Coca-Cola to introduce ‘Plantbottle’ derived from sugarcane and molasses
Published on: Saturday, 16th May 2009 03:53 AM
By 
Administrator
The Coca-Cola Company has always been focused on ensuring its packaging sustainability for decades. In 2007, it had launched a new plastic bottle for its cola drinks that used 5 percent less plastic. Moving ahead in this direction, the company recently announced that it will test “plantbottle”, a bottle that is partly derived from sugar cane and molasses, in North America. The company plans to test the new bottle with its Dasani bottled water brand this year and then expand to some of its carbonated brands and Vitaminwater.
“Plantbottle”
The “plantbottle” is made from a mixture of petroleum-based materials and up to 30% plant-based materials that are by-products of sugar production. The bottle has a lower dependence on non-renewable resources, reducing carbon emissions by up to 25%, compared with other petroleum-based PET plastic bottles. The new bottle is fully recyclable and can be processed through existing manufacturing and recycling facilities.
Traditional bottles
Traditional PET bottles are made from petroleum, a non-renewable resource. National Geographic states that over 85 million plastic bottles are used every three minutes. This leads to the creation of vast amounts of plastic waste.
The Coca-Cola Company has the power to transform the marketplace. Other companies are sure to follow Coca-Cola in its efforts towards sustainability. Rival beverage makers PepsiCo Inc and Nestle are already following in their footsteps. They are also introducing lighter-weight bottles that use less plastic.