PepsiCo Extends Use of UBQ™ from Logistics Pallets to Point of Sale in New Effort to Unlock Sustainability Across Supply Chain
PepsiCo Extends Use of UBQ™ from Logistics Pallets to Point of Sale in New Effort to Unlock Sustainability Across Supply Chain
The food and beverage giant ordered 30,000 additional shipping pallets “Made UBQ™” and is introducing the novel material to Lay’s Chips displays throughout Europe.
UBQ Materials is a climate tech developer of advanced materials made from waste. Following PepsiCo’s successful pilot incorporating UBQ™ to reduce the carbon footprint of shipping pallets, the company is deepening its collaboration with UBQ in additional categories across the supply chain. The new Lay’s Chips displays will be made in part with UBQ™ substituting conventional oil-based plastics.
UBQ™ is a bio-based thermoplastic, made from 100% unsorted household waste, including all organics. Use of UBQ™ diverts waste from landfills and incineration, preventing emissions from being released into the environment. For every ton of UBQ™ produced, up to 12 tons of CO₂eq are prevented from polluting the environment.
Beyond the new product extension, PepsiCo has also expanded on the initial logistics pilot, ordering 30,000 more shipping pallets made with UBQ™. These pallets also feature recycled PP resin and recycled BOPP – the plastic film used in the company’s snack packaging – to complete the circular economy cycle.
“Our goal is to transform our entire supply chain to tackle the sustainability challenges the world faces. UBQ Materials’ waste-based thermoplastic reduces landfill waste, prevents emissions, and takes us towards circularity, which is why we are working towards scaling use of UBQ™ globally,” said David Schwartz, VP, PepsiCo Labs. “We are putting sustainability and innovation at the heart of our operations. Achieving these goals is integral to the future of our business, our customers, our consumers and the planet.”
PepsiCo’s technology venture arm, Pepsi Labs, identified UBQ Materials as an anchor solution supporting PepsiCo Positive (pep+) transformation, which places sustainability and human capital at the center of how it will create growth and value.
“We are eager to extend implementation of our advanced material into new products and markets,” said Albert Douer, Co-CEO and Chairman of UBQ Materials. “PepsiCo Labs plays a critical role in supporting Pep+, prioritizing innovations that minimize the company’s environmental impact. The climate crisis demands immediate action, and this collaboration is one example of how corporations can make significant change through simple substitutions.”
Following a round of investment led by TPG Climate Rise, UBQ Materials is expanding globally with a large-scale facility and state of the art lab in Bergen Op Zoom, Netherlands, enabling the advanced materials company to further localize waste to production cycles across Europe.
Along with five other solutions innovators, UBQ Materials was recently selected to advance PepsiCo’s sustainability agenda, as the company works to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 75 percent by 2030, a goal which is on track according to PepsiCo’s ESG Summary released earlier this month.
About UBQ Materials
UBQ Materials Ltd. has developed an advanced conversion technology, patenting the world’s first bio-based thermoplastic (UBQ™) made entirely of unsorted household waste, including all the organics—a revolutionary way to divert municipal solid waste from landfills and convert it into a sustainable substitute for oil-based plastics. A certified B Corp™, UBQ is a globally awarded climate tech company with customers including Mercedes-Benz, PepsiCo, and Arcos Dorados, the world’s largest franchisee of McDonald’s restaurants across Latin America. With a climate-positive impact and cost-competitive price, UBQ™ empowers manufacturers with a simple transition to greater sustainability.
Learn more by visiting www.ubqmaterials.com.