Coca-Cola Company was founded on May 8, 1886, in Atlanta by Dr. John Stith Pemberton. The story behind the evolution of the company is the preparation of syrup for Coca-Cola by the pharmacist Dr. John Stith Pemberton, which was sold for 5 cents a glass as a soda fountain drink. It is mixed with carbonated water to form the carbonated drink Coca-Cola.
It is the first company in India to launch a 1-litre bottle of packaged drinking water made from recyclable PET (rPET). The packaged drinking water is sold under the brand name Kinley. As part of the circular economy, the company has launched Coca-Cola in 250-ml and 750-ml rPET bottles. The rPET bottles are manufactured by the Coca-Cola branding partners of Moon Beverages Ltd. and SLMG Beverages Ltd. These bottles, excluding the cap and labels, contain the message ‘recycle me again’, which would also help to enhance consumer awareness about creating sustainable nature. The Coca-Cola Company is selling 100% rPET bottles in 40 markets with the goal of producing 50% recycled bottles by 2030.
rPET is produced from food-grade recycled polyethylene terephthalate. US FDA and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) approved technologies are used for recycling PET. It is a plastic used as packing material in bottles, trays, and containers. Durability, eco-friendliness, hygienicity, low hassle, and cost-effectiveness are the various benefits of rPET. The use of these bottles helps to reduce pollution to a great extent. The Food Safety Authority of India (FSSAI) permitted the use of rPET as a packing material in food packaging. The Government of India’s Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Climate Change and the Bureau of Indian Standards also permitted the use of recycled plastics in the packaging of food and beverages.
Coca-Cola Company provides drop-off points or Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs) to return the empty bottles for recycling. ‘Return and recycle’ is an initiative taken by the Coca-Cola Company in collaboration with Zepto to collect the bottles directly from consumers. This initiative has 100% traceability in collecting the PET bottles. ASSP (Affordable Small Sparkling Pack) is an innovative technology taken by Coca-Cola to reduce the plastic usage in 250-ml PET bottles for sparkling products by up to 40%, especially in India.
References
- https://www.coca-colacompany.com/about-us/history/the-history-of-the-coca-cola-contour-bottle
- https://www.fruit-processing.com/2023/10/coca-cola-india-launches-100-recycled-pet-bottles-in-the-carbonated-beverage-category/#:~:text=markets%20in%20India.-,After%20being%20the%20first%20company%20in%20India%20to%20launch%20a,of%20250%20ml%20and%20750
- https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/coca-cola-india-launches-100-recycled-pet-bottles-in-the-carbonated-beverage-category-301947207.html
- https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/cons-products/food/coca-cola-india-launches-100-recycled-pet-bottles/articleshow/104165201.cms?from=mdr
- https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/coca-cola-india-launches-fully-recycled-pet-bottle-in-soft-drinks-segment/article67380869.ece
Refreshing Sustainability: Coca-Cola’s Innovation with 100% Recycled PET Bottles