The switch from green to clear Sprite bottles will increase the likelihood of these bottles being remade into new ones, meaning they can have more than one life.
Kate Miller, Marketing Director at Coca-Cola Australia, said Coca-Cola wants its bottles to have more than one life. All our Sprite bottles under one litre are made from 100 percent recycled PET plastic (excluding caps and labels).
This initiative helps to support recycling systems and gives our bottles the best chance of being recycled and processed into new bottles locally. While Australians have known and loved Sprite in its iconic green bottle for nearly 60 years, the brand knows this is the right thing to do as it supports the transition to circularity for Coca-Cola’s packaging.
Planet Ark Environmental Foundation, Australia's leading environmental behaviour change organisation, welcomed today’s announcement and its potential impact on plastics recycling in Australia.
Planet Ark CEO Rebecca Gilling said all had a role to play in driving the transition to a circular economy in Australia, which is signalled by Coca-Cola Australia's move.
“It’s critical that companies like Coca-Cola continue to invest in ensuring their products have the best chance of being recycled. If bottles are collected and recycled and turned into new bottles locally, this ultimately means less demand for new plastic and reduced carbon emissions,” said Gilling.
Gilling added that Container Deposit Schemes, now available or planned to launch in every Australian state and territory, ensure clean recycling streams.
“Choosing to recycle plastic bottles via Container Deposit Schemes helps to keep them out of landfill and gives them the best chance of becoming another bottle. Keeping the collected material in Australia is essential to driving circular outcomes.”
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners is part of the Circular Plastics Australia (PET) joint venture, collaborating with PACT Group, Cleanaway Waste Management and Asahi Beverages, which has invested in two state-of-the-art PET recycling facilities that turn empty PET bottles into recycled content for new packages.
The first site became operational in Albury, NSW, in 2022, and a second facility will open in Altona, Victoria, in late 2023. Combined, the sites will be able to recycle the equivalent of 2 billion 600ml PET plastic bottles each year, right here on Australian shores.
The change in Australia will affect all pack sizes of Sprite Classic bottles in PET plastic packaging and is expected to be complete by August 2023 as retailers sell through existing stock.
