Recycling Beverage giants PepsiCo and Coca-Cola have been trailblazing in designing fully recyclable, compostable and biodegradable beverage bottles, as well as increasing the PCR content in packaging. Coca-Cola’s ‘World Without Waste’ programme is in line with its plan to develop 100% recyclable packaging and reduce the amount of plastic in its bottles by 2030 as well as plastic containers with up to 50% recycled content. The campaign involves collection and recycling bottles or cans for every container that the company sells by 2030. Meanwhile, PepsiCo developed what it claims to be the world's first 100% plant-based, renewably sourced PET bottle in 2011. It also launched a fully recyclable clear plastic cup, with a 20%-content recycled PET (rPET) option. Like Coca-Cola, PepsiCo has initiated recycling campaigns including partnering with different industry organisations such as the Closed Loop Fund, the Recycle Partnership, the New Plastics Economy, the CEFLEX Project, and the Material Recovery Facility for the Future (MRFF). Swiss food and drink company Nestlé debuted in North America its food-grade, fully recyclable rPET 700-ml bottle for its Pure Life purified water brand. According to Nestlé, it has scaled down by 40% the amount of PET plastic in its 500 ml bottles since 2005. Additionally, the company implemented “How2Recycle” information on the labels of its major US bottled water brands as a reminder for consumers to empty the bottles and replace caps before recycling. Working with suppliers such as CarbonLite, a producer of foodgrade rPET, the company has introduced 50%-content rPET Nestlé debuted in bottles to its other single-serve North America its food-grade, fully water brands produced in California. recyclable rPET Another water brand popular 700-ml bottle for in the UK, Harrogate Water, says it its Pure Life purified has successfully secured sufficient water brand availability of rPET to ensure all its products contain 50% rPET material from this year onwards. From ocean litter to bottles Marine litter is an environmentally crippling plastic waste problem, with over 8 million tonnes/year of plastics ending up in the oceans. While clean-up efforts are ongoing, some companies are approaching the problem by tapping into marine litter as a source of valuable materials to produce sustainable products. US-based HDPE recycling company Envision Plastics says it has pioneered the world's first 100%-marine waste content bottle using its proprietary OceanBound Plastic.
Envision Plastics developed a 100%-marine waste content bottle using its proprietary OceanBound Plastic
It is made from completely recycled plastic with the added benefit of being collected from at-risk areas, which eliminates that plastic from reaching beaches and waterways. Working with materials design firm Techmer PM, sustainable projects firm Primal Group and bottle blow moulder Classic Containers, Envision says it was also able to displace 100% of virgin resin in the bottle as well as the colourant. The bottle is currently being used to package Primal Group's ViTA brand of personal care products. American consumer goods manufacturer, Procter & Gamble (P&G)’s take on ocean plastic-based bottles will be available in the UK this year. The Fairy Ocean bottle is made from 100% recycled plastic and ocean plastic, and is created in tandem with recycling expert Terracycle. The UK launch will include 320,000 bottles, said to be the largest production run of recyclable dish soap bottles in the world made using ocean plastic, according to P&G. The bottle will be made from 10% ocean plastic, collected from the ocean and beaches around the world, and 90% PCR material. P&G also says its brands, including Fairy, Dawn, Yes, Dreft and Joy, will continue to divert 8,000 tonnes/year of plastic from landfills for use in transparent plastic bottles, using an average of 40% PCR content across 481 million of its transparent dish care bottles globally. “If stacked, these bottles would be 11 times the height of Mount Everest,” P&G said. Therefore, with concerted efforts for initiatives to raise awareness on efficient waste management as well as sorting and recycling, specifically in key ocean plastic economies, the amount of plastics potentially polluting the environment can be reduced by 2025.
P&G teamed up with Terracycle to come up with fully recycled plastic and ocean plastic bottle for its Fairy brand MARCH / APRIL 2018
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