June 12, 2008 - The British Soft Drinks Association (BSDA) has outlined its long-term strategies for reducing the industry's environmental impact from climate emissions, packaging waste, water use, and transport.

Commitments include:

• Cutting carbon emissions from manufacturing 30% by 2020 (from 1990 levels).
• Achieving zero waste from manufacturing by 2015. BSDA has also committed to working "to improve the sustainability of soft drinks packaging."
• Reducing wastewater from manufacturing, with the aim of cutting total water use 20% by 2020 (from 2007 levels).
• Boosting transport efficiency throughout the supply chain, with the aim of "reducing the external impacts of transport 20% by 2012" (from 2002 levels).

"Sustainability is top of BSDA’s agenda and the development of this strategy will play a vital role in ensuring that it remains central to all activity moving forward," says Jill Ardagh, director general of BSDA. "The objectives set will present the industry with many challenges as well as new opportunities to innovate and adapt to the changing climate in which we now operate."

Read BSDA's sustainability strategy here.