Coca-Cola has revealed it’s popular frozen drink cups sold across Australia are undergoing a makeover.
Shoba Rao, News Corp Australia Network
October 28, 2020
HERALDSUN.COM.AU
Coca-Cola to replace most of its plastic
Coca-Cola will ensure 70 per cent of its plastic bottles manufactured in Australia are put together using recycled materials by the end of 2019. The commitment forms part of a global pledge by the multinational to make 50 per cent of its products from recycled plastic by 2030. The change will apply to all soft drinks, juices and water…
Exclusive: Coca-Cola in Australia has revealed its frozen drink cups and lids are undergoing a production makeover, to ensure they are made from recycled plastic.
The popular item, which is sold through Coles Express, Night Owl convenience stores and service stations like Caltex that come under the Euro Garage (EG) Group.
The new cups will come with a clear recycling label which states: “I am 100% recycled. Recycle me again.”
Coca-Cola South Pacific’s Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability Director Russell Mahoney, told News Corp the cups are currently made from “cheap and easy” polystyrene, and they were only being turned into a recyclable material now as it took time to find an alternative.
He said Coca-Cola in Australia have spent time on research and development to create the new recyclable material, which will be shared globally.
“Nationally we produce millions of these cups every year,” he said.
“They will be the same size and come at the same cost to consumers, they won’t see any change there.
“We think we are the first to do this [among our competitors] … and it will be shared globally with the Coke company.”
The new frozen cups and lids made of recycled plastic will be available from January 2021.
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Mr Mahoney said by the end of 2021, it will reduce the amount of new or “virgin” plastic it uses by 40,000 tonnes since 2017.
Planet Ark Deputy CEO Rebecca Gilling said it was encouraging to see big companies like Coca-Cola step up and take responsibility for the full life cycle of their packaging.
“Replacing virgin plastic with 40,000 tonnes of recycled plastic is not only a huge market signal, it prevents another 40,000 tonnes of virgin material entering our world,” she said.
“This year’s National Recycling Week theme is all about recovery and how we can all recycle and reuse materials – it’s a great fit to Coca-Cola’s commitment to reducing its plastic footprint, and we’re thrilled to be working together again this year.”
The move comes ahead of National Recycling Week from November 9-15.
It also comes after the world’s largest beverage company announced last year that 70 per cent of its plastic bottles manufactured in Australia will be made from 100 per cent recycled plastic by the end of 2019.
Coca-Cola Australia and Coca-Cola Amatil made the move as part of a larger commitment to ensure that by 2030, 50 per cent of the global company’s products will be made from recycled plastic.
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