Dive Brief:
- The Coca-Cola Company announced Wednesday what it's calling the world's first PET plastic bottle, created solely from plant-based materials.
- "Our vision was to maximize 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," said Nancy Quan, Coca-Colas global research and development officer.
- PlantBottle packaging isn't new for the company, as the initiative launced in 2009. While the packaging appears, works and recycles like classic PET, it offers a lighter footprint.
Dive Insight:
The company's PlantBottle packaging has delivered over 35 billion bottles in close to 40 countries, produced from up to 30% plant-based items. This has saved an estimated over 315,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year.
With innovations like this, other large companies could fall in line in offering more sustainable products to consumers.