GreenLocals

Coca-Cola and Pepsi Cola have been rivals in a “Cola War” for decades.  Now they are locked in a “Bottle War”.  A couple of years ago Coke introduced a totally recyclable “PlantBottle” made of up to 30 percent plant sugars.   Now Pepsi is introducing a bottle it says is better and more environmentally friendly.

Pepsi recently announced it is cutting the use of petroleum (and the company’s carbon footprint) by introducing the world’s first plastic bottle made entirely from plant-based, fully renewable resources.  Pepsi’s new beverage is bottle made entirely of plant material including switch grass, pine bark, and corn husk.  Ultimately, the company plans to also use orange peels, oat hulls, potato scraps and other leftovers from its food business.   Traditional soda bottles are made from petroleum, a non-renewable resource.

Coca-Cola’s “PlantBottle” is now available in nine countries and is expected to reach more than a dozen other markets by the end of this year.  In fact, more than 2.5 billion “PlantBottles” have already reached the marketplace, saving approxitemately 3 million gallons of gasoline according to Coca-Cola.

Both Coke and Pepsi are positioning themselves to make money from the bottles themselves.  Coca-Cola recently announced a deal with HJ Heinz Company allowing the ketchup maker to use its “PlantBottle” in 120 million bottles of ketchup. Industry analysts expect Pepsi to negotiate similar deals in the near future.

The rising cost of packaging and other many other commodities is a constant concern for both Coke and Pepsi.  It is hoped that using bottles made of plant materials could partially insulate both companies from volatile swings in the price of fossil fuels like oil and natural gas.

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