Coca-Cola Announces Transition to Bottles Made From 100% Recycled Plastic Material

2/9/2021

ATLANTA — The Coca-Cola Co. is introducing a new 13.2-ounce bottle made from 100 percent recycled plastic material (rPET), debuting first with the company's most iconic brand, Coca-Cola.

Starting this month in select states in the Northeast, Florida and California, Coca-Cola Trademark brands including Coke, Diet Coke, Coke Zero Sugar and other Coca-Cola flavors, will roll out in the all-new bottle, which is conveniently sized in a more sippable package and reduces the use of new plastic, the company stated.

As part of a portfolio approach:

  • The 13.2-ounce, 100 percent rPET bottle will roll out across additional sparkling beverage brands nationwide this summer.
  • Twenty-ounce bottles made from 100 percent rPET are being introduced across Coca-Cola, Coke Zero Sugar, Diet Coke and Coca-Cola flavors beginning this month in California and New York and will continue to roll out this spring in Texas. Dasani and smartwater will follow suit, introducing the 20-ounce bottles in March and July, respectively.
  • In February, consumers in select markets will see a new 13.2-ounce clear bottle from Sprite that is also made from 100 percent rPET. The clear package makes it easier for bottles to be recycled and remade into new bottles. All Sprite packaging will transition to clear packaging by the end of 2022.

"Given our scale and resources, we realize our unique opportunity and clear responsibility to make a positive difference in the global plastic crisis, bringing us closer to our ambitious World Without Waste goals," said Alpa Sutaria, vice president and general manager, Sustainability, North America Operating Unit, The Coca-Cola Co. "Plastic is a valuable packaging resource and these innovations in the U.S. represent meaningful action that focus not just on what goes into the bottles, but on innovation of the bottles themselves."

The moves substantially address plastic waste and reduces the company's use of new plastic by more than 20 percent across the portfolio in North America compared to 2018.

The transition also builds upon The Coca-Cola Co.'s World Without Waste pledge made in 2018 to collect and recycle the equivalent of a bottle or can for every one the company sells by 2030, to make 100 percent of packaging recyclable by 2025 and to use 50 percent recycled material in bottles and cans by 2030. By introducing 100 percent rPET bottles in the United States, this marks a total of 19 markets globally offering recycled packaging.

Using internal company tools and analyses, it is estimated that in the United States, these innovations represent a 10,000 metric tons reduction in GHG emissions annually — the equivalent of taking 2,120 cars off the road for one year, the company reported.

Amidst this rollout, The Coca-Cola Co. aims to inspire everyone to join in reducing waste, with the largest on-package messaging effort by the company to-date. Each 100 percent rPET package will feature on cap messaging, as well as a "Recycle Me Again" message on the label to encourage consumers to take action and recycle their bottles so that they can be remade into new ones.

Based in Atlanta, The Coca-Cola Co. is a total beverage company with products sold in more than 200 countries and territories. Its portfolio of brands includes Coca-Cola, Sprite, Fanta and other sparkling soft drinks; its hydration, sports, coffee and tea brands include Dasani, smartwater, vitaminwater, Topo Chico, Powerade, Costa, Georgia, Gold Peak, Honest and Ayataka; and its nutrition, juice, dairy and plant-based beverage brands include Minute Maid, Simply, innocent, Del Valle, fairlife and AdeS.

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