US – American multinational beverage corporation Coca-Cola will soon begin selling sodas in completely recycled plastic in the United States for the first time as part of its efforts to rid the world of plastic waste.
In the initial roll out, popular brands Coke and Diet Coke will be packaged in 13.2-ounce bottles made from 100 percent recycled plastics and distributed in a group of states that including California and Florida.
The drinks giant produces about three million tonnes of plastic packaging a year – equivalent to 200,000 bottles a minute and was in 2019, it was found to be the most polluting brand in a global audit of plastic waste by the charity Break Free from Plastic.
Coca-Cola which has already committed to ensure collect one bottle for every that it produces by 2030 will distribute additional soda and bottled water items from completely recycled packages in select markets this month and later this year.
The roll out of recycled packaging makes the US the 19th market worldwide where Coca-Cola now sells item entirely made of recycled packaging, the company said on its website.
The new measures amount to a 20 percent reduction in the company’s use of new plastic across North America compared to 2018.
Concerns about plastic waste “continue to be top of mind for our consumers,” said Alpa Sutaria, vice president for sustainability in North America, adding that the steps unveiled are “a major milestone in a large and complex market.”
As the US unit made steps towards combating its plastic menace, its Indian counterpart was facing fines for violating filing statutory returns to government bodies regarding the collecting and disposal of plastic waste.
India’s Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) asked the Hindustan Coca Cola Beverages to pay Rs 50.66 crore (about US$6.95 million) fine for the violations and gave the beverage maker 15 days to remit the penalty and fulfil the rules that have been violated.
Coca-Cola was fined alongside fellow US beverage giant PepsiCo and Indian bottled water company Bisleri.
While Bisleri has been penalised Rs 10.75 crore (about US$1.47 million), Pepsico India Holdings will have to pay Rs 8.7 crore (about US$1.1 million).
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