While extremely versatile for a wide range of applications, there’s no denying that poorly-disposed PET plastics are affecting our ocean systems. To help counteract their contribution, Coca-Cola committed to manufacturing all of their bottles with at least 50% recycled plastics by the year 2030.
So far, it looks like they’re on track.
This month the company introduced a short run of its first bottle design created using recycled plastic waste from the ocean. In total, 300 bottles were produced from marine waste plastic collected by volunteers across 84 beach cleanups in Spain and Portugal.
In partnership with Dutch startup ioniq, the company uses a depolymerization process to break down the PET material into monomers—a process that makes the wasted material usable again in new applications.
While there are certainly logistical challenges that go along with scaling this process worldwide, Coca-Cola is on track to be the first fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) company that uses waste materials in their new packaging.
While it may not be the best solution—some might argue reusable packaging is more eco-friendly—there’s no denying this is a step in the right direction.
Learn more about the recycling process over at ioniqa.
