Get ready to say goodbye to the iconic green bottles – Sprite is getting a makeover!
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Sprite's parent company, Coca-Cola, announced on Wednesday that the company is getting rid of its classic green plastic bottles in favour of clear bottles that are better for the environment.
It's a big change for the bubbly lemon-lime drink, which first came out in 1961 and became a staple in many Aussie homes and grocery stores thanks to its eye-catching green packaging.
According to a statement released by The Coca-Cola Company, the new packaging design will go into effect on August 1 and is part of an initiative to 'promote a circular economy for plastic packaging'.
If you're wondering how changing the colour of the bottles will help the environment, it seems that because of its green colour, it is kept separate from clear plastic recycling so that it doesn't change the colour of the material used to make new recycled PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles.
'The recycled material is more often converted into single-use items like clothing and carpeting that cannot be recycled into new PET bottles,' the statement said.
So, by making the bottles clear instead of green, they can now be recycled with other soft drink bottles to make new PET bottles!
After more than 60 years, Sprite is getting rid of its notable green plastic bottle. Credit: Coca-Cola.
The decision was applauded by R3Cycle, a reprocessing company that collaborates with Coca-Cola to make bottle-to-bottle recycling easier.
'Taking colours out of bottles improves the quality of the recycled material,' CEO Julian Ochoa said in a statement.
'This transition will help increase the availability of food-grade PET. When recycled, clear PET Sprite bottles can be remade into new bottles, it helps drive a circular economy for plastic.'
Along with the new look for the packaging, Sprite will also be updating its logo and including a noticeable 'Recycle Me' slogan on its cans and bottles.
But don't worry, folks, because Sprite won't become a stranger on the supermarket shelves! Its green branding will live on through the graphics that will appear on the label, and they won't be replacing its easily recognisable green cap.
Other Coca-Cola brands that use green bottles, like Fresca, Seagram's, and Mello Yello, will also start using clear plastic bottles. Credit: Coca-Cola.
Coca-Cola has historically been the target of criticism for its role in contributing to global pollution because of the company's massive record of plastic waste.
In 2021, an environmental group called Break Free From Plastic said that Coca-Cola was the biggest polluter of plastic in the world. This was because the group discovered over 20,000 empty plastic bottles with Coca-Cola logos and brands were found on beaches and in parks in nearly 45 countries.
This is likely the reason that, in addition to Sprite, other soft drink brands that currently utilise green bottles—including Fresca, Seagram's, and Mello Yello—will also be making the switch to clear plastic bottles in the coming months.
Coca-Cola has also said that it plans to sell its bottled water brand Dasani in 100% recycled plastic bottles without labels or caps.
What are your thoughts, folks? Do you approve of Coca-Cola's efforts to be more environmentally friendly? Let us know what you think in the comments below!
It's a big change for the bubbly lemon-lime drink, which first came out in 1961 and became a staple in many Aussie homes and grocery stores thanks to its eye-catching green packaging.
According to a statement released by The Coca-Cola Company, the new packaging design will go into effect on August 1 and is part of an initiative to 'promote a circular economy for plastic packaging'.
If you're wondering how changing the colour of the bottles will help the environment, it seems that because of its green colour, it is kept separate from clear plastic recycling so that it doesn't change the colour of the material used to make new recycled PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles.
'The recycled material is more often converted into single-use items like clothing and carpeting that cannot be recycled into new PET bottles,' the statement said.
So, by making the bottles clear instead of green, they can now be recycled with other soft drink bottles to make new PET bottles!
After more than 60 years, Sprite is getting rid of its notable green plastic bottle. Credit: Coca-Cola.
The decision was applauded by R3Cycle, a reprocessing company that collaborates with Coca-Cola to make bottle-to-bottle recycling easier.
'Taking colours out of bottles improves the quality of the recycled material,' CEO Julian Ochoa said in a statement.
'This transition will help increase the availability of food-grade PET. When recycled, clear PET Sprite bottles can be remade into new bottles, it helps drive a circular economy for plastic.'
Along with the new look for the packaging, Sprite will also be updating its logo and including a noticeable 'Recycle Me' slogan on its cans and bottles.
But don't worry, folks, because Sprite won't become a stranger on the supermarket shelves! Its green branding will live on through the graphics that will appear on the label, and they won't be replacing its easily recognisable green cap.
Other Coca-Cola brands that use green bottles, like Fresca, Seagram's, and Mello Yello, will also start using clear plastic bottles. Credit: Coca-Cola.
Coca-Cola has historically been the target of criticism for its role in contributing to global pollution because of the company's massive record of plastic waste.
In 2021, an environmental group called Break Free From Plastic said that Coca-Cola was the biggest polluter of plastic in the world. This was because the group discovered over 20,000 empty plastic bottles with Coca-Cola logos and brands were found on beaches and in parks in nearly 45 countries.
This is likely the reason that, in addition to Sprite, other soft drink brands that currently utilise green bottles—including Fresca, Seagram's, and Mello Yello—will also be making the switch to clear plastic bottles in the coming months.
Coca-Cola has also said that it plans to sell its bottled water brand Dasani in 100% recycled plastic bottles without labels or caps.
What are your thoughts, folks? Do you approve of Coca-Cola's efforts to be more environmentally friendly? Let us know what you think in the comments below!
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