Coca-Cola Unveils All-New Bottles — Sort of

Coca-Cola, a frequent target of criticism for its contribution to plastic pollution, is unveiling changes to its iconic soda bottles in a bid to enhance environmental sustainability.

Starting this week, all variations of Coca-Cola sold in 20-ounce bottles across US retailers will be crafted entirely from 100% recycled plastic. This initiative marks a significant milestone in the beverage giant’s journey towards achieving its 2030 target of ensuring half of its product portfolio is sourced from recycled material.

Acknowledging the pressing issue of single-use plastic pollution, Coca-Cola’s Vice President of Sustainability for North America, Kurt Ritter, emphasized the company’s commitment to providing more eco-friendly packaging solutions. Ritter stated, “Consumers are seeking sustainable packaging options, and we recognize our responsibility to lead and innovate as a global beverage company.”

The transition to recycled polyethene terephthalate (rPET) bottles began in the US in 2021 with Dasani, expanding nationwide in 2022. Notably, Coca-Cola eliminated the green PET additive from Sprite bottles in 2023, streamlining the recycling process and prompting a shift from green to clear packaging.

By introducing these new bottles, Coca-Cola anticipates a reduction of 83 million pounds of plastic usage within its US supply chain, equivalent to approximately two billion bottles. While the bottle design remains largely unchanged, consumers will notice a new label denoting the use of recycled materials. However, the labels and caps themselves will not be composed of 100% recycled plastic.

Despite these sustainability efforts, Coca-Cola’s recent earnings report revealed a 1% decline in North American volume, attributed to weakening demand for sports drinks and coffee. Nevertheless, the company remains committed to completing the nationwide rollout of its recycled plastic bottles by the end of the summer.

In addition to Coca-Cola, the company’s Smartwater brand aims to introduce bottles made from 100% recycled plastic in New York and California later this year.

While these initiatives mark progress towards sustainability, environmental watchdogs remain critical. Break Free from Plastic, an environmental organization, named Coca-Cola as the world’s top plastic polluter for the sixth consecutive year in 2023. According to the group, plastic recycling initiatives represent only a fraction of the solution, advocating instead for scalable reuse systems and a substantial reduction in plastic usage.