Re-Published from FoodBev.com
The Coca-Cola Company has developed a fully recyclable polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle made entirely from renewable plant-based materials for the first time.
The new PlantBottle had previously only been sourced partially from plant-based materials since its launch, which FoodBev reported back in May 2009. Increasing the bottle’s proportion of plant-based components had, until now, had detrimental effects on the bottle’s opacity.
The newly unveiled packaging is the manifestation of the company’s vision to develop a more responsible plant-based alternative to packaging traditionally made from fossil fuels and other non-renewable materials
The firm said that the newly unveiled packaging is the manifestation of the company’s vision to develop a more responsible plant-based alternative to packaging traditionally made from fossil fuels and other non-renewable materials. It uses patented technology that converts natural sugars found in plants into the ingredients for making PET plastic bottles, functioning and recycling in the same way as traditional PET but with a reduced environmental footprint.
Coca-Cola has said that the environmentally friendly bottle – with applications across the water, sparkling, juice and tea categories – has helped save the equivalent of more than 315,000 metric tons of annual carbon dioxide emissions. The Atlanta-based company has distributed more than 35bn bottles of the PlantBottle technology during the last six years.
The soft drinks manufacturer has unveiled the fully renewable plant-based bottle at World Expo in Milan.
Coca-Cola Company global research and development officer Nancy Quan said: “Today is a pioneering milestone within our company’s packaging portfolio. Our vision was to maximise game-changing technology, using responsibly sourced plant-based materials to create the globe’s first fully recyclable PET plastic bottle made entirely from renewable materials. We are delighted to unveil the first bottles here at World Expo – a world-class exhibition where sustainable innovation is celebrated.”
