Coca‑Cola strips labels from Sprite on-the-go bottles in Company’s first UK trial of “label-less” packaging
Coca‑Cola will temporarily remove labels from Sprite and Sprite Zero on-the-go bottles this January in a limited trial of “label-less” packaging.
The pilot will see labels temporarily removed from single 500ml Sprite and Sprite Zero bottles and replaced with an embossed logo on the front of the pack. Laser-engraved product and nutritional information will appear on the back of pack.
While existing labels are fully recyclable, removing them simplifies the recycling process. It removes the need to separate them from the bottles during the recycling process, and reduces the amount of packaging material used overall.
Shoppers are being invited to try out the new limited design, which will be sold at eight Tesco Express Stores in Brighton and Hove, Bristol, London and Manchester between January and March 2024.
Like existing Sprite packaging, the clear, 100% recycled PET bottles feature green and transparent attached caps identifying them as Sprite or Sprite Zero respectively.
In recent years, Coca‑Cola has introduced a number of design changes to help reduce packaging waste, including turning Sprite bottles from green to clear plastic to make them easier to recycle back into bottles.
It has also introduced attached caps to its bottles, ensuring that the cap stays connected to the bottle after opening to reduce the potential for littering; and invested in new designs to reduce the amount of packaging it uses, such as creating lightweight bottles and reducing the materials used in external packaging.
