The Drum Awards for Marketing - Extended Deadline

-d -h -min -sec

Glass Ag Barr Irn-Bru

Say adieu to the Irn-Bru 30p bottle return - AG Barr urges recycling instead

Author

By John McCarthy, Opinion Editor

August 19, 2015 | 2 min read

AG Barr is to can its long-lasting bottle buyback scheme after announcing a £5m investment in a new facility in Scotland.

Ending a 110 year tradition, the firm today (19 August) announced that consumers will be able to return their bottles to retailers up to 31 December. From 2016, Bru-drinkers will instead be encouraged to recycle the glass bottles at home or at public facilities.

Reflecting on the unique scheme, Jonathan Kemp, AG Barr's commercial director, said: "With improved kerbside recycling, only one in two of our bottles are now being returned, meaning that the process of handling returned bottles has become uneconomic.

"We will continue to offer the same quality products in the 750ml bottle for the long-term, but the bottle will no longer be returnable.

"From the beginning of October, information on the change will be carried on the bottle label and we will work with retailers to display materials in their premises to ensure our consumers understand what is planned."

The firm stated that in the 1990s, 90 per cent of all bottles were returned – the figure now sits closer to half.

Glass Ag Barr Irn-Bru

More from Glass

View all

Trending

Industry insights

View all
Add your own content +