Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Brewers started to abandon the plastic bottles – RBK

The Union of Russian producers of beer and soft drinks production has decided to abandon the use of plastic (PET) bottles over 1.5 liters. This was announced today at a special briefing announced the President of the Union Andrei Sponge. The fact that this decision was made the largest beer producers, RBC confirmed by the “Baltika” and “SUN InBev».

The Brewers have agreed that the company – member Union ceased to produce beer in large plastic bottles from July 1, 2016 Year told Sponge. “The Union of Russian Brewers shared public concern about alcohol abuse and is willing to cooperate with public authorities. However, the approach needs to be balanced and in the interests of consumers, government and business, – said the representative of the Union of Brewers. – Therefore, as an alternative to the proposed changes to the current legislation of the Russian Brewers Union is voluntary restraint volume of PET packaging for beer production of more than 1.5 liters ».

The Union of Russian Brewers combines the largest Russian producers of beer, including the so-called Big Four: “Baltika” (owned by Carlsberg), «SUN InBev» (owned by Anheuser Buch InBev), Heineken and Efes (their combined market share in Russia exceeds 77%). Also, the Union includes many major regional producers, for example “Vyatich” and “Bochkarev”. The largest independent companies outside the Union, with a market share of more than 3% and the IPC are “Ochakovo».

IPC produces very small volume of beer in a large plastic container. In the “Ochakovo”, on the contrary, in the PET bottles over 1.5 liters accounted for 79% of the dispensed beer. According to General Director of JSC “MPBK” Ochakovo “Yuri Antonov, the Union of Russian Brewers did not apply to the company with an offer to join the self-restraint, and” Ochakovo “will not support him because he believes the initiative inappropriate.

According to the manager of a large brewing company, a member of the Union, initially considered the possibility to introduce additional restrictions on the use of PET for beer with a higher alcohol content (6%), but against such a division was the company Heineken (has a portfolio brand of beer “Hunting strong”, which spreads including PET). Get a comment Heineken on this issue have not yet succeeded.

The solution Brewers refuse from large plastic bottles has been brought to the attention of management Rosalkogolregulirovaniya (PAP) and the relevant committee of the State Duma, told RBC sources from among the managers of breweries.

The press service of the PAP has confirmed that last week the head of the department Igor Chuyan really met with representatives of the Brewers and the decision to self-restraint on the PET packaging was her announced.

fell under the law

The bill limiting the use of PET packaging for beer packaging to 0.5 liters was passed in the first reading by the State Duma as early as 2014. It is expected that the second and third reading of the bill will be held during the autumn session.

Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Economic Policy and Entrepreneurship of the State Duma Victor Zvagel’skii told RBC that the Committee supports the initiative of the Brewers and the rate of 1.5 liters using plastic bottles beer, is likely to be fixed in the final version of the law is now discussed. “This is a reasonable compromise, appropriate amendments in the first reading a bill had already been made,” – said the deputy. According to him, the limitation of PET bottles for beer and a half liters of support and the relevant committee of the State Duma, this position is consistent with the Government and in charge of the alcohol industry Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Khloponin. Earlier, in an interview with RBC Khloponin allowed that producers of beer will be for some time, given the opportunity to produce the drink in bottles of 1.5 liters.

«With all all agreed, all agree. Cons – only amateurs popiaritsya of the social block, which did not really understand the problem, “- said Zvagel’skii, without specifying specific names.

In June 2015, Vice-Speaker of the State Duma, Andrei Isayev, former head of the Duma Committee on Labor sotspolitike and made a number of loud statements in the press, accusing foreign breweries in delaying the adoption of the law against the use of PET. At the same time in Moscow have appeared billboards calling to ban the use of plastic bottles. A source in the presidential administration later said that in the leadership of “United Russia” condemned Activity Isayev called the events “his personal project”, and advised not to use it to promote “party life».

According Zvagel’skii, arguments of opponents plastic bottles for beer that by using such a packaging product evolve toxic substances inconclusive. “There is no convincing evidence that such use of plastic is harmful to health, and were not given, – said the deputy. – Another thing is that there are questions to waste such a container, its harm to the environment. But here we must not start with the Brewers, and with Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, which use hundreds of times more plastic bottles ».

According to the respondents RBC breweries now up to 45% of the volume of beer produced is packed in volume PET bottles. For glass bottles and aluminum cans account for 25%, even 5% available in kegs – drums filling the bars and shops of draft beer.

According to the Union of Brewers, which refers to the study Nielsen, beer in PET containers of more than 1.5 liters accounted 23.9% of the beer market in Russia. In an interview with RBC president of “SUN InBev” Dmitry Shpakov said in PET bottles over 1.5 liters produces about a quarter of the company. One of the best-selling product – beer “Klinskoe” in PET bottles of 2.5 liters.

The decision to self-restraint will negatively affect the company’s business in the beer industry, already experiencing difficult times. Limitation of packaging is likely to be an additional factor in the reduction of the market, says Andrew Sponge. Losses industry after the rejection of a large plastic container, which buys beer at the poorest consumers, according to estimates of the Union of Brewers, will amount to about 10% of the total market in liters. However, in the case of a total ban of PET (the release of beer in plastic bottles of 0.5 liters is not much economic sense) brewers evaluated losses of 15-25% from the current level of production.

The brewing company undecided on question, what would be the loss of revenue due to the failure of large plastic bottles. It is evident that the decline in monetary terms will be less than 10%: the companies themselves do not hide that is poured into large PET its cheapest grades, besides the cost of the beer to the consumer is lower due to savings on packaging, reducing logistical costs, etc. . Based on the annual market in the 7.66 billion liters (according to Rosstat in 2014), and the average price of a liter of beer 90 rubles. 1 l (according to the Union of Brewers at the end of 2014) total industry loss after giving up large plastic bottles amount to at least 45 billion rubles. a year.

This is not the first step Brewers voluntary restriction in the use of PET bottles. In October 2013 the Union of Brewers told not to use bottles over 2.5 liters to 2 liters of weak and strong for the (more than 6% alcohol) beer. Then-president of “Baltika” Isaac Sheps expressed the view that the industry is ready to go on further restrictions.

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