Coca-Cola has unveiled the world’s first PET plastic bottle made entirely from plant materials.
Coca-Cola says the packaging looks, functions, and recycles like traditional PET
The company says that plant bottle packaging forms part of its plan to develop a more responsible plant-based alternative to packaging traditionally made from fossil fuels and other non-renewable materials. Plant bottle packaging uses patented technology that converts natural sugars found in plants into the ingredients for making PET plastic bottles. The packaging looks, functions, and recycles like traditional PET but, according to Coca-Cola, it has a lighter footprint.
Nancy Quan, global research and development officer at Coca-Cola, says, the development marks a milestone within the company’s packaging portfolio. She says, “Our vision was to maximise technology, using responsibly sourced plant-based materials, to create the world’s first fully recyclable PET plastic bottle made entirely from renewable materials.”
The company says applications include a variety of packaging sizes across water, sparkling, juice and tea beverage brands. Currently, it uses sugar cane and waste from the sugar cane manufacturing process to create the packaging. These materials meet Coca-Cola’s sustainability criteria, which includes demonstrating improved environmental and social performance, and avoiding negative impacts on food security.
Since the 2009 launch, Coca-Cola has distributed more than 35 billion bottles in nearly 40 countries using its current version of plant bottle packaging, made from up to 30 per cent plant-based materials. Coca-Cola claims that the use of the packaging has helped save the equivalent annual emissions of more than 315,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide.
