PepsiCo Beverages Canada Introduces Soft Drink Bottle Made from 100 Percent Recycled PET Plastic

PepsiCo Beverages Canada, Mississauga, Ontario, has introduced the 7UP EcoGreen bottle, which it says is Canada's -- and North America's -- first soft drink bottle made from 100 percent recycled PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic.

The company says it has identified a way to couple existing technology with the best sources of recycled PET plastic and best-in-class processing techniques to produce a 100 percent recycled PET, food-grade bottle that meets all regulatory requirements and is of the highest quality. Creating a bottle made from 100 percent recycled plastic for soft drinks is more challenging than creating a bottle for non-carbonated beverages because of the stress on materials from carbonation pressure, according to Pepsi.

By introducing the 7UP EcoGreen bottle in Canada, PepsiCo Beverages Canada estimates it will reduce the amount of virgin plastic used by approximately 6 million pounds over the course of one year.

"After three years of research and development, we have cracked the code to commercially develop a soft drink bottle made from 100 percent recycled PET plastic, and Canada has proudly led the way," says Richard Glover, president, PepsiCo Beverages Canada. "Consumers want products and packaging that reflects their desire to protect the environment, and PepsiCo is committed to delivering on that with this kind of world-class innovation."

The 7UP EcoGreen bottle will be available across all 7UP and Diet 7UP package sizes beginning in early August.

The bottle will be produced in multiple PepsiCo manufacturing facilities across Canada. The company invested $1 million in production enhancements in its facilities, including resin handling systems and inspection systems. Although there will be an incremental cost to produce the 7UP EcoGreen bottle, PepsiCo Beverages Canada plans to price 7UP beverages on par with other soft drink brands.

PepsiCo Beverages Canada says its long-term plan is to increase the use of bottles made from 100 percent recycled plastic. Currently, PepsiCo incorporates an average of 10 percent recycled PET in its primary soft drink bottles in Canada and the U.S.