Coca-Cola Amatil has produced Australia’s first carbonated soft drink bottles made from 100 per cent recycled plastic.
Following this development, the company announced all single-serve plastic bottles in Australia would switch to fully recycled material by the end of 2019.
Group Managing Director Alison Watkins said while 100 per cent recycled plastic had previously been used in still beverages, it had never been successfully used for carbonated drinks.
According to Ms Watkins, the pressure in a soft drink bottle is three times that of a car tyre, as such, bottles for carbonated drinks require stronger material than those for still beverages.
“That’s been an obstacle in using 100 per cent recycled materials for these types of drinks,” Ms Watkins said.
“I’m pleased to say we’ve overcome this challenge through innovation and design, and we are now the first in Australia to make 100 per cent recycled plastic bottles for carbonated beverages.”
Ms Watkins said the change to 100 per cent recycled plastic would reduce Coca-Cola’s use of virgin plastic by roughly 10,000 tonnes a year.
“Community and commercial pressure is driving a rapid take-up of recycled materials in bottling,” Ms Watkins said.
“The new 100 per cent recycled plastic bottle range supports the Coca-Cola Company’s aspiration for a world without waste, an ambition to help collect and recycle one bottle or can for each one it produces.”
The company’s Mount Franklin Still range was switched to 100% recycled plastic bottles in 2018.
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