Switching from green to clear PET bottles is allowing the Coca-Cola Company to significantly boost recycling of Sprite bottles in Southeast Asia.
The change from the traditional green colour will make the PET bottles far easier to recycle, the company said.
Transitioning to the new clear bottles began in November in the Philippines, Coca-Cola’s largest market in ASEAN. Sprite was first launched in the country back in 1968 and, until now, has been sold in the green bottles.
Coca-Cola added that expansions to other markets in Southeast Asia will take place throughout 2020.
The switch follows a similar move in Western Europe where the Coca-Cola system is well underway in changing the colour of its Sprite bottles.
“Our research in six countries across Southeast Asia has shown that a change from coloured PET to transparent PET greatly increases the value of the plastic in the after-use market and therefore its ability to remain in a circular economy and be used again and again for different purposes,” said Ashwin Subramaniam, founder and CEO of GA Circular, a circular economy action and advisory company.
“Phasing out the use of coloured PET beverage packaging is a key recommendation in our new report on accelerating the circular economy for post-consumer PET bottles in Southeast Asia and we applaud the decision by Coca-Cola to make the switch.”
