In the latest move as part of its sustainable packaging strategy, Coca-Cola Great Britain has announced that GLACÉAU Smartwater bottles will be made from 100% recycled plastic (rPET) by the end of the year. It also confirmed that it is on track to double the amount of rPET used in all other plastic bottles in early 2020.
GLACÉAU Smartwater, the UK’s third-largest on-the-go bottled water brand, will move its entire range and both its 600ml and 850ml servings into plastic bottles made from 100% recycled PET plastic. It is claimed that the changes will remove 3,100 tonnes of virgin plastic from circulation each year and means GLACÉAU Smartwater will use more recycled plastic in its packaging than any bottled water brand in the UK.
Coca-Cola highlighted that it is also continuing to work with local reprocessors to double the amount of recycled PET used in all its plastic bottles, across 20 brands, to at least 50%. The new packs will be launched ahead of schedule in early 2020 with the soft drinks giant claiming the move will make it the biggest user of recycled PET plastic in the UK.
Together, these initiatives will mean that more than 23,000 tonnes of virgin plastic annually will no longer be used by the business in the UK from 2020.
Meanwhile, Coca-Cola is replacing the current green Sprite bottle with a clear pack in order to make it easier to recycle back into new drinks bottles. The change will come into effect from September this year.
Leendert den Hollander, Vice-President and General Manager, Great Britain, Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP) said: “Using more recycled plastic is a critical element of our sustainable packaging strategy, as it reduces the amount of virgin material used in our packs. None of this is easy and I am proud of the teams’ work to ensure we are on track to move to at least 50% recycled PET plastic on all of our bottles in 2020.
“Our new Smartwater bottle shows we can go further. But that requires more packaging to be collected so that more can be reused to make new bottles. That’s why we support the planned reforms of the current recycling system in Great Britain and are calling for the introduction of a well-designed deposit return scheme for drinks containers, which we believe will reduce litter and increase the quantity and quality of material reprocessed in this country.”
