Views: 7 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2020-05-15 Origin: Site
Currently, the three major soft drink giants in the United States - PepsiCo, Coca-Cola and Keurig Dr. Pepper have come together to pledge their commitment to jointly promote an ambitious sustainable development initiative.
Keurig Dr. Pepper is a newly formed public company resulting from the acquisition of Dr. Pepper Snapple Group (the parent company of 7UP) by American coffee brand Keurig Green Mountain. The company’s portfolio includes well-known American beverage brands such as Dr. Pepper, 7UP, Sunkist, and coffee brand Green Mountain Coffee Roasters.
The three companies announced at a joint press conference last week the launch of the “Every Bottle Back” project, which aims to address the issue of plastic waste pollution in the United States.
The three companies announced the launch of the Every Bottle Back project at a joint press conference in Washington D.C., with the aim of addressing the problem of plastic waste in the United States.
Project components include reduction, recycling, education, and labeling.
Coca-Cola stated in a press release that the Every Bottle Back project consists of four key components:
(1) Collaborating with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), utilizing WWF’s ReSource: Plastic measurement method to track plastic usage and reduce the use of virgin plastics in the United States;
(2) Partnering with The Recycling Partnership and Closed Loop Partners to invest $100 million in improving the classification, processing, and collection infrastructure for plastic bottles;
(3) Promoting public awareness and educating consumers about the value of 100% recyclable regenerated plastics;
(4) Starting from the end of 2020, informing consumers through packaging label information that PET plastic bottles are 100% recyclable.
This project was initiated by the American Beverage Association (ABA), which aims to gather the strength of beverage giants to explore sustainable development solutions, including reducing the use of virgin plastics in the industry and increasing investment in recycling infrastructure nationwide.
According to ABA’s research data, through lightweight packaging design and reduction, U.S. beverage companies have already reduced the use of hundreds of millions of pounds of packaging materials.
The three companies will work together to promote the recycling of PET plastic bottles.
ABA President & CEO Katherine Lugar said:
“We are delighted to be able to work with leading environmental organizations and recycling agencies to establish a closed-loop system for plastic production, use, recycling and remanufacturing. The Every Bottle Back project ensures that all plastic bottles can be recycled into new ones after use, including bottle caps, so as to reduce the use of virgin plastics.”
Cooperation with Environmental Organizations and Circular Economy Institutions
Through the Every Bottle Back plan, the three companies collaborate with the world-renowned environmental public welfare organization World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and leading investment institutions focused on developing circular economy, such as The Recycling Partnership and Closed Loop Partners.
WWF will provide strategic guidance to help assess the progress made by the industry in reducing plastic footprint, while The Recycling Partnership and Closed Loop Partners will assist in deploying funds for this initiative.
Sheila Bonini, Senior Vice President of Private Sector Engagement at WWF, stated: “Only when enterprises, governments, and NGOs work together can we repair the damaged plastic material system and achieve the goal of zero waste plastics by 2030.”
Keefe Harrison, CEO of The Recycling Partnership, added: “If we do not overhaul the existing U.S. recycling system, the beverage industry cannot fulfill its commitment to sustainable packaging. Collaborating with the beverage industry on the Every Bottle Back program will help improve local recycling utilization and provide a more robust recycling plan for all materials, including plastic bottles.”
Ron Gonen, CEO of Closed Loop Partners, further commented: “Coca-Cola, Keurig Dr Pepper, and PepsiCo have provided necessary investments to optimize national recycling utilization. This partnership will serve as an industry benchmark for modernizing recycling infrastructure and reducing raw plastic usage.”
The Every Bottle Back project will directly affect 23 million people from 9 million households across the United States, covering regions like the Midwest/Northeast, Southeast, Texas, and the West Coast, where there are more mature facilities for PET recycling and regeneration, capable of turning PET bottles into PET pellets for manufacturing new products.
Through the Every Bottle Back project, an additional 80 million pounds (equivalent to 36,000 tons) of PET bottles will be collected annually. In total, 300 million pounds (equivalent to 135,000 tons) of recycled PET bottles will be recovered each year instead of ending up in water bodies or landfills.
In addition, the investment made by the three companies in the U.S. recycling system will facilitate the collection of more high-quality recyclables.
Through the Every Bottle Back project, an additional 80 million pounds of PET bottles will be collected annually.
These three soft drink giants have established sustainability goals demonstrating their determination to combat waste plastics. This collaboration is part of their commitment to fulfilling these sustainability promises.
Coca-Cola European Partners and Coca-Cola Western Europe pledge that by 2025, they will collect one bottle for every bottle sold; ensure that all packaging is 100% recyclable; and guarantee that at least 50% of the plastic bottles contain recycled content.
In 2019, the Coca-Cola system invested €180 million in the entire operational process in Western Europe, as well as in the development of future packaging and unpackaging solutions, to achieve sustainable packaging.
Additionally, Coca-Cola has designed bioplastic bottles called PlantBottle, which have achieved a carbon dioxide emission reduction of 150,000 metric tons in North America.
PepsiCo plans to make its packaging 100% recyclable, compostable, and biodegradable by 2025.
" We are working hard to build a world without waste plastics," said Kirk Tanner, CEO of PepsiCo Beverages North America. “We are honored to join forces with our peers and other partners to advance this vision and carry out essential public awareness and education initiatives to drive waste plastic collection and recycling. Using more recycled plastics means using less new plastics.”
Furthermore, Keurig Dr Pepper aims to achieve 100% recyclable or compostable packaging by 2025 and incorporate packaging containing 30% post-consumer recycled plastic content in all product lines.
The cooperation between the three giants showcases the industry’s determination and action to tackle waste plastics, setting a benchmark for collaboration in the sector.
Other major players are also taking action. Tetra Pak, a leading packaging giant, has introduced sugarcane-based biodegradable packaging? This innovative technology brings disruptive innovation to environmental protection, with technology being both a challenge and an opportunity for advancing eco-friendly packaging.
Tetra Pak RoyalTM Packaging Source: Tetra Pak Official Website
In 2014, Tetra Pak had already launched the world’s first fully recyclable packaging made from renewable raw materials - the Tetra Pak Royal biomass packaging. This packaging is made from bio-based plastic derived from sugarcane and sustainably managed forest board. By early 2018, over 500 million units of Tetra Pak Royal biomass packaging had been produced and used by customers.
Below is an introduction to 25 sustainable packaging startups, among whom tomorrow’s stars may emerge.
According to National Geographic, 91% of plastics are non-recyclable. According to data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 70% of plastic waste in the country is directly landfilled.
On the other hand, as awareness of environmental protection increases, along with greater attention to health, consumers are increasingly leaning towards environmentally friendly and healthier lifestyles and consumption patterns. Whether packaging is sustainable or not has become an important consideration in consumer shopping decisions.
A survey conducted in 2019 by Global Web Index revealed that 42% of consumers stated the importance of products packaged using recyclable and/or sustainable materials in their daily shopping.
In addition, the proportion of consumers willing to pay more for environmentally friendly packaging has increased from 49% to 57% in just seven years.
From the pressure faced by the environment itself, to the active promotion of the government, and the changes in consumer attitudes, various factors have worked together to create a new market for sustainable packaging. Interestingly, waste recycling and reuse used to be an area of interest mainly for larger companies, but now an increasing number of startups are entering this industry based on new technologies and ideas.
Below is a list of 25 typical startup companies dedicated to sustainable packaging. Like many other environmental protection enterprises, they collectively contribute to an important force leading towards a new commercial civilization.
The American company Agilyx, founded in 2006, is a veteran in the field of plastic waste management. The company has established a platform that can process various types of waste plastics and polymers, recycling these plastics into high-value synthetic oils and chemicals. In 2018, the company’s first industrial-scale fully enclosed circular polystyrene (PS) waste recycling facility began operations globally.
Based in Berlin, Arekapak has created a sustainable packaging design from palm leaves, claiming that it requires less water and energy to produce without the addition of chemicals.
The American startup BioCellection, founded in 2015, has developed technology that can transform discarded plastic bags into products like skiwear and eco-friendly solvents. The company is also an alumnus of the renowned biotech accelerator IndieBio.
Founded in 2009 and originating from University College Dublin in Ireland, the company uses bacteria to convert plastic into biodegradable polyester fibers.
Bioplas was established in 2014 with its headquarters located in Sydney. The company uses certified Mater-Bi raw materials and compostable ink to produce compostable garbage bags, which are used for collecting food waste, agricultural mulch films, etc.
Australian startup BlockCycle was founded in 2017, utilizing the trendy blockchain technology at that time to create a trading market aimed at turning plastic waste into treasure.
Canadian startup Candy Cutlery was established in 2016, developing products such as dessert spoons and small glass cups made entirely from 100% natural sugarcane, achieving 100% recyclability.
Belgian startup Do Eat has developed a bioplastic derived from residues of the potato industry, including potato peels, washing water, and beer waste.
Mexican startup EcoShell mainly exports tableware, bags, and containers that are biodegradable, compostable, or bio-based. These products are made from sugarcane and corn starch extracted from industrial waste.
Italian startup Eggplant, founded in 2013, adopts a zero-waste process to develop non-toxic and biodegradable plastic alternatives.
Indonesian startup EvoWare has created an eco-friendly packaging material that is biodegradable and edible, sourced from seaweed and other algae.
French startup Lactips, established in 2014, focuses on the development of milk-based bioplastics. Based on casein protein found in milk, they have produced a thermoplastic granule that is water-soluble and biodegradable, suitable for manufacturing various packaging materials, including those for food.
Loliware was founded in 2015, headquartered in New York. By combining the properties of seaweed with innovative manufacturing methods, the company has created the Loliware Edible Technology (LET), claimed to be the world’s first certified edible bioplastic. Its initial application is the development of edible straws.
The company has developed a lamination paper technology commonly used for convenient food packaging, providing users with 100% recyclable and sustainable laminated paper.
The company was founded in 2008, and its bioplastic bottles contain 80% renewable materials such as cardboard and sawdust. Up to now, half of the company’s capital investment comes from large food companies such as Nestle and Danone.
Danish start-up company Pond Bioplastics produces a bioresin system and claims that it is 100% biobased and fully biodegradable. This system is suitable for various natural fibers such as linen, hemp, pineapple, palm leaves, cotton, banana, jute, etc.
The company was founded in 2011 and has developed a solution named Plaxx, which can recycle waste plastic back into crude oil equivalent by chemical means to form a synthetic oil with multiple industrial applications.
German startup Sapertech was founded in 2010. The company’s technology makes it easier to separate laminated packaging materials. In the past, many packaging materials were difficult to recycle because they contained various mixed materials such as soup boxes, cardboard and combs.
Safetynet was established in 2011 with its headquarters in London. The company is trying to reduce the adverse impact of commercial fishing on the ocean by using a new device based on light visual stimulation that is user-friendly. The company’s products can be installed on fishing gear of various shapes, sizes and types.
This British company, founded in 2014, has developed an edible packaging material “Ooho” made from seaweed and other plant materials.This material can also be used to hold liquids, providing marathon runners with a more environmentally friendly alternative that does not require plastic bottles or cups.
Startup Solutum has developed technology to replace plastics for multiple applications with a completely different material. This material can achieve rapid biodegradation while possessing the use attributes of plastics.
Finnish startup Sulapac was founded in 2016 to make fully biodegradable packaging materials from wood. This material can be molded, shaped and mass-produced like plastic.The company also offers straw products without microplastics that are degradable.
This Los Angeles-based startup has developed a foaming technology called 100BIO, which is used to make a compostable polystyrene foam that can be composted in less than nine weeks without emitting carbon dioxide, heavy metals or methane.And it uses 60% less raw material than traditional paper or plastic products.
TIPA is an Israeli startup founded in 2010. The company provides bio-based fully compostable packaging products for food and fashion industries.In one experiment, the company compared its packaging materials to orange peel and achieved decomposition within 180 days under composting conditions.
Swedish company Xylophane AB, founded in 2004, has developed renewable and biodegradable packaging barrier materials that, while extending the shelf life of perishable foods, act as a barrier to oxygen, oil, and aroma.
Graphics and texts are integrated from: Packaging Zone, Capital Lab
