End of an Era: Sprite is Retiring its Green Plastic Bottle

After 60 years and iconic marketing, Sprite is retiring its green plastic bottle, opting for a more eco-friendly container.

On Wednesday, Coca-Cola announced the change in packaging, which would begin on August 1st. The current Sprite bottle contains green polyethylene terephthalate, an additive that can’t be recycled to create new bottles. Coca-Cola is pushing to reduce its plastic waste by recycling old bottles, so the green hue will be replaced with clear moving forward.

Sprite lovers will still see the iconic green on the labels. However, the logo and packaging will be getting a makeover to go along with their new containers.

Other beverages in the Coca-Cola universe that have green bottles will be switching over to clear as well in the upcoming months. This includes Seagram’s, Fresca, and Mello Yello. The company also announced that most Dasani bottles in the United States and Canada would be distributed in 100% recycled plastic.

The push toward added recyclables comes just two years after Coca-Cola was shockingly named the world’s No. 1 plastic polluter by the environmental agency, Break Free From Plastic. According to the firm’s findings, Coca-Cola logos and branding were discovered on at least 13,834 pieces of discarded plastic across 51 countries. The waste was typically seen in parks and beaches.

The ranking shamed the company into creating a healthier plan for the environment. However, environmentalists say the company is not doing enough to address the issue. Kate Melges, who oversees the Plastics Project at Greenpeace, believes the move is performative.

“Coca-Cola’s recent announcement is yet another blatant greenwashing attempt from one of the world’s worst plastic polluters,” Melges stated.

Greenwashing refers to the practice of companies making themselves appear environmentally friendly through marketing tactics with minimal effort to help the planet. Other corporations, including Mcdonald’s and Walmart, have been accused of greenwashing in the past.

Nevertheless, Coca-Cola is standing by its decision and is looking for ways to continue cutting down on its plastic waste.