Coca-Cola is going label-free for Sprite and Sprite Zero on-the-go bottle packaging as part of its trial project. The labels will be replaced with an embossed logo on the front of the bottles, with laser-engraved products and nutritional information to appear on the back.
The clear, 100 percent PET bottles feature green and transparent attached caps, which identify them as Sprite or Sprite Zero. The soft drinks giant is urging consumers to try out the new limited design in the UK between January and March 2024.
Dusan Stojankic, VP Franchise Operations, GB&I at Coca-Cola Great Britain, said they want to help create a future where plastic drink packaging will always have more than one life. “Labels contain valuable information for consumers, but with the help of technology, we can now trial other ways to share this information while reducing the amount of packaging we use. Going label-less might seem like a small step, but it is one of several ways we are exploring making recycling easier, minimizing waste, and minimizing the impact of our packaging on the environment.”
Javier Meza, VP Marketing, at Coca-Cola Europe, described the trial as a milestone for the industry. “It’s the first time these two technologies have been used in a pilot globally, where a Coca-Cola product will appear in a label-less, single-unit bottle sold in-store. Although the design change may sound simple, this is a big shift from a marketing perspective. This trial could contribute to longer-term changes to the way brands communicate with their consumers.”
James Bull, Head of Packaging and Food Waste Strategy at Tesco, commended Coca-Cola for wanting to help consumers minimize the environmental impact of the products they buy, including removing plastic and packaging when possible. This trial of label-less packaging by Sprite is a great example of how brands are innovating to provide these solutions.” Allison Ogden-Newton, Chief Executive of Keep Britain Tidy, highlighted it’s clear that society needs to reduce, reuse, and recycle more, and waste less. “Everyone, including businesses, needs to be part of the solution.”
Furthermore, Coca-Cola has also introduced attached caps to its bottles to ensure that the cap stays connected to the bottle. This will reduce littering. The company is keen to invest in new designs to reduce the amount of packaging it uses – create lightweight bottles and reduce materials used in external packaging.
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