BuzzBallz Faces Greenwashing Claims as UK Packaging Contaminates Plastic Recycling 66% of the Time
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 25
BuzzBallz Faces Greenwashing Claims as UK Packaging Contaminates Plastic Recycling 66% of the Time
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 25
Summary
WRAP and other recycling experts said BuzzBallz’s standard UK cocktail balls cannot be recycled because the PET shell is fused with an aluminium lid, despite website claims that suggested otherwise.
BuzzBallz said a global website update wrongly copied TerraCycle information that applies only in the US, then removed UK pages saying the packs were recyclable where local councils allow.
Greyparrot said BuzzBallz contaminated recycled plastic 66% of the time in a six-month analysis at a Manchester facility handling 35,000 tonnes a year, with the round shape also disrupting sorting lines.
Campaigners and packaging specialists said the claims were misleading because no UK council accepts the packs at kerbside, and warned consumers trying to separate the materials themselves could create safety risks.
The dispute lands as BuzzBallz surges in popularity among younger drinkers and was named the fastest-growing alcohol brand in The Grocer’s Britain’s Biggest Alcohol Brands 2026 ranking.