Sweet as, a sugarcane plant-based milk bottle

3 MINUTE READ

Anchor has added to its Blue range, with a new 2L bottle made from sugarcane.

Why sugarcane? Because it’s natural, renewable and sustainably-sourced and a great alternative to bottles made from non-renewable sources like fossil fuels.

In addition, sugarcane captures CO2 from the atmosphere as it grows, resulting in a bottle that also has a low carbon footprint. The sugarcane is made into plant-based HDPE plastic in Brazil and the bottle itself is made in New Zealand.

The plant-based milk bottle is 100% kerbside recyclable, which aligns with Fonterra’s commitment to have all packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. And it tracks with customer expectations too - according to research from the Sustainable Business Council, sustainability is becoming increasingly important for everyday New Zealanders. 71 percent of Kiwis are actively researching the sustainability practices of brands before making a product purchase.

Fonterra Brands New Zealand Managing Director Brett Henshaw says: “The new bottle is an example of sustainable packaging which is something that is important to Anchor and our consumers. We know sustainability is important to Kiwis and we want to offer consumers an option to make change for good - to purchase a product that comes in more sustainable packaging. This plant-based milk bottle is also an important component in Fonterra’s wider sustainability strategy. We have committed to moving towards renewable energy in transport and manufacturing and finding ways to manage and reduce our emissions over the whole supply chain.”

Anchor has been part of New Zealand communities for 134 years and during this time it has innovated with a range of different milks and new packaging that respond to changing consumer needs.

Initially the new plant-based milk bottle will be available in supermarkets, dairies and convenience stores and cafes across the North Island - with a view to expand distribution and product ranging based on consumer response.

We know sustainability is important to Kiwis and we want to offer consumers an option to make change for good - to purchase a product that comes in more sustainable packaging. 

Brett henshaw, managing director, fonterra brands

Anchor has launched with 300,000 of the new bottles per month. Research into the new bottle shows that people are looking for products that are sustainably produced and they liked the plant-based bottle concept versus traditional fossil fuel based plastic alternatives.

To verify our sustainability claims and help make this information more accessible and transparent to consumers, each Anchor plant-based bottle will have a unique QR code, that will take consumers to the Provenance.org platform, a market leader in supply chain transparency. Here, consumers can see the story and the facts behind our plant-based bottle and broader sustainability initiatives.