United States – Popular soft drinks brand Sprite is ditching the iconic green look across its plastic bottles in favour of a much clearer one that is more eco-friendly. This will start on August 1 this year.
According to the Coca-Cola Company, while green plastic polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is recyclable, like the ones used in the old bottles, the recycled material is more often converted into single-use items like clothing and carpeting that cannot be recycled into new PET bottles.
During the sorting process, green and other coloured PET is separated from clear material to avoid discolouring recycled food-grade packaging required to make new PET bottles.
Julian Ochoa, CEO at R3CYCLE, said, “Taking colours out of bottles improves the quality of the recycled material. This transition will help increase availability of food-grade rPET. When recycled, clear PET Sprite bottles can be remade into bottles, helping drive a circular economy for plastic.”
In addition to transitioning to clear bottles, Sprite is introducing a new visual identity system featuring a revamped logo and packaging design to provide a consistent look and voice around the world. Sprite’s packaging graphics will retain the brand’s recognizable green hue and include prominent ‘Recycle Me’ messaging.
