Coca-Cola Amatil has announced it will no longer distribute plastic drinking straws or stirrers in Australia and instead stock fully recyclable and biodegradable FSC-accredited (Forest Stewardship Council) paper straws.
Group managing director Alison Watkins said the decision was another step forward in the company’s efforts to reduce single-use plastics.
“We’re serious about playing our part in reducing unnecessary plastic packaging,” Ms Watkins said.
“We’ve heard the community message loud and clear that unnecessary packaging is unacceptable and we all need to work together to reduce the amount entering litter streams, the environment and the oceans.
“The new paper drinking straws will be sourced from suppliers BioPak and Austraw and made available through Amatil’s ordering platform to around 115,000 outlets nationwide including grocery, petrol and convenience stores, bars, cafes and quick service restaurants.”
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Distribution of the old single-use plastic drinking straws and stirrers will cease as stocks run out over the next two months.
The new sustainable paper straws will be available from February.
Ms Watkins said the intention was for 100 per cent of Coca Cola Amatil’s Australian packaging to be fully recyclable by 2025, including all bottles, cans, plastic wrap, straws, glass and cardboard.
“We are working towards phasing out unnecessary and problematic single-use plastics entirely, through improved design, innovation or the use of recycled alternatives,” Ms Watkins said.
Last year, Coca-Cola Amatil announced that by 2020 it would develop the business case for a weighted average of 50 per cent recycled plastic in PET containers across the Australian portfolio, including carbonated soft drinks.
The Coca-Cola Company is also developing sustainable packaging goals to increase the recycled content in plastic bottles, and supports recycling programs in Australia.