(Reuters) – Coca-Cola Co will sell its popular sodas in bottles made from 100% recycled plastic material in the United States, the beverage maker said on Tuesday, in a major shift to combat plastic waste and reduce its carbon footprint.
The soda and beverage giant, criticized for being one of the biggest producers of plastic waste, pledged a couple of years ago to collect and recycle a bottle or can for each one it sells globally by 2030.
The company will start rolling out the new 13.2oz bottles of Coke, Diet Coke, Coke Zero Sugar, Coca-Cola Flavors this month in select states in the Northeast, Florida and California.
The Atlanta, Georgia-based firm said the new recycled bottles would help reduce its use of new plastic by more than 20% across its North American portfolio compared with 2018.
“We realize our unique opportunity and clear responsibility to make a positive difference in the global plastic crisis,” said Alpa Sutaria, the company’s vice president, Sustainability, North America Operating Unit.
Beginning this month, 20oz bottles of the beverages will be sold in California and New York, and in Texas by Spring, as well as its Dasani and Smartwater brands in some locations in the coming months.
Sprite will come in a new 13.2oz clear bottle packaging in select markets this month and will transition all packaging to clear bottles by the end of 2022.
Nestle and PepsiCo, among the top polluters, have also taken steps to redesign packaging and reduce waste.
(Reporting by Nivedita Balu in Bengaluru, Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)
