Glaceau owner Coca-Cola Great Britain has also confirmed that it will be make Sprite bottles with clear plastic to make it easier to recycle
British bottled water brand Glaceau Smartwater will be made from 100% recycled plastic early next year, says parent company Coca-Cola Great Britain (Credit: Coca-Cola
All Glaceau Smartwater bottles in the UK will be made from 100% recycled PET plastic (rPET) by the end of 2019.
Coca-Cola Great Britain, which owns Glaceau Smartwater as well as Oasis, Dr. Pepper, Sprite and Fanta, confirmed that it is on track to double the amount of rPET used in all its other plastic bottles by early next year.
The firm claims it will remove 3,100 tonnes of virgin plastic from circulation, meaning it will use more recycled plastic in its packaging than any other bottled water brand in the UK.
Coca-Cola Great Britain general manager Jon Woods said: “Using more recycled plastic is a critical element of our sustainable packaging strategy, as it reduces the amount of virgin material used in our packs.
“None of this is easy and I am proud of the teams’ work to ensure we are on track to move to at least 50% recycled PET plastic in all of our bottles in 2020.
“Our new Smartwater bottle shows we can go further, but that requires more packaging to be collected so that more can be reused to make new bottles.
“That’s why we support the planned reforms of the current recycling system in Great Britain and are calling for the introduction of a well-designed deposit return scheme for drinks containers, which we believe will reduce litter and increase the quantity and quality of material reprocessed in this country.”
Coca-Cola plans to replace green Sprite bottles with clear ones
Coca-Cola will also replace the current green Sprite bottle with a clear version in order to make it easier to recycle.
The change will come into effect in September this year.
Sprite will also increase the amount of rPET it uses in its bottles to 50% by next year.
It’s hoped these initiatives will remove more than 23,000 tonnes of virgin plastic from Coca Cola’s UK business from 2020.
UK environment minister Thérèse Coffey said: “Congratulations to Coca-Cola on making this significant step to help our natural environment.
“These initiatives, including using more recycled plastic in their bottles, set a fine example to other large businesses and we hope that others follow suit.
“We all have a responsibility to our environment.
“Through our landmark Resources and Waste Strategy the government is committed to going further and faster to reduce, reuse and recycle for a more circular economy.”
Marcus Gover, chief executive of circular economy charity WRAP said: “Coca-Cola was one of the founding members of The UK Plastics Pact and it’s great to see it announce developments which demonstrate progress towards the Pact’s targets.
“A bottle made from recycled plastic uses 75% less energy, and changing colour from green to clear may be subtle to the public but enables that plastic to be used for a multitude of purposes and significantly increases its value.
“We’re also pleased to see design changes which give people extra nudges to do their bit to help drive up recycling.
“If we are to transform the way we use, make and dispose of plastic, then we all have a role to play.”