Coca-Cola unveils the world’s first 100% plant derived PET plastic bottle

The Coca-Cola Company has unveiled the world’s first PET plastic bottle made entirely from plant materials.

The new PlantBottle™ packaging pushes the boundaries on sustainable innovation by using groundbreaking technology to create a fully recyclable plastic bottle made from renewable plant materials.

PlantBottle looks, functions and recycles like traditional PET but has a lighter footprint

PlantBottle packaging is The Coca-Cola Company’s vision to develop a more responsible plant-based alternative to packaging traditionally made from fossil fuels and other non-renewable materials. PlantBottle packaging uses patented technology that converts natural sugars found in plants into the ingredients for making PET plastic bottles. The packaging looks, functions and recycles like traditional PET but has a lighter footprint on the planet and its scarce resources.

Nancy Quan, Global Research and Development Officer, The Coca-Cola Company, said, “Today is a pioneering milestone within our Company’s packaging portfolio. Our vision was to maximise game-changing technology, using responsibly sourced plant-based materials to create the globe’s first fully recyclable PET plastic bottle made entirely from renewable materials.”

Existing PlantBottle packaging has helped save more than 315,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide

PlantBottle packaging maintains the high quality package consumers expect but with the added benefit of being made from renewable materials. It can be used for a variety of packaging sizes and across water, sparkling, juice and tea beverage brands. Today, the Company uses sugarcane and waste from the sugarcane manufacturing process to create PlantBottle packaging. 

Since the 2009 launch, The Coca-Cola Company has distributed more than 35 billion bottles in nearly 40 countries using its existing partially plant derived version of PlantBottle packaging which is made from up to 30% plant-based materials. It is estimated the use of PlantBottle packaging since launch has helped save the equivalent annual emissions of more than 315,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide.