Coca-Cola UK makes major change as Australia explores options
Coca-Cola has introduced soft drink bottles with the cap attached to increase sustainability, with Australia weighing in on its own plans.
A major soft drink company said it was exploring ways to make its bottles more sustainable after a huge change in design overseas.
The UK branch of Coca-Cola introduced soft drink bottles with the cap attached to the beverage in order for the entire thing to be recycled – and the Australian arm is looking into its own way to make bottle caps more recyclable.
On the UK bottle cap it reads: “I am attached to recycle together.”
The transformed bottle caps, which are attached to the seal, became part of the brand, which has items such as Coca-Cola, Fanta and Sprite, in 2022.
Some called the UK branch’s decision to attach bottle caps a “smart move” but not everyone is on board with it.
“They should do a metal cap systems and people should return the caps for like a dollar discount for a certain amount of caps,” one social media user suggested.
Another said they didn’t realise and had just continued ripping the caps off of the bottle.
News.com.au reached out to Coca-Cola to confirm whether this move would be brought Down Under, with the brand revealing it was exploring several sustainability options.
“We are always exploring a range of options to collect and recycle our bottle caps, including packaging solutions that work with our local recycling infrastructure,” a spokesperson from Coca-Cola Australia said.
“We’re also working with industry bodies and government on initiatives that aim to deliver better outcomes for the collection and recycling of bottle caps. We’re committed to waste reduction, recycling, collection and innovation in our packaging that are focused on where we can make the most difference.
“Earlier this month we announced that our iconic green Sprite bottle will now be made from clear plastic making them easier to recycle. All of our plastic bottles, aluminium cans and glass packaging are recyclable and the plastic used in our bottles under a litre is high-quality recycled PET plastic.”
In Australia, a lot of councils and recycling schemes approach the challenge of recycling bottle caps differently.
Some say they need to be dropped off at specialist recycling centres and not put in the regular bin as it can damage the machines at the plant, while others say if the caps are kept on the bottle it poses no issue. Still others say caps should be kept in a bottle or can of the same material.
Currently on Coca Cola Australia’s website it states: “We believe the best way to ensure that the bottle, cap and label make their way to a recycling facility, so it has a chance to be used again is to leave the cap and label on when you’re recycling your bottle.
“We know that some areas have different procedures so as always check the local rules.”
It’s not the first time the company has attempted to make its products more environmentally friendly.
Sprite has had its iconic green packaging for 60 years but now the US arm of the global drinks company has said the bottles will now be clear. Australia has just confirmed it is following suit.
The current bottles feature green Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is remade into single use items. But because of its colour, it couldn’t be recycled into new bottles.
Currently, PET that is coloured is separated from clear material to avoid discolouring recycled food-grade packaging required to make new PET bottles.
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