Coke's Odwalla introduces 100% plant-based bottle

Odwalla Inc., a division of the Coca-Cola co.,  announced that it has fulfilled its commitment to deliver a more sustainable bottle, and just in time to join Earth Month celebrations. In October 2010, Odwalla committed by 2011 to transition the brand's single-serve offering - which represents more than 80 percent of the company's total business - to a new and sustainable package made of up to 100 percent plant-based materials (minimum of 96 percent) while still maintaining its 100 percent recyclability in current recycling infrastructures.

The PlantBottle packaging now used by Odwalla consists of HDPE plastic made of up to 100 percent plant-based materials that are derived from sugarcane. The new, sustainable package, which is now on shelves, reduces the brand's dependence on non-renewable resources for its packaging. Additionally, Odwalla has reduced the single-serve bottle's size from 15.2 fluid ounces to 12 fluid ounces.

"The PlantBottle packaging represents a significant step in Odwalla's ongoing sustainability efforts to protect our planet," said Alison Lewis, President, Odwalla. "Since the brand's inception in 1980, it has maintained a very simple vision: make great juice, do good things for the community, and build a business with a heart. Such a simple vision has proven to have a large impact, especially when supported by a guiding principle of respect - respect for our consumers who rely on us for nourishing beverages, and respect for our earth on which we rely for holistic nourishment."

Odwalla alsorecently completed the installation of five fuel cells operating on redirected bio-gas at its juice packaging plant in Dinuba, Calif., helping to cut the plant's carbon footprint by an estimated 35 percent. Through its annual Plant a Tree program, over the last three years, Odwalla has donated $350,000 worth of trees to state parks across the country to support reforestation and planting initiatives. Less than 1 percent of by-products coming from Odwalla's packaging plant in Dinuba goes into landfills: pulp, peels and cullage are used as livestock feed; plastic and cardboard are baled and recycled; and worn out equipment and other metals are sold as scrap. And, most of the fresh produce Odwalla uses is locally grown.

While delivering on its commitment to sustainable practices and bringing the PlantBottle^TM package to market in early 2011, Odwalla and its parent company, The Coca-Cola Co., remain at the forefront of innovation and sustainable practices within the beverage industry.

Meanwhile, Coca-Cola also introduced the PlantBottle packaging in Canada, where DASANI and Odwalla

beverage products will be saying hello to new PlantBottle packaging. All DASANI
bottles and Odwalla single-serving bottles in Canada will be available exclusively using
PlantBottle packaging.

PlantBottle packaging for both brands was developed with the planet in mind.
Single-serve Odwalla packages are made from up to 100 percent plant-based
materials with high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic. PET bottles for DASANI
are made with up to 30 percent plant-based materials.

Canadians will be among those globally enjoying refreshment from billions of
PlantBottle packages that will reach store shelves this year. Odwalla
PlantBottle is available in national grocery stores, natural food stores and
specialty outlets in the produce section. Dasani PlantBottle is currently
available throughout western Canada, and will expand across the rest of the
country beginning in May.

In 2010, more than 2.5 billion PlantBottle packages were available across nine
countries. For 2011, that number is expected to do

uble to more than five billion
PlantBottle packages in more than 15 countries.

"It's our goal to make traditional plastic bottles a thing of the past and
ensure that every beverage we produce is available in 100 percent plant-based,
fully recyclable packaging," said Scott Vitters, General Manager, PlantBottle
Packaging Platform, The Coca-Cola Co. "The national launch of DASANI
PlantBottle packaging represents an important step towards reducing our carbon
footprint, and the up to 100 percent plant-based, recyclable packaging used for
Odwalla is the first of its kind in the beverage industry."

Traditional PET bottles are made from petroleum and other nonrenewable fossil
fuels. Incorporating a blend of petroleum-based materials with up to 30 percent
plant-based materials allows DASANI PlantBottle packaging to reduce potential
intrinsic carbon dioxide emissions when compared with PET plastic bottles.

"

"As a company, Coca-Cola has the opportunity to transform the marketplace by
changing its operations, and the introduction of fully recyclable plant-based
bottles is a great example of putting that power to good use," said Gerald
Butts, President and CEO, WWF-Canada. "We are pleased to be working with
Coca-Cola and its partners to integrate sustainability initiatives and encourage
eco-friendly changes through its supply chain, the broader industry and the
world."

The plant-based materials for both DASANI and Odwalla PlantBottle packaging are
produced through a process that turns sugarcane into a key component for PET and
HDPE plastic. Currently, PlantBottle packaging is made using sugarcane ethanol
from Brazil, the only source widely recognized globally for its unique environmental and social performance. Brazilian sugarcane is primarily rain fed and industrially grown on abundant, arable land using organic fertilizers. The
plantations from which PlantBottle materials are sourced are located far away
from Amazon rain forests, and their impact on biodiversity is reduced thanks to
advanced farming practices and sound public policy.

Unlike other plant-based plastics, PlantBottle packaging is entirely recyclable
and can be processed through existing systems. This ensures that PlantBottle
packaging can be repeatedly used, recycled and reused. In addition, there are no
differences in shelf life, weight, composition or appearance between traditional
PET plastic bottles and PlantBottle plastic bottles.

PlantBottle was first launched in Canada in 2009 as part of The Coca-Cola
Company's sustainability plan for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, the
most aggressive environmental protection plan undertaken by any Olympic sponsor.
To date, PlantBottle packaging worldwide has eliminated the equivalent of 30,000
metric tons of carbon dioxide or 11 million litres of gasoline used to produce
PET plastic bottles. 

Currently, The Coca-Cola Co.  is working to further technology so other plant
materials can be used in future PlantBottle packaging. The ultimate long-term
goal is to turn waste into a resource, resulting in a carbon neutral, 100
percent renewable, responsibly sourced bottle that is fully recyclable.

"Several approaches to a PET package made entirely from plants have been
successfully demonstrated in laboratory testing. We're working to advance this
breakthrough science to ensure it is commercially viable," said Vitters.
"PlantBottle packaging means only good things for everybody. We welcome others
in the industry joining us in advancing the science behind packaging made from
plants."

The technology used to make PlantBottle packaging already has been adopted by
Heinz, which recently announced it will begin packaging its ketchup using that
technology under license from The Coca-Cola Company beginning this summer in the
US.