Did you know that Lucozade, Ribena and a number of other popular drinks are made right here in Gloucestershire?

Suntory Beverage & Food Great Britain and Ireland (SBF GB&I) is one the biggest soft drinks businesses in the UK and has a factory in Coleford in the Forest of Dean.

Indeed, 55,000 bottles an hour are filled at the plant, including Lucozade Energy, Lucozade Sport, Lucozade Revive, Ribena, Orangina and May Tea.

SBF GB&I was formed in 2014 as Lucozade Ribena Suntory and operates in more than 60 countries.

But the manufacturing site in Coleford has been around since 1946. Spanning 53 acres, around 300 people are employed there and they make one billion bottles of drinks a year.

Many of these are the iconic Lucozade brand. Launched by William Hunter in 1927 as Glucozade, and originally designed to replace lost energy through sickness.

It was used extensively throughout hospital wards and pharmacies in the years that followed and is now the biggest energy brand in the country.

Earlier this month SBF GB&I announced a £6m investment to support the recycling of its bottles by renovating the packaging of its Lucozade brand.

The bottles will be redesigned with a smaller label – reducing the volume of plastic used and ensuring that the bottles can be sorted into the clear waste stream to be recycled back into bottles at recycling centres.

Toby McKeever, chief operating officer at SBF GB&I: “This investment into our iconic Lucozade brand marks a huge step towards our 2030 sustainable plastic packaging goals and makes the UK’s biggest sports drink brand also one of the most sustainable.

“From professionals to grassroots players, Lucozade Sport is a staple for athletes across the country and I urge these sports drink fans to go the extra mile and recycle their bottle. Part of our Growing for Good vision is to minimise our environmental impact and keeping our bottles in circulation is a crucial part of this.”