Coca-Cola said earlier this month that biodegradable packaging is “simply not a viable option” but a new report suggests that other smaller drinks companies are beginning to take an interest, according to a report by BeverageDaily.com.
Coca-Cola is backing the recyclable Plant Bottle - currently 30% cent bio-based.
In its 2009/2010 sustainability report, Coca-Cola gave a hostile assessment of biodegradable drinks packaging. It said: “A one-use bottle is simply not a viable option for our business.”
The soft drinks giant was quoted saying: “While biodegradable packaging can be a sound choice for products that are not commercially recyclable, the process of capturing the embodied energy and raw materials in beverage bottles for reuse through recycling is, in our view, a much better option.”
But according to a new report on drinks biopackaging from Zenith International not all manufacturers agree with Coca-Cola.
Zenith was quoted saying the use of biopackaging, defined in the report as compostable packaging, rose by 47% in Western Europe and North America last year. This takes total volume to over 100 million litres – a small proportion of total volume but a large percentage increase nonetheless.
The environmental credentials of compostable bottles, typically made from corn-based PLA (polylactic acid), sit well with green-minded consumers, the report said, adding these factors have so far prevented compostable solutions from becoming the green solution of choice for drinks manufacturers. – Source: Beveragedaily.com