First Coca-Cola produced a PET bottle using 30 percent plant-based
materials, and now PepsiCo introduces the world’s first PET plastic bottle made
entirely from plant-based, fully renewable resources. The 100 percent recyclable
bottle is made from bio-based raw materials, which include switch grass, pine
bark and corn husks; the company eventually hopes to use orange peels, potato
peels and oat hulls as well. “The new bottle looks, feels and protects the
drink inside exactly the same as [our] current bottles,” said Rocco Papalia, PepsiCo’s
senior vice president of advanced research. The company will pilot production
of the new bottle in 2012, and, upon successful completion, will then move to
full scale commercialization. PepsiCo has not yet determined which markets or brands will be involved in the pilot test or roll-out.
Launch
2012
Package design
PepsiCo's Advanced Research Group,
www.pepsico.com