Coca-Cola Australia and Coca-Cola Amatil have announced a major increase in the use of recycled plastic. This is part of a global commitment to help solve the world’s packaging problem.
According to the companies, 70 per cent of their plastic bottles manufactured in Australia will be made entirely from recycled plastic by the end of 2019. This will include all small packages 600ml and under, including brands like Coca-Cola, Sprite, Fanta, Mount Franklin and Pump 750ml.
“As Australia’s biggest beverage company, we have a responsibility to help solve the plastic waste crisis,” Coca-Cola Australia President Vamsi Mohan Thati said.
“That is why we will make 70 per cent of our plastic bottles entirely from recycled plastic by the end of 2019.
“This is a big commitment to recycled plastic – the largest of its kind by a beverage company in Australia – and will significantly reduce the impact of our business on the environment.
“‘Coca-Cola’s goal is to keep plastic packaging out of our oceans and landfills and instead be used over and over again.”
‘Unnecessary packaging is unacceptable’
Peter West, Managing Director of Australian Beverages at Coca-Cola Amatil, says the increase in the use of recycled plastic would reduce the amount of new plastic resin the company uses by an estimated 10,000 tonnes each year from 2020.
“We’ve heard the community message loud and clear – that unnecessary packaging is unacceptable, and we need to do our part to reduce it nationwide,” he said.
“That’s why we’ve taken this step to make recycled plastic the norm in more than two-thirds of our Australian beverage product range.
“It’s the single largest increase in recycled plastic use in our history, and our strongest step forward in reducing packaging waste and the environmental impact of our operations.”
