Produktbild Actimel multipack

What are the changes you have made to the Actimel packaging and why?

Danone has taken strong commitments towards circular and low-carbon packaging. Actimel brand embodies this packaging transformation: in 2023, we removed the plastic sleeve surrounding all our bottles*, allowing to improve recyclability, reduce plastic consumption and decrease C02emissions. The bottle is now engraved with the logo, ensuring good brand visibility, and the range and flavour differentiations are visible on the lid.

Besides the sleeve removal, over the years Actimel bottles have also become notably lighter. Since the launch of the brand in 1994, we have reduced the weight of our bottles by 40 percent: from 9g HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) to 5.35 g in 2021.

Före och efter förändringen av förpackningen

What drove the change?

There were a few reasons why we decided to move towards sleeveless bottles:

  • According to studies, sustainable packaging is one of the top environmental concerns for dairy consumers
  • We have internal commitments and KPI:s related to packaging, with the aim to make all packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2030.
  • Regulation on packaging: increasingly strict, especially with the upcoming changes with EU PPWR.
  • We can see the market is developing: competitors are being active in launching alternative pack solutions and leveraging pack-related sustainability claims.

What are the biggest advantages you see in removing the sleeve around the bottle?

The biggest advantages are:

  • Improved recyclability
  • Less plastic put on the market
  • More premium look and feel
  • Positive impact on brand image

Have you received any reactions from consumers?

In regards of this pack change, our consumer careline has only received positive comments. Along with the positive feedback, we’ve also received some further suggestions on how to make the pack even more planet friendly and functional, which we are also thankful for. We are happy to see Swedish consumers caring about the topic!

Are there similar changes on the way for other packaging as well?

We are constantly working on introducing packages better designed for recyclability, and in the upcoming years there will be improvements that will also land in Sweden, such as switching some multimaterial packages to monomaterial, removing unnecessary parts and lightweighting as well as exploring with alternatives to plastics.

Packaging is essential for Danone’s activities as it protects food and beverages, increases shelf life and reduces food waste – but we recognize that this cannot come at the expense of the health of the planet. We have a responsibility to help preserve and protect the planet’s resources, and our approach to packaging plays an important part in this.

We have been committed to this approach since 2016, guided by Danone’s Packaging Policy but also by industry initiatives such as EMF’s Global Commitment on Plastics, as well as, since 2023, our new sustainability strategy, the Danone Impact Journey.

It is based on three main targets to drive the transition to a circular and low-carbon packaging system, namely:

  • 100 percent reusable, recyclable, compostable by 2030
  • halve the use of virgin fossil-based packaging by 2040, with a 30 percent reduction by 2030
  • lead the development of effective collection systems globally to recover as much plastic Danone uses by 2040

An important part of this is working to ensure that the materials put on the market can be sorted and recycled in practice, adapting them to local infrastructure.

What challenges do you see when it comes to designing for recycling?

The biggest difficulties are connected to systemic barriers including underdeveloped reuse collection and recycling infrastructures – on a general level globally, and the scarcity of recycled content. These systemic barriers need to be overcome together with other industry players across the value chain and policymakers, notably through regulation.

There is also no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution, as when we think about the environmental impact of the packaging, we need to think about multiple different aspects: carbon footprint, usage of natural resources in making the packaging, logistics, food safety and quality, shelf-life, user experience etc.

What were the reasons for your choice of Näringslivets Producentansvar, NPA, as your producer responsibility organization?

Our Key Account Manager (KAM) from FTI changed to NPA. We also saw that NPA is the biggest Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) in Sweden.

How would you describe the value that NPA adds to your business?

As an international company operating in multiple countries, it is a bit of an effort to keep up with the local needs and the developments in all of the different countries. We are happy for the guidance that we’ve received earlier from FTI, and later on from NPA.
The past few years with the different changes coming from Single-Use-Plastics directive that is relevant for all EU countries, as well as local developments in Sweden (SUP-fee, ban on cups with >15 percent plastic, traffic light model, change of collection system to municipalities etc.) our KAM has been a great help in guiding us through.

What do you appreciate most about our support to you as a producer?

We have had very good interaction with our KAM from NPA side, and they have always been helpful in answering specific questions from our side.

* the sleeve removal concerns Actimel products across the EU, with the exception of Kids range, plant-based and our individual Actimel bottles. In Sweden Danone does not sell plant-based Actimel, nor individual bottles (only multipackages), but there are some kids ranges from time to time.