In a bid to simplify the recycling process, Coca-Cola announced that they would trial a “naked” labelless bottle for Sprite in the UK. The new bottles feature the Sprite logo embossed on the front with laser-engraved product information on the back. Additionally, the bottles are made using 100% rPET minus the attached cap.
While bottle labels are recyclable, the company says removing them will eliminate the need to separate labels during recycling. The plastic savings are modest, and Coca-Cola says that the plastic reduction, by weight, is somewhere in the neighborhood of 2%, while the label removal saves 2.8kg of CO2e for every 1,000 bottles they manufacture.
Additionally, the pilot will only extend to 500ml containers for Sprite and Sprite Zero, with both products clearly identified on the bottles. Of course, consumers can also spot them via bottlecap—green for plain-Jane Sprite and a transparent cap for Zero.
