ZERO Waste Scotland has said it’s “encouraging” that Coca-Cola is introducing attached caps to its plastic bottles to improve recyclability.
The new design means that the cap stays connected to the bottle after opening, reducing the chances for it to be littered.
From Tuesday, consumers will see these attached to 1.5L bottles of Fanta, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and Diet Coke.
Zero Waste Scotland’s chief executive Iain Gulland said: “It’s encouraging to hear that a global brand, like Coca-Cola, is improving the recyclability of its single-use bottles by attaching the caps – a modification that will reduce the chances of caps being littered and spoiling our beautiful landscapes and marine environments.
“Not only will these bottles be easier to recycle, benefitting our recycling centres and consumers alike, but we hope this news inspires other businesses to look at more sustainable ways of operating – something Zero Waste Scotland is always happy to help them explore.”
The switch to attachable caps is set to be come into place for all plastic bottles across Coca-Cola Great Britain’s (CCGB) range by early 2024.
All their bottles have been 100% recyclable for years but not all of them are being disposed of properly.
Last year the company announced that it had reached its target of using 100% recycled plastic, excluding caps and labels, in all its 500ml or smaller bottles sold in Great Britain.
This helped to save around 29,000 tonnes of plastic per year.
CCGB’s general manager Jon Woods said: “This is a small change that we hope will have a big impact, ensuring that when consumers recycle our bottles, no cap gets left behind.
“It’s one of many steps we’re taking towards our global commitment to help collect and recycle a bottle or can for every one that we sell by 2025, on our journey towards a World Without Waste.
“As the world’s biggest drinks company, we recognise that we have a leading role to play in pushing innovation and design to produce more high-quality recycled plastic which can be converted into new bottles.”
