AUSTRALIA – Coca-Cola Amatil has announced that it will no longer distribute single-use plastic drinking straws or stirrers in Australia, and would instead stock fully recyclable and biodegradable FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) accredited paper straws starting February.
The company said the new paper drinking straws will be sourced from suppliers BioPak and Austraw and made available through Amatil’s ordering platform to around 115,000 outlets nationwide including grocery, petrol and convenience stores, bars, cafes and quick service restaurants.
“We’re serious about playing our part in reducing unnecessary plastic packaging,” said Group Managing Director Alison Watkins.
“We’ve heard the community message loud and clear that unnecessary packaging is unacceptable and we all need to work together to reduce the amount entering litter streams, the environment and the oceans.”
Coca Cola Amatil has also said that it had begun work on sustainable solutions for straws on Tetra Pak-supplied packaging, as well as for plastic spoons and scoops used with frozen drinks.
This is a step towards achieving 100% recyclable packaging in Australia by 2025 including all bottles, cans, plastic wrap, straws, glass and cardboard.
“We are working towards phasing out unnecessary and problematic single-use plastics entirely, through improved design, innovation or the use of recycled alternatives,” said Ms Watkins.
2020 sustainability goals
Last year, Coca-Cola Amatil announced 2020 sustainability goals including 25% improvement in water efficiency for alcoholic beverages, reduce the carbon footprint of the ‘drink in your hand’ by 25% and use at least 60% renewable or low-carbon energy in its operations.
This is in addition to existing commitments on plastics and packaging reduction, including the aspiration of World Without Waste, a Coca-Cola Company goal to collect and recycle one bottle or can for every one produced worldwide by 2030.
The Coca-Cola Company is also developing sustainable packaging goals to increase the
