Coke goes green with lightweight containers
Coca-Cola Enterprises is to launch its lightest-ever PET (polyethylene terephthalate)carbonated soft drinks bottle across the UK to boost its green credentials.
It will replace its 26g container for its leading brands that include Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Fanta and Sprite.
CCE says the new bottles will reduce its PET packaging by 700 tonnes a year. The move follows CCE’s signing up to WRAP’s (Waste & Resources Action Programme) Courtauld Commitment on reduced packaging waste. Among others to have done so are Nestlé and Cadbury Schweppes.
More than 4 million of the new Coca-Cola bottles have been tested in trials, partially funded by WRAP.
CCE project manager Christine Watson says: “The reduction of our 550ml PET bottles from 26 to 24 grams is a major step forward.”
The commitment to lighter bottling follows the decision by Coke to join with environmental group WWF in making a global water-conservation pledge. It is the soft drink giant’s latest attempt to boost its environmental credentials, which have been criticised in the past.
WRAP was established in 2000 and has a remit to encourage businesses and consumers to be more efficient in their use of materials. It also calls on them to recycle more.
It is aiming to encourage an 8-10% weight saving across all PET containers used by the UK soft drinks industry. This would represent a saving of about 20,000 tonnes.
- We have been asked to point out that Coca-Cola Enterprise chief executive John Brock’s comments about Coke’s innovation drive should be attributed to Atlanta Journal Constitution
