Red Stripe to increase payment for return of empties

Red Stripe has increased the refund it will pay for the return of its bottles.

The brewery will now pay $30 for the return of each bottle, up from $20, and $840 for a full crate of empty bottles, which had a previous payout of $600.

The company has been struggling with bottle shortages for the last two years – a crisis exacerbated by shipping delays, increased freight costs, and supply difficulties in sourcing new glass.

“Our red-cycling efforts have become progressively important in our production cycle to ensure sustained supply of Jamaica’s favourite brews to our consumers,” said Luis Prata, managing director, Red Stripe.

“This, coupled with the fact that it is important that we reduce our environmental footprint, renders it an urgent imperative for us to provide a greater incentive for closed-loop recycling of bottles, in which bottles come back into the production cycle and are cleaned and refilled with the same product.”

The company said it was confident that the increase in the redemption value of bottles would drive a buy-drink-return culture shift.

Glass bottles may be reused up to six times in production cycles without losing purity and quality.

Recycling figures have declined over the last 10 years, coming from a high in 2009 with 95 per cent of bottles being recycled to just 80 per cent in August this year, Red Stripe reported.

“Now, more than ever, we must do all we can to improve recycling rates so that fewer bottles end up in landfills, we deliver on our commitment of net zero carbon emissions in production by 2030, and we can supply market demand in a consistent and sustained way,” said Prata.

The company expects that the new value of bottles will result in a surge in returns.

To facilitate this increased activity, returns will be accepted at wholesales across the island and at Red Stripe 214 Exchange in Kingston.

Red Stripe said that it reserved the right to reject bottles and crates that do not meet its quality standards.