CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY | MARCH 16, 2011 | BY SUSTAINABLEBUSINESSPepsiCo Unveils 100 Percent Bio-Based Plastic Bottle
PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP) has developed what it says is the world's first PET plastic bottle made entirely from plant-based, fully renewable resources.
PepsiCo said its "green" bottle is 100 percent recyclable and will allow it to significantly reduce its carbon footprint.
In what seems like a clear show of one-upmanship, PepsiCo stated that the bottle "far surpasses existing industry technologies." Beverage rival Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) in 2009 unveiled its Plant Bottle, which contains up to 30 percent bio-based material.
The PepsiCo bottle is made from bio-based raw materials, including switch grass, pine bark and corn husks.
Combining biological and chemical processes, PepsiCo said it has identified methods to create a molecular structure that is identical to petroleum-based PET (polyethylene terephthalate), which results in a bottle that looks and feels the same as existing PET beverage containers.
In the future, the company said it expects to broaden the renewable sources to include orange peels, potato peels, oat hulls and other agricultural byproducts from its foods business.
"PepsiCo is in a unique position, as one of the world's largest food and beverage businesses, to ultimately source agricultural byproducts from our foods business to manufacture a more environmentally-preferable bottle for our beverages business--a sustainable business model that we believe brings to life the essence of Performance with Purpose," said PepsiCo Chairman and CEO, Indra Nooyi.
PepsiCo will pilot production of the new bottle in 2012. Upon successful completion of the pilot, the company intends to move directly to full-scale commercialization.
"By reducing reliance on petroleum-based materials and using its own agricultural scraps as feedstock for new bottles, this advancement should deliver a double win for the environment and PepsiCo," said Conrad Mackerron, Senior Program Director ofAs You Sow, a San Francisco-based foundation, which promotes corporate social responsibility through shareholder engagement.
Photo by Michel Filion/flickr/Creative Commons
PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP) has developed what it says is the world's first PET plastic bottle made entirely from plant-based, fully renewable resources.
PepsiCo said its "green" bottle is 100 percent recyclable and will allow it to significantly reduce its carbon footprint.
In what seems like a clear show of one-upmanship, PepsiCo stated that the bottle "far surpasses existing industry technologies." Beverage rival Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) in 2009 unveiled its Plant Bottle, which contains up to 30 percent bio-based material.
The PepsiCo bottle is made from bio-based raw materials, including switch grass, pine bark and corn husks.
Combining biological and chemical processes, PepsiCo said it has identified methods to create a molecular structure that is identical to petroleum-based PET (polyethylene terephthalate), which results in a bottle that looks and feels the same as existing PET beverage containers.
In the future, the company said it expects to broaden the renewable sources to include orange peels, potato peels, oat hulls and other agricultural byproducts from its foods business.
"PepsiCo is in a unique position, as one of the world's largest food and beverage businesses, to ultimately source agricultural byproducts from our foods business to manufacture a more environmentally-preferable bottle for our beverages business--a sustainable business model that we believe brings to life the essence of Performance with Purpose," said PepsiCo Chairman and CEO, Indra Nooyi.
PepsiCo will pilot production of the new bottle in 2012. Upon successful completion of the pilot, the company intends to move directly to full-scale commercialization.
"By reducing reliance on petroleum-based materials and using its own agricultural scraps as feedstock for new bottles, this advancement should deliver a double win for the environment and PepsiCo," said Conrad Mackerron, Senior Program Director ofAs You Sow, a San Francisco-based foundation, which promotes corporate social responsibility through shareholder engagement.
Photo by Michel Filion/flickr/Creative Commons
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