As part of its ongoing efforts to create fully sustainable packaging, the soft drink giant has announced that all its on-the-go bottles will contain 100% recycled plastic.

All plastic bottles less than 500ml in GB will be made from 100% recycled plastic. They will also be fully recyclable. The rollout will begin in September when the first 500ml 100% recycled bottles will be on shelves.

Coca-Cola, in partnership with Coca-Cola Europacific Partners CCEP (formerly Coca-Cola European Partners), has announced that it will be using 100% recycled plastic for all on-the-go bottles throughout Great Britain.

All 500ml plastic bottles or less will be affected by the transition. It also covers all brands of Coca-Cola Original Taste, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and Fanta.

Coca-Cola Great Britain has increased the percentage of recycled plastic material in its on-the-go drinks from 50% to 100%. Following in the footsteps of Sweden, Norway, and the Netherlands, 100% rPET bottles will be introduced.

This is yet another step in Coca-Cola’s quest to 100% recycled plastic or renewable plastic for all of its bottles and the creation a circular economy PET packaging. The company is also moving from plastic shrink wrap and cardboard packaging to all multipacks. This will ensure that over 30 million consumer packs will not be wrapped in plastic.

In September, the first 100% rPET bottles will be on shelves. They will also continue to be recyclable.

Although Coca-Cola bottles are 100% recyclable, but many of them are not being recycled. Coca-Cola is working with industry partners and the Scottish and Westminster governments to create a “well-designed Deposit Return Scheme (DRS),” which will make it easier for plastic bottles to be recycled. This will encourage people to recycle more bottles and allow for a cleaner, more efficient collection so they can be made into new bottles.

A DRS that is effective will be implemented in Scotland by July 2020, with England and Wales following suit.

Coca-Cola estimates that it saves 29,000 tonnes annually by using recycled plastics in the region. The soft drink giant is also moving from plastic shrink wrap into cardboard packaging for all multipacks.

Stephen Moorhouse is the general manager of CCEP GB. He stated: “Increasing the amount recycled plastic we use in our sustainable packaging campaign is a crucial point and reaching 100% rPET puts our one step closer towards our ambition of a planet without waste – collecting a can or bottle for every one we sell by 2025.”