Cola Launches Innovative PlantBottle
By Canadian Packaging Staff
Sustainability Coca-Cola Canada plant-based PET PlantBottle Plastic
Coca-Cola Canada (Ltd.) has announced that the innovative PlantBottle packaging will be the primary beverage product package used during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, joining other select markets in the initial global launch of this partially plant-based PET (polyethylene teraphthalate) plastic.
PlantBottle packaging is a PET plastic package made with up to 30 per cent of its material derived from plant-based waste material and is 100 per cent recyclable, by design. This plastic package represents a significant step in the journey to becoming the future of recyclable bottles. Using plant-based material to replace a portion of the petroleum used in PET plastic allows The Coca-Cola Company and in Canada, Coca-Cola Ltd. to reduce its use of non-renewable resources.
“Our PlantBottle will be in the spotlight for the Olympic Games, introducing this innovative packaging to a global audience,” said Nikos Koumettis, president Coca-Cola Canada. “The Coca-Cola Company has become the first-to-market with a recyclable PET plastic bottle made partially from plants, and we are excited that Canada is part of this major step in our journey towards sustainable packaging”.
PlantBottle packaging currently is made through a process that turns sugar cane and molasses, a by-product of sugar production, into a key component for PET plastic. The sugar cane used comes from predominantly rain-fed crops that were processed into ethanol, not refined sugar. Ultimately, the goal is to use other types of plant-based waste, such as wood chips or wheat stalks, to produce recyclable PET plastic bottles.
A variety of products will be in PlantBottle packaging in western Canada beginning in December and for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Products available in the PlantBottle package will include Coca-Cola, Coke Zero, Diet Coke, DASANI, Sprite, Fresca, Barqs, and Fanta.
The global launch plans also include availability in Denmark and the U.S. Throughout Denmark, Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Light and Coca-Cola Zero in 500mL and 2L sizes are now available in the PlantBottle. And for select markets in the western United States, including Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, the PlantBottle will be used for DASANI in several sizes and Coca-Cola in 2L bottles, starting in January. Future package launches are being planned in other markets, including Japan and Mexico and for China’s Shanghai Expo in 2010.
For information on Coca-Cola and its products, visit www.cocacola.ca.
Advertisement
