Beginning today, the first 100 percent recyclable beverage packages made with plants are readily available to people across the U.S. If you want to enjoy the fresh taste of Dasani, or a nourishing Odwalla beverage in a more environmentally responsible package made from plants, now you can.
Just in time for Earth Month, Dasani and Odwalla are saying goodbye to their current packaging and saying hello to new PlantBottle packaging. All Dasani bottles and Odwalla single-serving bottles will be available exclusively in PlantBottle packaging - the first-ever fully recyclable plastic beverage bottle produced using plants.
PlantBottle packaging for both brands was developed with the planet in mind. Single-serve Odwalla packages are made from up to 100 percent plant-based materials with high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic. PET bottles for Dasani are made with up to 30 percent plant-based materials.
People in the U.S. will be among those enjoying refreshment from billions of PlantBottle packages that will reach store shelves this year. In 2010, more than 2.5 billion PlantBottle packages were available across nine countries. For 2011, that number is expected to double to more than 5 billion PlantBottle packages in more than 15 countries.
"It's our goal to make traditional plastic bottles a thing of the past and ensure that every beverage we produce is available in 100 percent plant-based, fully recyclable packaging," said Scott Vitters, general manager, PlantBottle Packaging Platform, The Coca-Cola Co., in a prepared statement. "The national launch of Dasani PlantBottle packaging represents an important step toward reducing our carbon footprint, and the up to 100 percent plant-based, recyclable packaging used for Odwalla is the first of its kind in the beverage industry."
Traditional PET bottles are made from petroleum and other nonrenewable fossil fuels. Incorporating a blend of petroleum-based materials with up to 30 percent plant-based materials allows PlantBottle packaging for Dasani to reduce potential intrinsic carbon dioxide emissions when compared with PET plastic bottles.
"Dasani is designed to make a difference by offering a better designed package for a more sustainable future," said John Roddey, vice president and general manager, water, tea and coffee, Coca-Cola North America. "Because Dasani PlantBottle packaging is up to 30 percent made from plants and still 100 percent recyclable, it was designed with the planet in mind by helping to reduce the impact of our packaging on the environment."
PlantBottle packaging used for Odwalla is made of HDPE plastic, which is created using only ethylene, which is derived from 100 percent renewable sugarcane-based ethanol. Odwalla is the first nationally distributed beverage brand to transition its packaging to fully recyclable, HDPE plastic made from 100 percent plant-based materials.
"The launch of PlantBottle packaging for Odwalla represents a significant step in our brand's ongoing efforts to protect our planet," said Alison Lewis, president, Odwalla. "Since its inception, Odwalla has maintained a very simple vision: make great juice, do good things for the community and build a business with a heart."
The plant-based materials for both Dasani and Odwalla PlantBottle packaging are produced through a process that turns sugarcane into a key component for PET and HDPE plastic. Currently, PlantBottle packaging is made using sugarcane ethanol from Brazil, the only source widely recognized globally for its unique environmental and social performance. Brazilian sugarcane is primarily rain fed and industrially grown on abundant, arable land using organic fertilizers. The plantations from which PlantBottlematerials are sourced are located far away from Amazon rain forests, and their impact on biodiversity is reduced thanks to advanced farming practices and sound public policy.
Unlike other plant-based plastics, PlantBottle packaging is entirely recyclable and can be processed through existing systems. This ensures PlantBottle packaging can be repeatedly used, recycled and reused. In addition, there are no differences in shelf life, weight, composition or appearance between traditional PET plastic bottles and PlantBottle plastic bottles.
In late 2009, PlantBottle packaging was launched in the western U.S. and eight other markets around the world. To date, PlantBottle packaging is estimated to have eliminated the equivalent of 30,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide, or three million gallons of gasoline used to produce PET plastic bottles.
urrently, The Coca-Cola Co. is working to further technology so other plant materials can be used in future PlantBottle packaging. The ultimate long-term goal is to turn waste into a resource, resulting in a carbon neutral, 100 percent renewable, responsibly sourced bottle that is fully recyclable.
"Several approaches to a PET package made entirely from plants have been successfully demonstrated in laboratory testing. We're working to advance this breakthrough science to ensure it is commercially viable," said Vitters. "PlantBottle packaging means only good things for everybody. We welcome others in the industry joining us in advancing the science behind packaging made from plants."
The technology used to make PlantBottle packaging already has been adopted by Heinz, which recently announced it will begin packaging its ketchup using that technology this summer under license from The Coca-Cola Co.
The rollout of PlantBottle packaging for Dasani will be supported by a national television spot breaking in April. Additional executions will include enhanced packaging graphics, as well as out-of-home, print, digital and point-of sale-advertising to build awareness for PlantBottle packaging. Odwalla's marketing program includes coupons, print advertising, digital programs and new labeling Point-of-sale materials for in-store displays will feature attention-grabbing messages such as "Paper or Plastic? Try Plant!"
