Can you tell us more about SodaStream's efforts to reduce single-use plastic waste, and what inspired the company to embark on this mission?

Sustainability has always been inherent in the SodaStream system, and therefore, always our focus and our mission. From SodaStream’s conception back in 1904, creating sparkling drinks at home, utilising a reusable carbonating bottle and a CO2 cylinder designed to be refilled and reused, has meant that reducing single use waste is a part of our DNA, it’s an organic part of the everyday ritual of creating sparkling drinks bespoke to the SodaStreamer’s tastes and preferences. But at SodaStream, we Push for Better. We push ourselves, our consumers, and our industry to do even more for the environment. Outside of the 5 billion single-use plastic bottles we eliminated globally last year alone* we are working hard to find ways to do even more. In March this year, we transitioned all of our flavour bottles to rPET, further eliminating 200 million single use plastic bottles across the next five years. Additionally, we are exploring more sustainable materials across the production of our products, our packaging, and right across our operations and supply chain. 

_{* Referring to 0.5 L single-use plastic bottles.}

How has the public response been to SodaStream's plastic reduction initiatives, and what impact have these initiatives had on the company's overall business strategy?

While we live and breathe sustainability at SodaStream, and communicate our mission through our partnerships, through our campaigns around Earth Day, through our initiatives with our trade partners, and through our community involvement, we also take action. And I believe this is what consumers have responded most favourably to. We have so many advocates out there… so many likeminded Australians who want to be kinder to the planet, and with our system, they can help reduce single use plastic with such little effort, but with so much positive impact. We are very fortunate to have had such strong support from the public and we’re very grateful for that. 

As to how it’s impacted the overall business strategy – it’s very much shaped everything we do. The innovation we create, the partnerships we forge, the way in which we never stop looking for better more sustainable ways to run our business. 

What new products or innovations can we expect to see from SodaStream in the near future, and how will these products align with the company's sustainability goals?

We will continue leading the market with innovation that better enhances the user experience, as we have always done, but we are also constantly exploring alternative and more sustainable materials in the production of our products and packaging – such as glass, metal, recycled plastic and paper, and rice husk.  

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In addition to reducing plastic waste, what other sustainable practices is SodaStream implementing in its operations and supply chain?

There is a myriad of these. Outside of having our new generation Sparkling Water Makers made from 25% recycled materials, and all of our flavour bottles fully made from rPET, our Art and Terra Sparkling Water Maker Starter Kits have been certified as carbon measured by the Carbon Trust. This certification demonstrates SodaStream’s continued dedication to the environment and sustainability and has allowed us to identify key areas in our value chain where we can reduce our overall carbon footprint. 

Additionally, a portion of SodaStream’s production factory’s*** yearly consumption of electricity is supplied through solar panels and its water consumption is reduced by reusing water from the factory’s cooling water system.On a more local level, we have a recycling and refurbishment program which we conceived in 2020, and now around 25% of sparkling water makers that are returned to us are refurbished. The rest are sent to e-waste to be recycled, with the plastic being given new life in a number of different products. 

^{*** Lehavim factory in Israel}

How is SodaStream collaborating with other companies and organisations to advance its mission of reducing plastic waste, and what kind of impact do you hope to achieve through these partnerships?

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Since 2016, we have been in partnership with Clean Up Australia, collaborating in our collective mission to help reduce pollution from the environment. Each year we get our hands dirty by cleaning up our local community during our Business Clean Up Day Events and promote sustainable living within the organisation. We have also proudly partnered with animal rescue organisation Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Service (WIRES) to raise awareness of threats caused by single-use plastics to our endangered wildlife, and SEE Turtles, an NGO that protects sea turtles worldwide.  Ongoing, we work with our trade and supply chain partners on various sustainability initiatives across the year and engage with local suppliers in procuring materials made from recycled paper and plastic wherever possible.

Join the fight against single-use plastics and make a positive impact on our planet this July. Get your own SodaStream home carbonation system and enjoy convenient, sustainable sparkling water and soft drinks without the need for single-use plastic bottles. Visit sodastream.com.au to order yours today!

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