Coca-Cola Australia and Coca-Cola Amatil have announced that they will double the use of recycled plastic in Australia as part of a global commitment to help solve the world’s packaging problem.
The world’s largest beverage company said it will make 70% of its plastic bottles entirely from recycled plastic by the end of 2019, including all small packages 600ml and under from brands like Coca-Cola, Sprite, Fanta, Mount Franklin and Pump 750ml.
Vamsi Mohan Thati, President of Coca-Cola Australia said the move is part of Coca-Cola’s global commitment to a World Without Waste; and Coca-Cola Amatil’s commitment to Australia’s 2025 National Packaging Targets on recyclable and recycled materials.
“As Australia’s biggest beverage company, we have a responsibility to help solve the plastic waste crisis. That is why we will make 70 per cent of our plastic bottles entirely from recycled plastic by the end of 2019,” Mr Thati stated.
“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.”
Peter West, Managing Director of Australian Beverages at Coca-Cola Amatil, said Amatil’s increased use of recycled plastic followed initiatives such as the elimination of plastic straws, support for cost-effective well-run container deposit schemes and the company’s support for the 2025 National Packaging Targets.
He said the move will reduce the company’s use of virgin plastic by around 16,000 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,” Mr West continued.
“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.”
