Britvic : continues to put health at the heart of its new sustainable business programme – “A Healthier Everyday”

12 Jan 2018

Today, leading soft drinks company Britvic plc announces the launch of 'A Healthier Everyday', its new sustainable business programme which builds on its commitment to: help consumers make healthier choices; support the well-being of communities; and minimise its impact on the planet.

The creation of 'A Healthier Everyday' follows a review by the company into how it can ensure that its sustainability programme is focused on the issues that matter most to its stakeholders, and concentrates on delivering solutions that can make a real difference. The programme is fully embedded in Britvic's broader business strategy, and is helping to deliver the company's overarching purpose to 'Make Life's Everyday Moment's More Enjoyable'.

'A Healthier Everyday' programme, focuses on three key areas including:

• Healthier People: helping consumers to make healthier choices and live healthier lives
• Healthier Communities: helping our employees and communities to thrive
• Healthier Planet: helping to secure our planet's future

The programme builds on the work Britvic has undertaken for many years, in particular the bold steps the company has taken on public health. Britvic has led the industry in taking steps to help consumers make healthier choices, through a long term and extensive reformulation programme, an innovation pipeline focused on healthier products, and marketing responsibly. As a result, Britvic has removed over 20bn calories from its GB portfolio since 2013 on an annualised basis, meaning the company is well placed to respond to the soft drinks industry levy. By April 2018, 94% of its owned brands (72% of Britvic's full GB portfolio) will be below or exempt from the levy.

Matt Barwell, Chief Marketing Officer at Britvic, is accountable for 'A Healthier Everyday', ensuring that it is fully integrated across the business, from the supply chain and R&D to innovation and commercial execution. He commented:

'We have been bringing enjoyment to millions of everyday moments for over a century through our much-loved brands and we are committed to continuing to make a positive difference to the world around us - helping to make it healthier, happier, and more sustainable.

'I am particularly excited about the 'Healthier People' pillar of the programme. The health of our consumers is vital to us which is why we've long been committed to helping them make healthier choices. Back in the 1930s, when we were called the British Vitamin Company, our business was built on bringing an affordable source of vitamins to consumers at a time when diets lacked important nutrients, and to this day we are doing our best to help make sure our products taste great and are better for you.'

Shree Datta, Consultant at King's College, London, lecturer and medical author, said: 'I fully welcome the commitment Britvic have made, with a unique and timely new programme to kick off healthy eating in the new year. Their sustained reformulation of products shows their drive to reduce the sugar content in the food and drinks we buy and should be applauded. In addition, their advertising ethos shows a responsible approach towards promoting healthy eating and I hope we can build on this.

Stuart Foster, CEO at RECOUP: 'Consumers now expect leading brands to be taking responsibility for the environment, and this new programme from Britvic is a great example of what is achievable. Not only does the Healthier Everyday initiative continue to address the consumer facing activities needed to improve recycling and efficient use of resources, but it also demonstrates the continued commitment of Britvic working behind the scenes to reduce waste, save energy, and ensure they continue to set themselves ambitious environmental targets moving forwards.'

Sustainability milestones in 2017 - a quick look back

Healthier people:

• Britvic removed over 20billion calories from GB diets on an annualised basis since 2013, and by next April 72% of its total portfolio and 94% of its owned brands will be below or out of scope of the soft drinks levy in Great Britain
• In GB, c.90% of all Britvic innovation was under or exempt from the soft drinks industry levy in 2017, eg. Robinsons Refresh'd, a still spring water drink made using 100% naturally sourced ingredients, no added sugar and only 55kcal per 500ml serve. We also continued to lead Pepsi innovation through sugar-free Pepsi MAX with Pepsi MAX Ginger.
• We've focused on innovation in new categories such as evolved energy with the relaunch of Purdey's - a more natural energy drink containing multivitamins and natural botanicals to give a natural lift with no caffeine and no taurine. [retail value increased 55% in 2017]
• Britvic continued to help its customers reduce sugar. E.G. Subway stores removed c.3.7bn calories from British diets between July 2016 and July 2017 by converting to the Britvic/PepsiCo portfolio.

Healthier planet:

• 100% of Britvic's plastic bottles are recyclable
• Recent investment in new bottling lines eliminated over 300 tonnes of plastic bottle packaging in GB
• 99% of global manufacturing waste generated was diverted from landfill
• It achieved a 5% reduction in carbon emissions relative to production compared to 2016
• Water ratio (water consumption relative to production) from 2016 was maintained despite the commissioning of new lines
• Britvic was shortlisted for the 2017 GreenFleet Awards in the 'Private Sector Fleet of the Year' category for its work to promote the use of alternative fuel vehicles across its fleet. Work included installing charging points across its sites in Great Britain, and actively engaging with employees to demonstrate the total cost/benefit of hybrid vehicles.

Healthier communities:

• Women are represented in 36% of leadership roles across Britvic
• 31% of employees took advantage of community giving programmes, supporting good causes
• Britvic achieved a wellbeing score of 72% in the independent 'Great Place to Work Survey' which measures how employees feel about working at Britvic

'A Healthier Everyday' - 2020 goals

Healthier People

'Healthier People' aims to help consumers to make healthier choices and live healthier lives by providing them with a portfolio of drinks which taste great and are better for you. Britvic is doing this by reformulating its drinks with no compromise on taste or quality, weighting 70% of its Group innovation pipeline towards no and low sugar drinks, and by using the power of its brands responsibly to nudge consumers towards healthier choices.

Every time we reformulate an added-sugar product, we will reduce the sugar content. When we reformulate our NAS drinks, we will look to reduce sweetness levels.

2020 Goal: Reduce average calories per 250ml serve by 20% from 2013 to 28kcal (down from 35.1kcal in 2017 excluding Brazil).

Healthier Communities

'Healthier Communities' aims to help Britvic employees and communities to thrive by supporting a better quality of life socially, economically and environmentally. It will focus on diversity and inclusion in the workplace; community support; and employee wellbeing.

2020 Goals:

• Women are represented in 40% of leadership roles across Britvic (up from 36% in 2017)
• 50% of employees take advantage of community support programmes (up from 31% in 2017)
• All employees have access to wellbeing programmes that support healthier lifestyle choices and we achieve a wellbeing score of 81% in the Great Place to Work survey (up from 72% in 2017)

Healthier Planet

'Healthier Planet' aims to help secure the planet's future, where resources are used responsibly and the natural world is protected. The focus will be on resource efficiency, minimising the environmental impact of packaging and operating a sustainable supply chain.

2020 Goals:

• Reduce carbon emissions relative to production across Britvic's global manufacturing sites by 15% vs 2016 baseline (5% emissions reduction achieved in 2017)
• Achieve a water ratio (water consumption relative to production) of 1.4 across its global manufacturing operations (water ratio was 2.15 in 2017)
• Achieve zero waste to landfill across its global manufacturing sites (99% in 2017)
• Reduce the amount of materials used across all packaging formats, introduce recycled PET (rPET) into the GB portfolio at 15% content (300 tonnes of plastic packaging eliminated in GB in 2017).

Find out more at http://www.britvic.com/sustainable-business.

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Notes to Editors:

For further information, please contact Stephanie Macduff-Duncan or Rebecca Cagney at [e-mail] (07808 097739 / 07808 097680)

About Britvic

Britvic is one of the leading branded soft drinks businesses in Europe and South America. Britvic currently operates in and exports to over 100 countries, and is the largest supplier of branded still soft drinks in Great Britain ('GB') and the number two supplier of branded carbonated soft drinks in GB. Britvic is an industry leader in the island of Ireland with brands such as MiWadi and Ballygowan, in France with brands such as Teisseire and Pressade and in Brazil with Maguary, Dafruta and Bela Ischia.

The company combines its own leading brand portfolio including Robinsons, Purdey's, drench, Tango, J2O, Fruit Shoot, Teisseire, Maguary, Dafruta, Bela Ischia, Ballygowan and MiWadi with PepsiCo brands such as Pepsi, 7UP and Lipton Ice Tea which Britvic produces and sells in GB and Ireland under exclusive PepsiCo agreements.

Britvic's management team has successfully developed the business through a clear strategy of generating profitable growth in our core markets and international expansion, driven by innovation, investment in our business capability, and building trust and respect in the communities we serve and operate in. The strategy is based on creating and building a portfolio of scalable brands that offers drinks for kids, families, and adults, anywhere, at any time - helping to make everyone's every day moments more enjoyable.

Britvic is listed on the London Stock Exchange under the code BVIC and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 index.