Taking a step towards the circular economy, Coca-Cola India has announced the launch of its cola brand Coca-Cola in recycled PET (rPET) in pack sizes of 250 ml and 750 ml. These rPET bottles are being manufactured by Coca-Cola bottling partners – Moon Beverages Ltd., and SLMG Beverages Ltd.
These bottles claimed to be made from 100% food-grade rPET (excluding caps and labels) have an on-pack call to action “Recycle Me Again” message and will also drive consumer awareness with a “100% recycled PET bottle” displayed on the pack. The rPET bottles are crafted from food-grade recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) as per the technologies approved by the US FDA and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for food-grade recycled material, reducing the need for virgin plastic for producing PET Bottles.
The Coca–Cola Company now offers 100% rPET bottles in over 40 markets, bringing it closer to its World Without Waste goal of making bottles with 50% recycled content by 2030, and making 100% of its packaging recyclable by 2025.
Enrique Ackermann, Vice President, Technical and Innovation, Coca-Cola India, and Southwest Asia said, ” We seek to drive a circular economy for our packaging in order to reduce waste and carbon emissions. We’re working to increase recycled content in our packaging, expand our use of refillable bottles, and collect packaging for recycling through our World Without Waste initiative. We also do research for new solutions for packaging. This expansion by Moon Beverages and SLMG Beverages underscores Coca-Cola India’s steadfast commitment to sustainability and its dedication to forging a more sustainable future.”
The Food Safety Authority of India (FSSAI) has approved the use of recycled PET in food packaging. Similarly, the Government of India’s, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and the Bureau of Indian Standards has enabled befitting regulations and standards to facilitate the use of recycled plastics in food and beverage packaging.
Coca-Cola is making it convenient for consumers to return their empty PET bottles by recycling them at conveniently placed drop-off points or Reverse Vending Machines (RVM’s). Earlier this year, Coca-Cola India launched a ‘Return and Recycle’ initiative with Zepto that focuses on gathering PET bottles directly from consumers. This also helps in establishing an organized process of collecting PET bottles with 100% traceability.
