Royal Unibrew partnered with Petainer to develop a lightweight 500ml PET preform with 50% recycled content for Pepsi-branded carbonated soft drinks. The project reduced material use, lowered annual CO2e emissions, and improved production efficiency without compromising technical performance.
Royal Unibrew is a leading Northern European beverage producer. Working with Petainer, the business developed a lightweight 500ml PET preform with 50% food-grade recycled content for Pepsi-branded carbonated soft drinks, combining higher recycled content with the processing performance needed for high-volume production.
By the Numbers
For Royal Unibrew, the challenge was not just to increase recycled content. It was to do so in a way that still delivered the strength, appearance, and processing performance needed for carbonated soft drink bottles running at industrial scale.
That meant lightweighting the bottle format while maintaining technical performance in production. In practice, the preform needed to reduce resin use, support higher recycled content, and work efficiently on the line. This is where PET plastic preforms needed to show both sustainability and operational value.
Petainer worked with Royal Unibrew to develop a best-in-class 500ml lightweight PET preform using 50% food-grade post-consumer recycled material for Pepsi-branded carbonated soft drinks. The preform incorporated locally sourced Cleanpet flakes, helping combine higher recycled content with the quality required for beverage packaging.
The project was not only about resin substitution. By refining the preform design and processability, the solution improved how the bottle performed in manufacturing while also lowering packaging weight. Explore Petainer’s PET plastic preforms to see how lightweighting and recycled content can work together in bottle production.
From concept design to execution of the project, our cross functional teams have partnered with Royal Unibrew to develop a best in class packaging design for its carbonated soft drinks. We are one of the largest users of PCR flake in single use containers and have the development, processing and quality expertise to produce sustainable packaging with a high level of technical performance for our customers.
The lightweight preform reduced material use by 67.2 tonnes per year. At the same time, Royal Unibrew’s plant in Faxe benefited from improved processability, increasing production line output and reducing the amount of energy and compressed air used during manufacturing.
Alongside the material saving, the project reduced CO2 emissions by 135 tonnes CO2e annually, equal to a 7.44% reduction. The preform is also manufactured at Petainer’s Lidköping site in Sweden, which the article states is powered entirely by hydroelectric power.
As a major beverage provider we are committed to continuous improvement when it comes to the sustainability of our packaging and operations. This new product developed in partnership with Petainer is another positive step in increasing the use of recycled content and working with suppliers with strong environmental credentials.
Royal Unibrew shows how lightweight PET preforms can do more than reduce bottle weight. When designed well, they can help beverage brands increase recycled content, lower resin use, improve production efficiency, and reduce emissions at the same time.
For soft drink producers under pressure to cut material use and improve packaging sustainability, lightweight preforms offer a practical route to better bottle performance without giving up line efficiency or technical reliability.
