The Coca-Cola Company announced in a Tuesday news release that the company's flagship soda drink would be debuting in the US market with new 13.2 ounce bottles "made from 100% recycled plastic material."
The change, which will extend all Coke, Diet Coke, Coke Zero Sugar, Coca-Cola Flavors, will begin this month in California, Florida and selected states in the northeast of the US.
"We realize our unique opportunity and clear responsibility to make a positive difference in the global plastic crisis,” wrote Alpa Sutaria, Coca-Cola's vice president of strategy and planning in North America.
Announcing new 13.2oz Sip Sized™ and classic 20oz bottles made from 100% recycled plastic (rPET).* For easier recycling, 13.2oz Sprite bottles are available in clear plastic. Available in select markets. https://t.co/a2VryNtMzT
— The Coca-Cola Co. (@CocaColaCo) February 9, 2021
*excludes cap and label pic.twitter.com/yT5ydZQgLI
“Plastic is a valuable packaging resource and these innovations in the US represent meaningful action that focus not just on what goes into the bottles, but on innovation of the bottles themselves," Sutaria said in the corporate marketing statement.
It is worth noting that while the new bottles will be made from 100% recycled plastic material, this does not cover the bottle's cap and label.
In addition to the 13.2 ounce bottles, Coca-Cola, Coke Zero Sugar, Diet Coke and Coca-Cola flavors will also be available in 20 ounce bottles. Sprite, Dasani, and Smartwater flavors will be available within the year.
Coca-Cola, Nestlé and PepsiCo have announced measures to reduce waste after being named among the top global polluters in a 2019 audit by charity #BreakFreeFromPlastic.
“The products and packaging that brands like Coca-Cola, Nestlé, and PepsiCo are churning out is turning our recycling system into garbage," said Denise Patel, US Coordinator for the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, in the 2019 release.
"China has effectively banned the import of the US and other exporting countries’ ‘recycling,’ and other countries are following suit. Plastic is being burned in incinerators across the world, exposing communities to toxic pollution."
Pepsi has pledged to make its packaging recyclable, compostable or biodegradable by 2025, while Nestlé set a goal to make its packaging 100-percent recyclable by 2025.
In addition, Coca-Cola has pledged to recycle as many plastic bottles as it uses by the year 2030.
