PepsiCo unveiled a new plastic bottle design today—one made entirely out of plant-based materials.
According to the Associated Press:
“The bottle is made from switch grass, pine bark, corn husks and other materials. Ultimately, Pepsi plans to also use orange peels, oat hulls, potato scraps and other leftovers from its food business.”
Furthermore, the bottle is said to look, feel, and protect the drink exactly the same way as the current bottles do.
Plastic bottles are traditionally made from PET, or Type 1, plastic because it is lightweight, shatter-resistant, and it doesn’t affect flavors. Traditional PET plastic is made using fossil fuels such as petroleum, but by using plant-based materials instead, a company can reduce its environmental impact. PepsiCo says that the new plastic will cost about the same as the traditional plastic.
PepsiCo plans to test the new bottle in 2012 with a few hundred thousand bottles to make sure that the company can produce the new plastic on such a large scale. If the test-run proves to be successful, Pepsi will start converting all of its products over.
For all of the Coke lovers out there: Will you make the switch to Pepsi because of its new eco-friendly packaging?
For the record, Coke bottles are currently made from 30 percent plant-based material, while the new Pepsi bottle will be made from 100 percent plant-based material.