Coca-Cola makes a bold green move by switching Sprite to clear bottles

A #WorldWithoutWaste starts with better packaging design, says the beverage company

27 September 2022 - 14:43
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Coca-Cola SA is committed to helping to create a #WorldWithoutWaste through its efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle its packaging.
Coca-Cola SA is committed to helping to create a #WorldWithoutWaste through its efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle its packaging.
Image: Supplied/Coca-Cola SA

With both “World Clean-Up Day” and SA's “Clean-Up and Recycle Week” falling in September, the month is an important one when it comes to tackling the planet's waste problem.

These initiatives unite thousands of volunteers and organisations around the globe as they take steps to turn the tide on pollution. For instance, Coca-Cola’s bottling partners in Mzansi, namely Coca-Cola Beverages SA (CCBSA) and Coca-Cola Peninsula Beverages (CCPB), conduct various regional clean-ups in September.

That said, Coca-Cola's efforts to address the social and environmental issues relating to waste management are a year-round affair. This is something it does through Jamii, its dedicated African sustainability platform, which also concentrates on water stewardship and the economic empowerment of the continent's youth and women.

“As Coca-Cola SA, a central focus of our business is the sustainability of the environment and communities in which we operate,” says Babongile Mandela, director of public affairs, communications and sustainability.  

“We're on a journey to reduce, recycle and re-use the packaging we produce to create a circular economy, where the packaging that's produced does not end up in the environment, but forms part of a value chain where ‘waste’ can be recycled back into valuable materials used to produce more packaging, or, where this isn’t possible, into other materials like furniture or building materials.”  

#WorldWithoutWaste starts with designing better packaging 

While a significant percentage of Coca-Cola’s packaging is designed to be recyclable, the company’s global goal is to ensure that the same can be said of all of its packaging by 2025. It's taken many innovative strides in this regard.

For instance, Coca-Cola's water brand, Bonaqua, is packaged in 100% recycled plastic, which is a first for the local market. 

In addition, the most popular Coca-Cola package, the 2l, is now available in returnable  and reusable PET bottles in selected areas across SA. (The beverage has been available in 1.5l returnable and reusable PET bottles in the Western Cape for 28 years.)

Unlike single-use plastic bottles, these PET bottles go on a “looped journey” as they can be collected, cleaned and refilled, until they they're ultimately recycled into another PET bottle. 

In another big eco-conscious move, Sprite’s iconic green bottle has been switched to a clear one. Why? During the recycling process, green and other coloured PET bottles have to be sorted from clear ones to avoid discolouring the newly recycled PET materials. So, by packaging Sprite in clear PET bottles, these can be more easily recycled.

By 2030, the company aims to sell at least 25% of its beverages in re-usable formats and to include 50% recycled content in its packaging.

By this date, Coca-Cola also aims to collect the equivalent of every bottle and can it sells to help curb pollution. It will continue to collaborate with various partners and communities to collectively achieve a world without waste.

This article was paid for by Coca-Cola SA.



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