Coca-Cola has a plastic problem. The company was ranked The world’s number one plastic polluter by the charity Break Free From Plastic in its annual survey.
Now it seems the company is trying to do something about its non-ideal plastic record. It introduces its very first paper bottle.
Announced in a blog post on the company’s site, the company’s insider will aim to collect and recycle a bottle or can for every bottle they sell by 2030. They also plan to significantly reduce their use of new packaging materials and only use packaging materials that are 100% recyclable.
As part of these initiatives, Coca-Cola has explored the concept of a paper bottle together with partner Paboco.
“Our vision is to make a paper bottle that can be recycled just like any other paper, and this prototype is the first step towards achieving this. A paper bottle opens up a whole new world of packaging possibilities, and we are convinced that paper packaging has a role to play in the future, ”says Stijn Franssen, EMEA R&D Packaging Innovation Manager at Coca-Cola, who is working on the project.
The project is not yet completed. The new paper bottle still contains some plastic. But the company is moving towards a completely plastic-free version.
“This prototype of a first-generation paper bottle still consists of a paper shell with a plastic closure and a plastic liner on the inside. The plastic we use is made from 100% recycled plastic that can be recycled after use. But our vision is to have a paper bottle that can be recycled like any paper. The next step is to find a solution to make a bottle without the plastic liner, ”explains Stijn.
The initiative is part of Coca-Cola’s program called World Without Waste and we have to say we’re excited.