Henry Uche
Leading sparkling lemon-lime flavored soft drink, Sprite has introduced ‘new easy to recycle transparent bottles’ as it moves away from its iconic green packaging to a new unique design in transparent PET plastic bottles for easy recycling.
In a press statement delivered by the Marketing Manager, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, Abiodun Ajiborode, said, the company is exerting itself to make its bottles useful after use by customers in line with the global call for environmental and eco-friendliness.
The marketing manager stated, “For us at Coca-Cola, clear is better and we are journeying to a world without waste by moving to clear Sprite packs, which means more of our plastic can be collected, recycled and reused to make new bottles.
“The world without waste campaign represents Coca-Cola’s commitment to doing business sustainably through the creation of jobs for members of its host communities, promotion of financial empowerment, and elimination of environmental waste,”
Ajiborode noted that with grants of over $1,000,000 from The Coca-Cola Foundation to multiple NGOs in Nigeria, several recycling and women empowerment programs are being implemented to address the issue of environmental protection while empowering women who are significant pillars of the society.
He stressed that through Coca-Cola’s System investment in a foremost recycling company, Alkem, more than one billion PET bottles have been collected and recycled in Nigeria into fibre and other products from 2005 to 2011. More so, more than 1,800 people were also directly employed on an average income of $6 per day; which is three times the national average.
“Coca-Cola has further invested in building an industry coalition that has birthed the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA). FBRA is an alliance of responsible and forward-looking companies united by a shared concern for the environment and a commitment to collaborate with all stakeholders in building a sustainable recycling economy for food and beverage packaging waste. These efforts have so far led to the recovery and recycling of over 55 million bottles.
“With such impressive feats, the Coca-Cola Company aims to build on these already existing frameworks with its all-new clear Sprite bottles. The current green bottles have over the years helped the Sprite brand stand out. Making this move to clear bottles shows the priority we place on the environment by ensuring our packaging is more useful and ultimately, more eco-friendly. The transparent look also offers us an opportunity to take a second look at the Sprite design and modify it to fit our consumers’ ever-changing tastes.
“With our presence in over 190 countries, including Nigeria, Sprite’s new transparent look includes a see-through bottle, refreshed icon of the brand’s bold and iconic Sprite ‘spark’ with a distinct label and bright green cover” he added.