Coca-Cola Explores Refillable Glass Bottles For Affordable, Sustainable Drinks

This week, drinks giant Coca-Cola said that it expected consumer demand to slow down in the coming months, as inflation showed no sign of easing. 

Instead, it will be looking at bringing back its glass bottles back to the market, in an attempt to create more affordable drink options with the refillable packaging.

The company will first trial the glass bottles in markets in Latin America, Africa, and Hong Kong, and will debut a new initiative featuring returnable bottles in the Southwest US. 

Elsewhere, Coca-Cola’s Hong Kong office has begun its returnable glass bottle efforts in the city, and will be available for Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola No Sugar, Sprite, Fanta, Schweppes Cream Soda and Soda Water.

Interestingly, Kochakaden Craftea Lemon Tea and Peach Tea will be joining the range in glass bottle packaging for the first time. 

The brand said that by adopting a transparent bottle design across all drinks, it will be more convenient for consumers to return them to the bottling plant to be cleaned, disinfected, and refilled.

In a bid to be even more eco-friendly, the glass bottles will comprise 60% recycled glass, and will weigh one-third less than previous iterations, making it more comfortable to hold in your hand on a blistering hot day. 

Even better, the bottle’s volume will go up to 250ml from 192ml, allowing you to get more bang for your buck. 

Will returnable packaging be the new movement in saving our Earth? We certainly hope so.

[via Reuters and The Coca-Cola Company, cover image via Evgeniy Parilov | Dreamstime.com]