Coca-Cola Introduces Eco-Friendly 2Litre Returnable PET Bottles Amid Sustainability Pressure
- Dean Weiss
- Jul 30
- 6 min read
Greenpeace Africa has condemned Coca-Cola for its heavy use of single-use plastic, causing environmental harm in Africa. They accuse the company of "greenwashing" by promoting recycling while still producing large amounts of plastic bottles. Greenpeace Africa urges Coca-Cola to reduce plastic production and invest in systems for refilling and reusing existing bottles.
"Story of a plastic bottle - Greenpeace " (YouTube)
"How Coca Cola is greenwashing" (YouTube)
Greenpeace and Coke Clash Over Single-Use PET Bottles
The conflict between Greenpeace and Coca-Cola centers on single-use plastic. Greenpeace raises the issues of environmental sustainability and corporate responsibility for recycling products. It criticises Coca-Cola for its significant contribution to global plastic waste, which harms wildlife and ecosystems. Ultimately, Greenpeace wants to reduce single-use plastics and promote sustainable packaging, urging Coca-Cola to take more substantial action towards cleaning up its act.
Although Coca-Cola has made some sustainability efforts, critics find them insufficient. This clash reflects a societal shift towards corporate accountability and consumers' demand for companies to use sustainable practices. Consumers are also questioning the lack of government regulations in tackling plastic pollution. The conflict underscores the need for cooperation among corporations, environmental groups, and consumers to achieve a sustainable future, emphasising the urgency of ending the plastic era.
Coca-Cola's solution is .... a 2-litre returnable bottle.
Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa (CCBSA) is launching its 2L returnable bottle, known as the refillable PET bottle (RefPET), to support its pledge to reduce plastic waste.
Since 2019, CCBSA has introduced RefPET in the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Limpopo, North-West, Mpumalanga, parts of KwaZulu-Natal, Soweto, and parts of the Free State, with plans to expand consumer involvement.
Food and beverage packaging (bottles) is crucial for the safe delivery of the product to consumers, but it also creates an environmental waste issue that requires a comprehensive solution. Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa, a subsidiary of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa and a bottler for the Coca-Cola Company, is committed to addressing this challenge by pledging to collect a bottle or can for every one it sells by 2030. Additionally, by 2030, it plans to use 50% recycled content in all packaging and make 25% of its packaging reusable, while ensuring all its packaging is 100% recyclable by 2025.
Coca-Cola is excited about this phase of the RefPET rollout in the provinces, as it supports their World Without Waste Vision 2030. Achieving success relies on collaboration with customers, consumers, communities, industry, and governments. They hope their ambitious goals will effectively contribute to a waste-free planet.
The unique green "Returnable" label makes the bottle easy to identify and allows it to be refilled multiple times before recycling, reducing packaging waste. This is a cost-effective way to enjoy Coca-Cola products. Consumers can join the return-and-refill system immediately, with CCBSA distributing free 2-litre bottles in local communities without requiring an initial purchase. They collaborate with local spaza shops, tuck shops, and independent retailers to simplify returns. Despite packaging changes, the product remains the same, made with identical ingredients and high standards.
How the system operates
Returnable PET bottles are identifiable by a paper label with the word 'RETURNABLE' in green on the front. To start this process in communities and households, the company will supply each household with a 2L RefPET sample. This sample can be exchanged for a deposit when purchasing any 2L RefPET product at the local store, similar to the way traditional returnable glass bottles operated.
The suggested retail price for the 2L Coca-Cola Original Taste – Less Sugar drink is R16, not including a R9 deposit. Other varieties, such as Coca-Cola No Sugar, Sprite, Stoney Ginger Beer, and Fanta, are offered in the new 2L returnable PET plastic bottle at a suggested retail price of R14/R15, excluding the R9 deposit. This results in savings, since consumers no longer need to pay for the bottle.
When a bottle is returned to CCBSA, it starts a cyclical process where it is cleaned according to Coca-Cola’s stringent standards, then refilled to commence its next lifecycle. The returnable bottle represents a major breakthrough in packaging innovation. CCBSA employs automated inspection systems to ensure bottles are safe and clean for reuse and has experimented with laser coding technologies to track bottle lifecycles. This creates a bottle that provides value throughout its lifecycle, from the first sip to the final recycling stage. Once the bottle completes its usable lifecycle, it joins the recycling value chain and is converted into another PET product.
The 2-litre returnable PET bottle can now be found at participating outlets in some provinces. CCBSA urges consumers to return their bottles in good condition, without any cracks, damage, or tampering, to maintain the refill cycle and continue enjoying the savings.
Conclusion
It is encouraging to observe a company actively striving to reduce plastic in our environment.
The introduction of new 2-litre plastic refundable bottles is projected to be well-received and is anticipated to reduce the amount of single-use plastic that ends up in landfills or oceans, thereby benefiting the environment. Additionally, consumers can enjoy an initial price reduction since they are no longer paying for the cost of the single-use plastic bottle, but only for the product contained within the packaging. The refund of the deposit for the returnable bottles will encourage most consumers to return them, unlike single-use bottles, which consumers often perceive as having no value.
To ensure that other bottles are also recycled, Coca-Cola places a recycling symbol or the phrase 'recycle me' on every bottle label to remind consumers to recycle them.
Coca-Cola uses the "recycling symbol" (Creme Soda bottle) and the words "RECYCLE ME" (Coke Light bottle) to remind consumers to recycle their bottles.
Despite the move to returnable 2L bottles being a positive one, I still have my concerns. Firstly, as a consumer, I am still waiting to see the elusive new Returnable bottle. The campaign, which commenced in 2019, indicates that even after six years, a significant number of consumers remain unaware of it, while not all stores seem to carry the product yet. The completion of this rollout may take an extended period of time. I wonder if a TV promotion wouldn't have been more effective. Secondly, the 2-litre returnable bottle is only one of Coca-Cola's extensive product range. Coke insists that the introduction of this returnable bottle will cut plastic usage by 25% by 2030. However, considering the program's slow implementation and Coca-Cola's extensive product range, this projection appears somewhat optimistic.
Thirdly, because returnable bottles are still composed of plastic, there remains a risk of humans ingesting nano plastics that may leach from the bottle. However, this risk is likely lower compared to drinking from single-use plastic bottles. Fourthly, I am concerned about the volume of water required to clean the returnable bottles in a country where climate change has led to both droughts and floods, rendering water a scarce resource.
Another red flag is the fact that the Coca-Cola headquarters in Atlanta has shifted its original objectives. By 2035, the company now aims to raise the global use of recycled plastic to 30-35% and to collect 70-75% of the equivalent number of bottles and cans sold each year. With these changes in goals and the slow implementation of reusable bottles, the question remains: is the company delaying progress, or is this an example of greenwashing? Only time will tell.
Although the Government has enacted legislation on Extended Producer Responsibility under the National Environmental Management Waste Act (5 May 2021), it appears that producers are continuing with business as usual, taking little to no action to assume responsibility. Despite the existing measures, I urge Dr. Dion George, our current Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment, to implement stricter regulations and prohibit certain single-use plastics, such as plastic shopping bags, straws and single-use plastic bottles, to effectively tackle the plastic pollution crisis.
Keep in mind that the Earth needs you to recycle your plastic.
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