International Breweries Plc has revealed that over 95 per cent of its product portfolio is now packaged in returnable glass bottles in a bid to reduce waste and deepen its commitment to sustainability through circular economy models.

Disclosing this in a statement, the Managing Director, Carlos Coutino, said the company has made circular packaging a key focus of its sustainability strategy, including having over 95 per cent of the product portfolio packaged in returnable glass bottles.

He remarked on the company’s activities as it marked the 2025 World Environment Day across its operational sites in Nigeria.

Coutino said, “We have made circular packaging a key focus of our sustainability strategy. Over 95 per cent of our product portfolio is packaged in returnable glass bottles, a measure aimed at reducing waste and supporting reuse models in line with our circular economy sustainability pillar.”

He explained that sustainability is not just a corporate goal but a way of life for International Breweries.

“We are proud to join the world in celebrating this important day by taking real action, from restoring land and cleaning our rivers to promoting circularity in packaging,” he added.

International Breweries, a subsidiary of AB InBev and the producer of brands such as Trophy Lager, Hero, Castle Lite, and Budweiser, noted that it conducted riverbank cleanups and public education campaigns across five states as part of its World Environment Day commemorations. The efforts formed part of Africa Sustainability Week, an AB InBev-led initiative focused on driving environmental action across the continent.

The firm also disclosed that it recovered over 200,000 kilogrammes of post-consumer PET and flexible plastic in 2024 through its partnership with the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance.

The Corporate Affairs and Regulatory Director, Temitope Oguntokun, said the company had set ambitious 2025 targets to ensure that all its product packaging is either returnable or made from predominantly recycled materials.

“We recognise that our responsibility to the environment extends beyond compliance. It’s about leadership and long-term impact,” she said. “These aren’t just targets; they’re part of our core purpose to create a future with more cheers for people and the planet.”

In Lagos, the company held plastic recycling talks and waste-sorting demonstrations to drive public awareness about environmental protection. Similar activities took place in Abuja, Osogbo, Mararaba, and Nasarawa.

The Executive Director of the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance, Agharese Onaghise, described the partnership with International Breweries as a “demonstration of our collective commitment to beat plastic pollution”.

She added, “By supporting community-based recovery and launching collection hubs in places like Osogbo, Mararaba and Nasarawa, we are helping ensure post-consumer packaging is diverted from waterways and landfills into recycling value chains.”

In Rivers State, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Alwell Okereuku, praised the clean-up initiative, noting that the brewery’s sustained environmental efforts “have not gone unnoticed”.

“This is not just about stakeholders; it’s about shared ownership of our future,” he said.

In addition to its clean-up drives, International Breweries is also advancing sustainability through its Kickstart youth entrepreneurship programme, which supports startups in recycling and waste-to-wealth sectors.