Bonaqua launches SA’s first water bottle made entirely out of recycled plastic

Today, the Coca-Cola Company launches a water bottle made entirely from recycled plastic (100% rPET).

This is a first for the South African market and forms part of The Coca-Cola Company’s ambitious global goal to create a world without waste – which aims to collect and recycle 100% of all the cans and bottles it produces by the year 2030.

The 100% rPET bottle has been created for the 500ml Bonaqua still water bottle to demonstrate that the collection and recycling of PET bottles in South Africa is at such a high level and quality that it can be used to package water.

Bonaqua has chosen to produce a 100% rPET bottle to demonstrate that, even for a beverage as sensitive as bottled water, it can indeed be done successfully. This is because the rPET that has been sourced and used from Bonaqua’s recycling partners in South Africa is of such a high quality that it meets or exceeds Coca-Cola’s most stringent requirements.

It also demonstrates that The Coca-Cola Company’s goal to include 25% RPET in all of its products by 2025 is indeed technically possible.

The Coca-Cola Company launched a water bottle made entirely from recycled plastic (100% rPET) | Image: Supplied

“To get there we need to continue our work with collectors and recyclers to maintain the growth in collection and recycling of PET beverage bottles. The world has a packaging problem and, like all companies, we have a responsibility to help solve it,” said Luis Avellar, general manager of the SA franchise of The Coca-Cola Company.

“Through our World Without Waste vision, we are investing in our planet and our packaging, so that every bottle can have more than one life. It may look the same as any other beverage packaging, however, no new plastic has been used in the creation of the bottle,” explained Avellar.

The RPET resin used in the 100% Bonaqua RPET bottle is supplied by Extrupet (Pty) Ltd, a Coca-Cola-approved supplier of food-grade RPET resin, and is the largest and most advanced recycler of PET bottles on the African continent. Through a distinctive process and adherence to Coca-Cola and international standards, Extrupet is able to produce a resin that meets food safety standards and compares favourably with the quality of virgin PET material​.

The Coca-Cola Company launched a water bottle made entirely from recycled plastic (100% rPET) | Image: Supplied

The Company’s World Without Waste goal seeks to:

1. Design better bottles, whether through more recycled content or by reducing the amount of plastic in each container
2. Collect packaging from places where it shouldn’t belong by working with bottling partners, local communities, industry partners, customers and consumers
3. Help to educate and raise awareness of what, how and where to recycle.

Packaging globally is undergoing redesigning to make it better for the planet and business as a whole. In South Africa, Coca-Cola is leveraging technology to build better bottles for today and tomorrow.

Investment in these innovations results in lighter weight, recyclable and more sustainable packages with benefits across the value chain- from vendors and customers to recycling facilities. The Bonaqua 500ml 100% rPET bottle is an example of a truly circular economy that helps to save the environment and create jobs.

Available in stores from December, consumers can enjoy the same great taste of Bonaqua water, with the benefit of knowing they are doing their bit to benefit the planet.

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