We rarely read any great news about about Coca-Cola. But earlier this month, the company announced that it’s doing something pretty rad: it’s unveiling a 100-percent plant-based bottle. The company made its big announcement at the World-Expo in Milan.

According to Business Wire, Coca-Cola has created the world’s first PET plastic bottle that is made from 100 percent plant-based materials. Coca-Cola plans to use the PlantBottle packaging to reflect the company’s new vision. That vision is all about pushing sustainable boundaries, and using groundbreaking technology. This plant-based packaging may allow more companies to stop using traditional packaging, which is made from fossil fuels.

How is this new packaging made? It’s pretty cool, really. “PlantBottle packaging uses patented technology that converts natural sugars found in plants into the ingredients for making PET plastic bottles. The packaging looks, functions and recycles like traditional PET but has a lighter footprint on the planet and its scarce resources,” reports Business Wire.

And if you’re wondering if the plant-based bottle is as strong as traditional packaging, it is. The PlantBottle maintains high-quality packaging — it’s the same, except it’s made from renewable materials.

The PlantBottle will be used to contain all sorts of beverages, including water, sparkling beverages, juice, and tea.

“The company uses sugarcane and waste from the sugarcane manufacturing process to create PlantBottle packaging. Both materials meet The Coca-Cola Company’s established sustainability criteria used to identify plant-based ingredients for PlantBottle material. These guiding principles include demonstrating improved environmental and social performance as well as avoiding negative impacts on food security,” reports Business Wire.

The original version of the PlantBottle (it contains 30 percent plant-based materials) was launched in 2009 and Coca-Cola has distributed more than 35 billion of those bottles to almost 40 countries. Business Wire reports that it’s estimated that the use of the PlantBottle has “helped save the equivalent annual emissions of more than 315,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide.”

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Image: Duncan Hull

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