ARE RECYCLED CONTENT PLASTIC BOTTLES PRACTICAL?
Coke sells bottles made with recycled plastic in Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland and Sweden. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved several recycled content PET bottle technologies that Coke can choose from, including one that uses 100 percent recycled plastic. Coke also uses refillable plastic bottles in several countries — and refillables are even more environmentally friendly than recycled content bottles. THE TRUTH ABOUT COSTS: The cost to use recycled plastic rather than virgin resin is only slightly higher using current FDA approved technology. According to the industry trade publication, Plastics Recycling Update, if Coca-Cola were to buy 25 percent recycled content plastic bottles it would only cost about one-tenth of one cent per 20 ounce bottle (which costs Coke over 6 cents each). The shift to virgin plastic packaging, and away from glass and aluminum, has resulted in a windfall profit for Coca-Cola. Between 1995 and 1996 the price for virgin PET plastic
Coke sells bottles made with recycled plastic in Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland and Sweden. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved several recycled content PET bottle technologies that Coke can choose from, including one that uses 100 percent recycled plastic. Coke also uses refillable plastic bottles in several countries — and refillables are even more environmentally friendly than recycled content bottles. THE TRUTH ABOUT COSTS: The cost to use recycled plastic rather than virgin resin is only slightly higher using current FDA approved technology. According to the industry trade publication, Plastics Recycling Update, if Coca-Cola were to buy 25 percent recycled content plastic bottles it would only cost about one-tenth of one cent per 20 ounce bottle (which costs Coke over 6 cents each). The shift to virgin plastic packaging, and away from glass and aluminum, has resulted in a windfall profit for Coca-Cola. Between 1995 and 1996 the price for virgin PET plastic
