Coca-Cola is rolling out 100 percent recyclable display racks for its drinks, in what it calls an industry first.
The “Give it Back racks”, freestanding units made of corrugated cardboard, are designed for use in grocery and convenience stores.
Coca-Cola says the racks are a first step toward a comprehensive, closed-loop retail equipment program, in which the company will recover displays and reuse or recycle them. The corrugate displays will later be joined by a rack made entirely of recycled PET plastic.
In related news this week, Coca-Cola subsidiary Odwalla announced that it has finished transitioning all its bottles to 100 percent plant-based models, fulfilling a promise made in October. The high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic bottles are fully recyclable, the company says.
Coke also says that its Dasani water is now being sold in 30 percent plant-based PlantBottles nationwide. Coca-Cola introduced the PlantBottle, a fully recyclable drinks container made from up to 30 percent plant-based materials, in 2009.
“It’s our goal to make traditional plastic bottles a thing of the past and ensure that every beverage we produce is available in 100 percent plant-based, fully recyclable packaging,” Scott Vitters, Coca-Cola’s general manager of the PlantBottle packaging platform, said.
The cardboard displays will be the first closed-loop merchandise display rack recovery program in the U.S. consumer packaged goods industry, the company says.
“The corrugate rack’s design communicates sustainability to the consumer by using an alluring overall form not found in most other displays,” the company says. “Material finishes emphasize the recyclability of the racks.”
Source: Environmental Leader