to making a positive difference to the world around us and our partnership with Esterform is another important step forward for our business and our efforts to reduce the environmental impacts of plastics waste,” said Trystan Farnworth, Britvic’s group sustainability director.

Farnworth added that the deal “provides us with a secure supply of rPET at a time when the resource is scarce in the UK, while sourcing it from this country rather than abroad has clear benefits for our carbon footprint.”

Britvic has removed more than 1,400 tonnes of primary plastics from its supply chain since 2017 and 100 per cent of its PET bottles, glass bottles and cans are recyclable. The company is a founding signatory of the UK Plastics Pact.

Esterform’s new manufacturing technology will be powered by 100 per cent renewable energy sources and is expected to be operational by Q4 2020.