Since joining The Coca-Cola Co. in 1997, Scott Vitters has gone to work most days with one question on his mind:
“How do we get to our vision of a 100% renewable, 100% recyclable bottle?”
It’s a simple question, with anything but a simple answer—getting to a renewable, zero-waste bottle requires technology breakthroughs, favorable economics that will drive recycling, changes in human behavior and supporting policy from governments around the country, if not around the world.
This winter, though, Coca-Cola is taking a meaningful step towards its goal with the introduction of what it calls a PlantBottle – a bottle made of PET plastic, 30% of which is sourced from Brazilian sugar cane and molasses.
That puts Coke on the road to 100% renewable.
PET, meanwhile, is 100% recyclable—although actual recycling rates are far lower.
It’s a start.
“It’s incredibly exciting for us to be able to see a route forward to zero waste,” says Vitters, who is head of global sustainable packaging for Coca-Cola. [click to continue…]
{ 4 comments }
