Written on Tuesday April 16th, 2019

According to Coca-Cola Australia and Coca-Cola Amatil, 70% of its plastic bottles manufactured for the Australian market will be made entirely from recycled plastics by the end of 2019.

“As Australia’s biggest beverage company, we have a responsibility to help solve the plastic waste crisis,” says Vamsi Mohan Thati, president of Coca-Cola Australia.

According to Coca-Cola Amatil, the new target will double the company’s use of recycled plastic across its beverage range – including all small packages under 600ml and the Coca-Cola, Sprite, Fanta, Mount Franklin and Pump 750ml brands.

The move is part of Coca-Cola’s global ‘A World Without Waste’ initiative announced in January of last year, with the salient goal of collecting and recycling the equivalent of every can or bottle it sells by 2030.

“This is a big commitment to recycled plastic – the largest of its kind by a beverage company in Australia – and will significantly reduce the impact of our business on the environment,” continues Thati.

“Coca-Cola’s goal is to keep plastic packaging out of our oceans and landfills and instead be used over and over again.”

The increased use of recycled plastic means the company will avoid using around 16,000 tonnes of plastic annually, according to Peter West, managing director of Australian beverages at Coca-Cola Amatil.

“We’ve heard the community message loud and clear – that unnecessary packaging is
unacceptable and we need to do our part to reduce it nationwide,” says West.

The recycled plastic commitment is followed by other initiatives from Coca-Cola, says West, such as the elimination of plastic straws, support for cost-effective and well-run container deposit schemes and the company’s support for the 2025 National Packaging Targets.

“Our landmark transition to use 100% recycled plastic in bottles began with Mount Franklin Still Pure Australian Spring Water in 2018. Following extensive research and development, this will now roll out across other brands in bottles 600ml and under, across Coca-Cola’s soft drink, water and juice products.”

Originally published on Marketing Mag

Written by Josh Loh